NexStar Resource Site

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Extending the Hand Control Cable

You might find it convenient to extend the cable connecting your hand control to the NexStar mount.  Basically you need a 6 conductor cable with an RJ-12 plug (six gold leads) on each end and you need an RJ-12 or RJ-45 (eight gold leads) coupler that will allow you to connect the extension cable and the hand control cable together.   Naturally it is important that the wire path remain 'straight through' meaning pin 1 on one end goes to pin 1 on the other end, pin 2 to pin 2, and so on. 

For those wanting to purchase a complete cable, David Carter sells them for nearly the same price as the parts.  Visit his site - www.astrogadgets.com - or email him at david@carter.net.  Another source for extension cables is ScopeStuff - www.scopestuff.com/ss_cgmx.htm.

You can also purchase a suitable cable and adapter from some electronics suppliers, for example Radio Shack.

It is easy enough to make one of these if you have the right materials and tools, but due to my warning below, if you are unsure of how to test prior to using, best to purchase one of the prebuilt cables above.

WARNING: it is likely you will damage your hand control or the electronics in the base if all 6 pins are not connected correctly!  Test your cable with a multimeter, even if you purchase the parts listed below - it is possible that Radio Shack will change specifications on these parts in the future so do not assume they will work correctly without testing.

 


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