EQ6 problems

[AdrianF]

I setup my scope on the eq6 last night did a quick alignment and every time I tried to toto an object the display read "object below the horizon" I checked the setup and everything seems ok. I have no idea what I have done wrong, anyone have suggestions?
Adrian
:shrug:

[AlexN]

Have you made sure it knows you're in the southern hemisphere?

Umm also, make sure the time is entered correctly, in 24hr time.. (6pm being 18:00)

(forgive me if these answers seem obvious, but usually its the obvious thing that get forgotten..)

When you do your 3 star alignment, how far off is it? Ie, does it land the star in the eyepiece, or in the finder, or is it quite a way off?

[AdrianF]

yes I have made sure of the settings on the handpiece it is setup in 24 hour mode set the lat/long by a gps have made sure that daylight saving is disabled. I did a 2 star align and the stars came within the field of view and I adjusted the scope via the hand controlled,and then things went pear shaped and the controller said "object below horizon" when I tried to get plaides or Orion in the field of view,I could plainly see both naked eye.

Adrian

[madwayne]

Another possibility is that the date has been entered in the wrong format. It needs to be mm/dd/yyyy.

Although just thinking about this it is more than likely would then have either slewed your alignment stars way off or not even let you select the bright ones for the same reason you gave, below the horizon.

Was Betelgeuse, Rigel or Sirius in your alignment star options? If not can you recall what was?

Wayne

[AlexN]

seems odd....

its annoying, but maybe try doing a factory reset of all settings in the hand controller.. under setup menu..

a start from scratch may solve the problem..

[AlexN]

I just thought about the date options too...
Give that a fly before you go resetting defaults..

[AdrianF]

can't remember offhand what the stars where I just used stars that where available according to stellariium will have another look tomorrow when I am home.currently in toowoomba
Adrian

[AdrianF]

The 2 stars I used where Canopus and Formalhaut at around 9:30. Plaides was visable and Orion came up a little later. I have checked the date and it is in the format mm/dd/yyyy and I input the time in 24hour (14:30:23) format but then it tells me that the time is 2:30:23pm. When the clouds go away I will set it up again and try an alignment again and see how I go.

Adrian