God is looking on me today!!!!!!! ha ha ha

[Fay]

Well after 5 days I have got the SX working. What a nightmare!!!!!

I turned off security & windows update, which has been driving me nuts with it's updates. Kept uninstalling & installing until I got it right. USB SXVIO was missing, it was only when I turned Nortons off that I could see where it was. Had two lots in hardware, one working one not, so deleted the one not working & hey presto!!!!


Now for the Canon!!!!!!!!

[mickw]

Fay if you don't connect to the internet with your laptop, you don't need any windows updates or anti virus.

Unless you're going to install something dodgy     

[Fay]

well I do go on there for downloads etc also backup files to the desktop.....don't want any problems there

[JohnP]

Fay - with all the issues/ problems you have had with that laptop I dont think I would use it to back up any files from any of my other PC's... Why dont you get an external hard drive USB thing....

[Fay]

I back the laptop files up onto the desktop, as I have 2 drives on there.

[Fay]

Anyway, He has looked the other way now!!!!!!

When I plug the LX cable of the Canon into DSLR Focus, the serial connector shows in Com port11 in Device manager.

I have to set the port number up in the capture  program, but I would have thought I should put Com Port11, but it will not let me says it is not available. I have to put it on port 7.

Am I right in saying, I have to set it as port 11? If so how can I get it it to accept it?

Thanks

[mickw]

Are you using the same USB to Serial adapter for both cameras ?

[MarkS]

I've had a problem like this.

I currently use a USB-Serial adapter for my LX cable.  Depending on exactly where I plug the USB in (i.e. which port or which hub) I get a different COM port number generated by Windoze.  The software I was using to operate the LX will only recognise COM ports 1-8 (or is it 0-7?) so if Windoze generates a higher number than 8 then the software can't cope.

The only solution I found was to plug theUSB-Serial adapter into different places until it gave a COM port in the range 1-8 (or is it 0-7?) - then remember exactly where you plugged it in for next time.

I sympathise with all the hassle you've had.  When my wife sees me preparing for an imaging session with piles of equipment, boxes, cameras, leads, laptops, car batteries (plus a spade for the snow) she laughs at me and says, "how can you call this a hobby?"

Mark

[Fay]

I will try that Mark. Thanks

[The Thing]

I refer you to my previous post on this nasty serially occurring problem.

http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=5067.0

I have my USB ports and serial adaptors labelled to prevent recurrence of this nasty irritation which previously entailed  much hair pulling and gnashing of teeth. Not to mention blaspheming and other vocal invective remarks which upset the neighbours (who have now moved and been replaced by some poor unsuspecting young people).

[Fay]

I have always plugged appliances into the same ports, Duncan, but this is a new drive so should not have too much baggage.......yet!

[The Thing]

The trouble is if you used the wrong usb port once Windows remembers, so you follow the instructions and delete all the ports that exist (including hidden ones).

Also it remembers which serial adaptor was in each port. So you end up with a COM port for each adapter in each USB port which if you have three serial adaptors and four ports like me explains how you get to COM13 (12
+ COM3 which is used for the built in modem).

If you use a hub that's another four+ USB ports, if you use a USB active extension cable then that's another port (essentially it's a hub as well). That's a lot of combinations, each one of which will generate a Windows COM port in device manager.

Label each serial adapter, label the cables, label the USB port it goes in to. I use coloured tape on each connection point so I always use the same extension/adapter/USB port combination. Problem solved.

[RobertM]

And if you have Bluetooth enabled then that gobbles up a whole load more com ports in the range you want to use...