snowdragonusa
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/04/07
Posts: 1128
Loc: Denver, CO
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I have been a proud owner of the SkyScout for about 8 months now. I had been leery of purchasing the mySky until the other day when I heard they had been discontinued. I decided to bite the bullet and search around for a good deal on one.
I finally found a seller which had a new mySky Plus for $115. I snatched it up and received it on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
Right away I drop in some batteries and try it out. Kinda cool. Neat color display, fun graphics and boarder line cheesy scenes. All in all pretty happy. I then did the upgrade as directed in the packaging... come to find out this is the number one mistake folks do with their new mySky units and ultimately causes them to hate their new toy. The 'new' upgrade actually downgrade the firmware to an earlier version (1.2q) that mucks things up pretty good.
Fortunately I have no fear of computer challenges so I hopped on the net and started looking for solutions. I soon found a Yahoo group specifically gear for the Meade mySky and found several solutions.
After a short time reading and a quick file swap and rewrite of the SD card in the mySky I was back in business with a slightly older firmware version. I was quite happy actually because when all was said and done the older firmware corrected some date issues AND allowed the GPS functionality to be activated! Yup, my mySky Plus has GPS! I actually had more trouble figuring out how to add new comets and satellites than fixing the firmware issue.
I took it outside and turned it on. The unit started right up and asked if I would like to get my location via GPA and I said, "Why not?" The mySky took all of 10 seconds to get a GPS lock (and a correct one at that). A very quick sensor adjustment by setting it on the ground for a few seconds and I was off to the races! I pointed and shot all over the sky with great results. If I went too fast and didn't allow the accelerometers to catch up I got funny results but a slow sweep across the sky yielded wonderful and very accurate results!
I even got it to spot Comet Lulin straight away!
So, if you have some spare cash about and want a tech toy to tinker with, the mySky might be a nice little project for you. Granted there have been many folks who have had bad apples but then again, perhaps they were not able or willing to fiddle with the files to get it to work.
I hope Meade is looking at upgrading the mySky to something else. It would be a shame for them to hand over a great idea to Celestron to solely profit from.
Good luck and clear skies!
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Adam
12" LX200R, AT80LE
Lunt 60mm Ha & CaK solar scopes
DMK41.AS, DSI Pro, DSI-C, LPI
Denver Astronomical Society
Brighton Astronomical Group
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4573
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Quote:
So, if you have some spare cash about and want a tech toy to tinker with, the mySky might be a nice little project for you. Granted there have been many folks who have had bad apples but then again, perhaps they were not able or willing to fiddle with the files to get it to work.
You know, if it weren't for that 17-mm Ethos I have my eye on, I wouldn't mind shellin' out a C note to take a chance on one. 
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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snowdragonusa
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/04/07
Posts: 1128
Loc: Denver, CO
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Just buy the 17mm Hyperion! Then you'll have plenty left over for a mySky. 
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Adam
12" LX200R, AT80LE
Lunt 60mm Ha & CaK solar scopes
DMK41.AS, DSI Pro, DSI-C, LPI
Denver Astronomical Society
Brighton Astronomical Group
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ibase
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/20/08
Posts: 1541
Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N
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Unk Rod is an incorrigible Ehonian now, you can't convince him to go any other way; I know because I got his old Nagler 12mm T2 so that he could replace it with a 13mm Ethos. 
Best,
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Hernando
Nexstar 8/CG-5 ASGT; WO Megrez 102ED SV; Antares 6" 1529; WO ZS66SD; Orion ST80
TV Naglers 5T6, 9T1, 12T2; Panoptic27; Hyperion 8-24mm Zoom,21mm; WO 7.5-22.5mm
BO/TMB 2.5/3.2/4/6mm;UO HD 5;BGO 6;Meade-RGO 7;UO-V 9/12.5;Brandon 16mm;Ultima18
TV 2x,3x barlow&8/11/15/20/32plossl; Aspheric31;Siebert36-OB;Paragon40;Meade56Smoothie
C-f/6.3FR;OIII,UHC,SkyGlow,U-block,8"S-flter;GLP/Telrad/MRF/9x50RACI; NexImge;Canon RebelXS
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sailor70623
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/12/08
Posts: 944
Loc: Ok.
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I've had my SkyScout for I think over a year now and love it, BUT got a MySky plus because I seen it for sale for $114. Well I dropped the batteries in and fired it up and gee, pretty neat. My nieces and grand daughters like the MySky better too, BUT then the darn thing took a dump! I never did the up date, and the GPS never worked, but I just put in the Lat. Lon. my self and the thing was working great. Like snowdragonusa says I hope they are comming out with a new better one. Anyways, what my unit did was have the screen just go white, then turn it's self off. Anyone else have this problem. Is there an easy fix? I am left with having to send the darn thing back to Mead?
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Corornado PST
LB 16" & 12"
Z 10"
LX50 8"
8" CPC
ETX127
102&90mm MAKs
80mm Richfield APO
70mm refractor
ETX60
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snowdragonusa
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/04/07
Posts: 1128
Loc: Denver, CO
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Mine has frozen up a couple of times. All I did was take a battery out for a few seconds and then start it back up again.
I also noticed that if you hold the power button in for a little longer that the lockups tend to be less.
I think this is the result of a sub standard power switch being used but I wouldn't swear to it.
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Adam
12" LX200R, AT80LE
Lunt 60mm Ha & CaK solar scopes
DMK41.AS, DSI Pro, DSI-C, LPI
Denver Astronomical Society
Brighton Astronomical Group
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sailor70623
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/12/08
Posts: 944
Loc: Ok.
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Already tried that, and new batteries. I'd agree about the switch. A more heavy duty switch with a click or something would be nicer. Guess I'll have to call Mead on Mon.
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Corornado PST
LB 16" & 12"
Z 10"
LX50 8"
8" CPC
ETX127
102&90mm MAKs
80mm Richfield APO
70mm refractor
ETX60
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4573
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Quote:
Just buy the 17mm Hyperion! Then you'll have plenty left over for a mySky.
Once you go Ethos, you NEVER go back.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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cavefrog
sage
Reged: 11/11/08
Posts: 449
Loc: loozyanna
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Quote:
After a short time reading and a quick file swap and rewrite of the SD card in the mySky I was back in business with a slightly older firmware version. I was quite happy actually because when all was said and done the older firmware corrected some date issues AND allowed the GPS functionality to be activated! Yup, my mySky Plus has GPS! I actually had more trouble figuring out how to add new comets and satellites than fixing the firmware issue.Quote:
thats what I have been looking for. I made that mistake. it took me about 2.5 months to get a new sd card from them. backordered they said. BACKORDERED SD CARDS? how hard can it be to get sd cards and put a file on them?
anyway, the gps ability is what I wanted the most, and they told me I could not have it! "?#%&*@#$@#&%"
so, mi amigo, pray tell! where do I get this info?
Theo
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I am only an egg
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snowdragonusa
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/04/07
Posts: 1128
Loc: Denver, CO
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Hey Frog - I PM'd you some info mate.
Cheers
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Adam
12" LX200R, AT80LE
Lunt 60mm Ha & CaK solar scopes
DMK41.AS, DSI Pro, DSI-C, LPI
Denver Astronomical Society
Brighton Astronomical Group
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jrw11
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/07
Posts: 523
Loc: unknown
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Bought mine when it first came out. (saw it on the Today show). I have enjoyed it very much.
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Celestron C6n -HD Reflector
dual axis drive motors added
Orion 80mm Short tube refractor
Skyscout
Early 70's Pentax 7x50
Garrett Optical 12x60
Garrett Optical 15x70
Oberwerk 20x80 Standards
Canon Rebel Ti (film)
4 Minolta Srt cameras
Mamiya RB67 Pro-s with 180 lens
127mm KL lens for RB, Bellows hood for RB67
Mamiya M645 Pro
Cambo SCII 4x5 view camera
over 50 other film cameras
several eyepieces
too much stuff
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Stew57
member
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 83
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Mine came with the 1.3b firmware as a MySky Plus. Worked fine at the house as there is a listed city close by. Our lake house (dark site) is a good ways away from any listed city. I could not get it to be accurate there. I tried numerous times to update a sd card purchased locally to the 1.2tc firmware trying to get the gps functions activated. The best I could do was get the 1.2q firmware that would lock up.
I finnaly resorted to calling Meade. They sent me a new sd card but it had 1.3b on it. I updated it to 1.2tc using the firmware posted on the meade_mysky user group. It works great. Takes just a few mins to sync with the sats and it is accurate (at least as accurate as a handheld pointed device can be). I have not had it long enough to test the reliability but the grandkids love it.
Meade has made a friend.
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suarezadolfo
newbie
Reged: 01/19/09
Posts: 2
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I got mine last year from liquidation on FAO Swartz's website. I was bummed when it did not work out of the box. Fortunately, I did not give up even when Meade sent the wrong firmware to me. I hope to find a second one on sale. It was worth the extra effort.
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deister
super member
Reged: 02/21/07
Posts: 103
Loc: Germany
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Hallo Adam,
i have sent you a PM. Asking for....
Best regards
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Paul
Member of the Backnanger Sterngucker
(stargazers of the area round Backnang, Germany)
www.bksterngucker.de
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snowdragonusa
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/04/07
Posts: 1128
Loc: Denver, CO
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PM replied - Have fun with that awesome little gadget!
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Adam
12" LX200R, AT80LE
Lunt 60mm Ha & CaK solar scopes
DMK41.AS, DSI Pro, DSI-C, LPI
Denver Astronomical Society
Brighton Astronomical Group
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deister
super member
Reged: 02/21/07
Posts: 103
Loc: Germany
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Hello Adam,
thanks - this little gadget spents a lot of fun.
100 % position accuracy in version 1.4 (in GPS mode) in the german edition. Thanks to MEADE germany for the service.
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Paul
Member of the Backnanger Sterngucker
(stargazers of the area round Backnang, Germany)
www.bksterngucker.de
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