Lx90 - Autostar update problem

Whatever you do don't plug anything other than a monitor or LCD in there.

Thanks for the advice. Can you tell me where you got your Proline USB to Serial connector?

You can pick up a USB to serial adapter in the like of Maplins or any shop that sells PCs (PC World etc.) for around €24. It doesn't have to be a Roline, but it might be an idea to check and see if Meade recommend any particular make and model.

Hi

As the lads said you will need a USB to seriel adaptor. Proline or prolific should be fine. I understand that belkin ones dont work very well. OK for operating your scope remotely from Carte de Ceil etc. but get ready for a big surprise if you use them to update the software.....

You will also need the meade #505 connector cable to connect your usb adaptor to your autostar. They cost about £20 in telescope house. The other end of the #505 cable goes into the base of the autostar. So you have laptop > USB adaptor> #505 cable > Autostar in that order.

Then hook up your autostar to your scope and switch on. Load up Autostar updater programe that you download from meade website. It should automatically detect your autostar and give it a com port. Your autostar should then be saying "downloading do not turn off".

Beware as if anything interupts the connection from this point on you will corrupt your autostar software!!!!!

You then click upgrade Autostar Software Now and you will be given a choice of downloading the latest version from Meade website. If you click this then ASU will download it to your hard drive and then to your autostar. It will take 20 minutes to complete the download so please make sure your laptop is plugged in and not on batteries before you start.

If all goes well, after 20 minutes your autostar will go beep and will reboot itself and show the latest version has been succssfully downloaded. You may want to recalibrate, train etc. afterwards if necesary.

As for updating itself....I guess you need to consider if you really want to do it. If your version is very old (before version 4 say) then I would definately consider upgrade. The auto align procedure for one definately seemed to become a lot quicker after version 3 and more reliable and the silly sun warning was done away with.

The current version of 4.3eg is quite stable and hasnt been upgraded for a while so I guess any bugs have been ironed out by now.

Hope this helps.

DB