Sunagwa
(journeyman)
06/14/09 05:07 PM
Autostar 497 Fried. Any advice?

So I'm new to this hobby and I'm playing around with my first telescope (ETX 125 PE) trying to get it hooked up to my computer so I can play around a bit and update my autostar controller.

Well, me being the idiot that I am, didn't look for directions for plugging the autostar controller to my computer.

So I'm plugging stuff in thinking the computer plugs into the telescope and the extra wire that came with the connector kit plugs from the scope into the autostar controller and bam, my screen on the controller goes blank. Lights still on but the screen is blank.

So I try turning it off and on a few times with the same results. I can hear it make a clicking sound sometimes when I turn it on but nothing comes up on the screen. Just lights up and nada.

Well since the "accident" I have figured out the proper way to hook it up, right from the computer to the controller but still nothing.

It only took 1 second of having it hooked up wrong but I think it somehow fried my controller.

Has anyone else had this problem or heard of someone who has had this problem? I havn't even had the luck of a clear night to go out and see "first light" through it yet and I just want to make sure its the controller before I go and buy one just to have it be something else...

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance. 8)



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