This PRIVATE telescope controller comparison, where a couple Starfriends where involved, should give you an overview of the actuality and
the functionality of the various Telescope controllers! Especially important to us is that the presented controllers are legally marketed, that there is
a decent support guaranteed by the manufacturer, the products are maintained and there is credible information about the products of the
manufacturers. Also for us it is important the products presented here are not out of date and comply with legal provisions of law. We can not guarantee
that all information are reproduced in full and without error, some products continue to evolve so quickly that a seamless upgrade would blow up our
timeframe. Should you know other telescope controller systems that meet the list specifications, and are missing here, it would be very grateful to leave
a Note. If errors exist in the list, we also ask for a hint. For further information please contact the manufacturer where some are also available on the
Astromarket, or write us at controller_comparison@astro-elektronik.de. Well you did compare!
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| Comparison of well-known Steppercontrollers sorted by prices |
| Controller |
HEQ-5/6 MCU Update |
LittleFoot Vpower |
LittleFoot Elegance |
Powerflex MTS-3 SLP |
HEQ-5/6 SkyScan |
Powerflex MTS-3 SDI |
LittleFoot Elegance Photo (V40) |
Pulsar + Handcontroller |
Dynostar X3 |
| Display |
optional *8 |
optional *8 |
Yes |
*9 |
Yes |
optional (145€) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Alt/Az Mode |
*3 |
*3 |
*3 |
No |
No |
*5 |
Yes |
No |
Yes *5 |
| Microstepping |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| ST-4 Input |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| RS232 Interface |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| USB Interface |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Interface |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Video Interface |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Firmwareupdates (Software) |
RS232 (Win) |
RS232 (Win) |
USB, RS232 (Win) |
*9 |
since V3.00 |
RS232 (DOS) |
USB, RS232 (Win) |
RS232 (Win) |
RS232 (DOS) |
| Last Firmwareupdate |
Mar. 2010 |
Mar. 2010 |
Mar. 2010 |
*9 |
*9 |
Dec. 2004 |
Jul. 2012 |
*9 |
Nov. 2004 |
| Price Firmwareupdates |
free |
free |
free |
*9 |
free |
free |
free |
free |
free |
| Goto |
Yes *6 |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes *7 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Goto Protocol |
LX200 |
LX200 |
LX200 |
*9 |
NexStar |
LX200 und Powerflex |
LX200 |
LX200 |
LX200 und Powerflex |
| Max. Gotospeed |
100x |
100x |
100x |
*9 |
800x |
*9 |
640x |
*9 |
*9 |
| SD-Card interface |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes (up to 2GB) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (up to 2GB) |
No |
No |
| Internal Objectcatalogue |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes |
*9 |
Yes |
Optional (75€ + Display) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Objectcatalogue Size |
~ 5 Million Objects |
~ 5 Million Objects |
~ 5 Million Objects |
*9 |
~ 13.400 Objects |
*9 |
~ 5 Million Objects |
*9 |
~ 16.000 Objects |
| Max. Objektanzahl |
several Million Objects |
several Million Objects |
several Million Objects |
--- |
not expandable |
not expandable |
several Million Objects |
*9 |
not expandable |
| Planet positions |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Batterybufferered Realtimeclock |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Kit with Motors |
not needed |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| Motordrivers |
--- |
L6207 |
L6207 |
L6204 |
*9 |
L6205 |
L6258EX |
*9 |
L6258EX |
| Max. Motorcurrent |
--- |
3A |
4A |
500mA |
~1,5A |
500mA (new Vers. 1A) |
3,2A |
2A |
1,6A (optional 3,2A) |
| Serial Autoguiding (Protocol) |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (LX200) |
No |
No |
Yes (Powerflex) (LX200 *1) |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (Powerflex) (LX200 *1) |
| PulseGuiding |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (LX200) |
Yes (LX200) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (LX200) |
No |
No |
| ASCOM Driver |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| LX200 Autodetect |
No |
No |
No |
No |
*9 |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Fast Speedselects |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
*9 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
| Backlash compensation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Periodic Errorcorrection |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| PEC Tablesize |
256 |
256 |
256 |
64 |
*9 |
64 |
1024 |
300 |
64 |
| save PEC manuell |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
*9 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Autopark Function (PEC usw.) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Backup/Restore of PEC Table |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| PEC-Tracker |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Connector for opt. Encoders |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Digital Setting Circles |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
*9 |
No |
| Polar Alignment |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
*9 |
No |
| IntellyTrack® |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| GPS Connector |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Refraction compensation |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Home Position |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
*9 |
*9 |
| Auto Alignment |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
*9 |
No |
| Focuscontrol |
Handcontroller and LX200 |
Handcontroller and LX200 |
Handcontroller and LX200 |
No |
No |
No |
Handcontroller, Robofocus and LX200 |
No |
No |
| Stepperfocuser |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (1,2A) |
No |
No |
| Roof Controller |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Robofocus Relais |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Temperature Sensor |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Humidity Sensor |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Dewpoint calculation |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Dew Heater control |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| DCF77 Time and Date |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| DSLR Control |
Yes with DSLR Connector |
Yes with DSLR Connector |
Yes with DSLR Connector |
No |
*9 |
No |
Yes with DSLR Connector |
No |
*9 |
| Programmable exposure timer |
No |
optional |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Saving exposure programms |
No |
optional |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Sky Agent |
Optional |
Optional |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Filter Wheel Support |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Optional |
No |
No |
| Filter Wheel Protocols |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
TrueTech, SBIG, OES, DFM |
--- |
--- |
| Controllerconfiguration |
Win, Linux, PocketPC, (optional Display) |
Win, Linux, PocketPC, (optional Display) |
Win, Linux, PocketPC, Display |
DOS |
Display |
DOS |
Win, Linux, PocketPC, Display |
Display, Win |
Display, DOS |
| Controller and Handcontroller in one Case |
--- |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Power Supply |
12V |
12V - 35V |
12V - 35V |
*9 |
12V |
*9 |
12V - 30V
(40V Version optional) |
*9 |
*9 |
| Kit available |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Supportforum |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
*9 |
No |
| Price incl. Motorcables |
155,- € (Kit 99,- €) |
279,- € (Kit 99,- €) |
Kit ~169,- € |
(Info!)
~350,- € |
~400,- € *2 |
(Info!)
~430,- € |
599 € (DIY Kit ~300,- €) |
900,- € (550,- € *4) |
(Info!)
ab 900,- € |
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| *1 serial Autoguiding over the LX200 protocoll is only conditionally possible. The problem is well-known, an elimination of errors is, as i know, not planned. |
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*2 price contain 2 Sanyo Denki Steppermotors with Engineplate, a new front plate, as well as tools for the installation. |
| *3 a limitted Alt/Az operation is possible with IntellyTrack®. |
| *4 the Pulsar is available, for PC Freaks :-), without the Handpaddle. The price without Handpaddle amounts to 550.- € |
| *5 is available starting from the firmware V3.00b. A display is compellingly necessary (total price 575.- €). |
| *6 The transaction of the Tube (DEC swap) is supported by the Windows PC Software,
but the Handcontrollerupdate is, for more comfort, suggested. The remote control (Goto), also without the Handcontrollerupdate, over the PC or PDA is working just fine. |
| *7 The transaction of the Tube (DEC swap) is not supported by the DOS PC Software and is realized thru a very small DIP Switch (DIP10).
The Controller must be Power cycled for that function to work. The remote control (Goto) over the PC, without DIP10, is not possible. Because of the size of DIP10 (with gloves not useable) the optional Display is required for Goto.
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| *8 The MCU Update and the LittleFoot Controller can use a PocketPC for a Display as well. The advantage is described in the Forumtopic.
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| *9 I do not know this information so please check by your self. Shurely i would be appreciative for additional informations!
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If you know further well-known and with credible informations controllers with technical data, we would extend the table gladly!
Copyright © 2006 by Anand Rajiva , E-Mail: astronomie@rajiva.de
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