· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Mounts Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 tonyb professor emeritus Reged: 07/27/05 Loc: WA, USA What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release       #5652647 - 01/30/13 04:09 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I could not seem to find a What's New document for the SynScan EQ 3.32 official firmware release. http://www.skywatcher.com/swtinc/customer_support.php?class1=1&class2=101 Does anyone know the full details of this new 3.32 firmware? Post Extras:       neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: tonyb]       #5652754 - 01/30/13 04:50 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Well the most important new feature is the polar align routine similar to the celestron's all-star polar align. I test this since 3.28 beta firmware and am very happy with it. It allows very good polar alignment suitable for photography in minutes. You can find more details about it in the new product manual. Edit: Here is the link to manual: http://www.skywatcher.com/swtsupport/Instruction_Manuals/SynScan_HandControl_... The new polar align procedure is on page 35 (11.3 Polar Alignment without Polar Scope). Edited by neptun2 (01/30/13 04:54 PM) Post Extras:       astro_baby scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 06/17/08 Loc: United Kingdom Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: neptun2]       #5652849 - 01/30/13 05:42 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Theres also a new feature whereby the mount goes weird and fails to align......allegedly Post Extras:       rmollise Postmaster Reged: 07/06/07 Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: astro_baby]       #5653006 - 01/30/13 06:51 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Not sure if you are kidding or not despite your smiley. Anyhoo... Quite the opposite. In my experience, the alignment routine has been improved quite a bit. The alignment star choice is now much more automated. In the past you basically had to select the best stars from a list, but now, based on my testing of the beta here, it does a pretty good job of picking stars for you. Edited by rmollise (01/30/13 06:53 PM) Post Extras:       ghataa professor emeritus Reged: 06/20/11 Loc: Central, NJ Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: rmollise]       #5653099 - 01/30/13 07:45 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Rod, Can you still pick stars from a list for alignment? Thanks, George Post Extras:       neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: ghataa]       #5653112 - 01/30/13 07:53 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes you can but the HC automatically selects stars that will give good alignment and put them in the list of selectable stars. You have choice but whatever you choose gives good results. Post Extras:       rmollise Postmaster Reged: 07/06/07 Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: neptun2]       #5653184 - 01/30/13 08:51 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yep, think of this as a much more "NexStar" like HC. Post Extras:       ghataa professor emeritus Reged: 06/20/11 Loc: Central, NJ Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: rmollise]       #5653278 - 01/30/13 09:53 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks guys. Sounds like a great upgrade. George Post Extras:       tonyb professor emeritus Reged: 07/27/05 Loc: WA, USA Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: ghataa]       #5653348 - 01/30/13 10:32 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Awesome - thanks all. I just upgraded my HC to the v3.32 Post Extras:       CJK professor emeritus Reged: 12/05/12 Loc: Scenic SE TN Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: tonyb]       #5653385 - 01/30/13 10:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Going to tackle this tomorrow. Anything I need to be concerned about? I read the instructions on the SkyWatcher web site -- seems straightforward. -- Chris Post Extras:       neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: CJK]       #5653476 - 01/31/13 12:37 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   In fact there is nothing complicated about this update. Just follow the instructions and everything should be ok. Post Extras:       astro_baby scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 06/17/08 Loc: United Kingdom Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: neptun2]       #5654394 - 01/31/13 02:01 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Rod - kind of kidding BUT I have seen a few posts on boards of people saying after alignment the mount goes whacky. No way of knowing if its user error or some weird bug. 3.27 does everything I need so I am content to leave it alone and not risk being on the receiving end of any possible problems - when you have had cloud for almost three straight months your less inclined to mess with stuff in case it goes loopy on you and you miss the one night your going to get a view of anything. Post Extras:       rmollise Postmaster Reged: 07/06/07 Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: astro_baby]       #5654463 - 01/31/13 02:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I tested it thoroughly and had no wackiness. I _could_ break the AllStar routine if I tried, by choosing stars no one would normally choose for polar alignment. But I had no complaints about the go-to alignment, and would hope Synta fixed whatever was bugging the AllStar code. To be honest, when the mount has to work exactly right--for long exposure imaging, for example--I just use EQMOD. However, I am happy to say the HC has really come a long way in the five years I've owned the mount... Edited by rmollise (01/31/13 02:50 PM) Post Extras:       mattflastro Vendor - Astrovideo Systems Reged: 07/31/09 Loc: Brevard County , FL Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: rmollise]       #5655478 - 02/01/13 01:53 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The manual says at page 24 I think that this version supports auxiliary encoders placed on the mount shafts, which would allow manually moving the mount without losing track of where it was pointing . Is this feature a new one , what mounts support it and how well does it work ? The manual says that if high precision pointing is desired, the auxiliary encoders should be disabled in the controller software . Post Extras:       johnpd sage Reged: 04/13/08 Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: mattflastro]       #5655570 - 02/01/13 04:23 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This is supported in the new AZ-EQ6 mount. I have it shut off since I don't see a need for it. I guess if you are more use to manually moving a scope to objects, it would come in handy. JohnD Post Extras:       neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria Re: What's New in SynScan EQ official firmware release [Re: johnpd]       #5655640 - 02/01/13 06:34 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yesterday i tested the 3.32 final firmware and the all-star polar align. It works very well. After the all-star polar align i verified polaris position in the polar scope and it was exactly where it should according to both HC calculation and polar finder program. Here are some tips to be sure that the new routine will work. 1. When setting up the mount put polaris in the big circle of the polar scope. You can center it if it will be easier to you. 2. Make 3-star alignment and during it center the stars as precise as possible. I use the live view of my dslr with enabled grid to do it. 3. Make the polar alignment as described in the manual. When selecting star to do it be sure that this star was not used previously in the 3-star alignment. This gives best results for me. 4. After polar alignment is ready park the mount , turn it off and back on and make another 3-star alignment (do not select to resume from park position). I did that and the result was perfect polar alignment and goto accuracy. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 26 registered and 27 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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