EQ6 GO-TO misalignment

ozstockman (Mike) · #1 06-01-2008, 10:51 PM

Hi guys,

Everything worked fine for months but for the last two months I'm having a strange problem with my EQ6 goto. I do 2 or 3 stars alignment and it says "Alignment Successful" but when I say it to go to some star it misses it a lot.

For example from what I've just experienced: I did 2 stars alignment and the 2nd star was Acrux. Alignment was successful. Then I told it to go to Hadar which was very close. It started slewing in right direction but stopped 1/3 way. Then I told it to go back to Acrux and it missed it a lot. And the same happens everytime I'm trying to align it.

May be there is something missing in settings because of daylight savings. I don't remember exactly when this problem begun but it seems to me that I've had it since we add one hour because of daylight. Do I need to change timezone because of daylight from +10 to something different?
I've checked all settings and they are exactly the same as they were when there was no problems with alignment at all. I've even checked voltage level and it seems to be OK too.

cheers,

Michael

ozstockman (Mike) · #2 07-01-2008, 12:15 AM

problem solved after reading this thread. It was because of some error with DST settings. I've turned DST off and changed timezone to +11. Now everything works fine :-)

vash (Ashley) · #3 07-01-2008, 12:59 PM

I had a similar problem my first time out with this mount, stupid American date!.

I think it's because the daylight savings would be set up for northern hemisphere when you tell it to have daylight savings on I would assume that it would be off, seeing as that the northerners daylight savings have finished.

JUST DON'T FORGET TO SET IT BACK

ozstockman (Mike) · #4 08-01-2008, 12:58 PM

Hi vash,

Actually I was thinking that there was something wrong with date as it all went crazy at the end of October. I even tried to change timezone to +11 to fix it but it didn't help. I had no idea then that it's also affected by DST setting working improperly.

I also can recall the similar problem with Celestron Nextstar SE mount. It's like EQ6 stopped working properly at the same period of year but those days I thought that I did something terrible wrong with my mount :-)

It's shame on IT guys who've developed remote controls software, built in DST function in it for us to help with DST but completelly forgotten about it in case of using it in Southern hemisphere :-)

Thanks for reminder to switch it back but I guess it reminds about it itself when it goes carzy again :-)

cheers,

Michael

P.S. I'm sorry that I put this thread in a wrong section. Didn't think much of it when I created it. I guess it should be in "Equipment" section.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #5 08-01-2008, 04:16 PM

I was just about to start another thread about this exact problem!!!!! And I spotted this one

My GoTo's have been all out of wack for a week now! And even when I ask the mount to go to 'Home Position' it is out! It goes back about 0.5 degree out. On objects it is about 4 - 6 degrees out.

I understand that having the time wrong will put the GoTo location out in RA, but some of mine are out in RA & DEC!

?????????

P.S. I am using V2.5a hand controller.

ozstockman (Mike) · #6 08-01-2008, 08:43 PM

Have you changed the date to 2008 year? :-)

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #7 08-01-2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstockman

Have you changed the date to 2008 year? :-)

Yep, triple checked everything!

I have restarted the process atleast 12 times last night and it still wouldn't GoTo!!!
Turned mount off, turned it back on, go through the whole procedure, over and over.

Checked for exact co-ords on Google Earth and got them to with a metre of my telescope, checked time to the second, did everything!!!!

But I will try the NO DST and +11 tonight to see if that is the problem. Seems strange that it is out in Dec too though!

ozstockman (Mike) · #8 08-01-2008, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

But I will try the NO DST and +11 tonight to see if that is the problem. Seems strange that it is out in Dec too though!

I think it should help as I went thorough a lot of checking, turning off and on, starting alligment again and again until I realised yesterday that this happens because of DST set on. Just remember that DST setting is not shown this time of the year when you turn on your mount and you are asked to re-enter GPS coordinate, time and date. You will need to go to setup to turn it off.

cheers,

Michael

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #9 08-01-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstockman

Just remember that DST setting is not shown this time of the year when you turn on your mount and you are asked to re-enter GPS coordinate, time and date. You will need to go to setup to turn it off.

cheers,

Michael

My hand controller asks me none of this. Mine is the old v2.5a

ozstockman (Mike) · #10 09-01-2008, 12:34 PM

I haven't seen v2.5a remote but I guess it should have DST setting somewhere under "Setup" menu. Even SynScan v2.05(see page 11) has it.

What kind of mount and hand remote do you have? Mine is Skywatcher(Synta) EQ6 PRO and my remote has SynScan label written on it.

vash (Ashley) · #11 09-01-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

My GoTo's have been all out of wack for a week now! And even when I ask the mount to go to 'Home Position' it is out! It goes back about 0.5 degree out. On objects it is about 4 - 6 degrees out.

I understand that having the time wrong will put the GoTo location out in RA, but some of mine are out in RA & DEC!

Could it have somtehing to do with the backlash settings? I saw your post regarding backlash and balance, which was posted a week ago. You say the goto's have been out for a week

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #12 09-01-2008, 01:37 PM

WOO-HOOOOO!!!

All is fixed. I followed the steps above and it is solved!

I turned off DST and set it to +11

And I have noticed that since I took out the backlash a week ago, now the GoTo's are exact centre on screen. That's impressive when you consider that the Toucam is equal to a 6mm EP!!!!!!
I used to be happy when they were in the centre 2/3rds.
So the Backlash reduction worked

and now the DST +11 sorted

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstockman

I haven't seen v2.5a remote but I guess it should have DST setting somewhere under "Setup" menu. Even SynScan v2.05(see page 11) has it.

What kind of mount and hand remote do you have? Mine is Skywatcher(Synta) EQ6 PRO and my remote has SynScan label written on it.

v2.5a is the Southern Hemisphere version of the v2.5. The 'a' denotes Australia.

Yes it has a DST setting, but not GPS that you mentioned.
I have the Skywatcher EQ6 with older 'Skyscan' hand controller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

Could it have somtehing to do with the backlash settings? I saw your post regarding backlash and balance, which was posted a week ago. You say the goto's have been out for a week

I wondered that too, but it appears that it was just a coincidence of timing. The backlash removal adjustment has proven to be perfect, and the no DST & +11 fixed it.

vash (Ashley) · #13 09-01-2008, 02:01 PM

I'd like to mention we don't have this problem in queensland

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #14 09-01-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

I'd like to mention we don't have this problem in queensland

vash (Ashley) · #15 09-01-2008, 03:02 PM

I'm just saying

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #16 09-01-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

I'm just saying

I'm quite frankly getting fed up with Daylight Saving!

Doesn't get dark enough until around 10pm!!!!!!!!