sorted software

Tried updating the firmware for the GoToStar hand controller. An exercise in frustration. The documentation on the web site is very lacking. The files on the Nanjing web site are incorrect, in some cases. The Yahoo!Group has what appeared to be a good array of files but about half of them don't work.

In the end, it looks like I was successful in upgrading the firmware in the hand controller to version 090630 from 060714. More menu items (e.g. eyepiece light) and some typos corrected.

And that was after sorting the firmware "transfer" program, which they call a downloader. The iOptron one never worked; the older version did.

And it looks like I was able to get better ASCOM drivers. From an early beta version that had display problems to 1.0 to 1.1. In fact, the first one I tried showed garbled text and did not respond to the Get Lat/Long. Now I can see and communicate with the hand controller, when working in ASCOM directly.

Alas, SkyTools does not work. Weird "not supported" and "failed setting telescope location" errors. Tried Starry Night Pro 6. Never used it before in this capacity. Ha! It worked... Connected, slewed, parked. Oh boy! Now that's interesting. Another step closer... One astronomy application has no trouble; my preferred one does not. I threw in the towel.

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I'll have to ask Greg what he thinks...

[ed: Grammatical error fixed on 14 Oct '18.]