I elected to try to control the SynScan with Software Bisque's The Sky Pocket Edition. Having verfied that Sky PE did in fact make a very suitable hand controller platform ala the Star Book I proceeded to modify an old Ipaq PPC that has been languishing around the desk here at home. The weak part of the set up is twofold, extremely poor battery life and the delicate serial connection at the base of the PPC. I decided to make a machined bracket incorporating the serial cable and a plain sleeve, allowing me to remove the PPC for updating and reloading the software. This is needed because the Ipaq's will kill the battery and lose all data just sitting undused. I have backed up the entire machine to a CF card and can reload just prior to the weekend of use.
Here's my Ipaq(ue) hand controller just prior to the red Roscoe CineGel treatment. Because of the poor battery life I elected to supply external power through the umbilical calbe that also houses the serial lines. One neat cable from the scope to the controller.
The complete sleeve & cable assembly. The small junction box at image center velcro's to the telescope. The RJ modular connector plugs into the SynScan hand controller and the lighter plugs into a 3 hole lighter cord at the base of the tripod. The hand box umbilical cable is 15 feet long.
Close up of the sleeve and bracket.
Back side, Velcro not installed yet.
Detail shot of the machined serial cable mounting and power plug.
You would think the large fixture at the bottom would be annoying but the first night out it proved to be a nice handle.