Can anyone please help with Nexstar+ hand controller
I have the Cgem DX mount and have tried the "polar alignment" procedure after completing the all star alignment, and I'm getting quite annoyed.
I slew to Sirius then "synced" on it as the hand manual says, then I started the polar alignment procedure (Where the mount slews away from the star and you adjust the mounts azimuth and latitude manually to re-center the star in the eye piece)
As I have the scope pointed south, time, date and location enter correctly and have completed the two star alignment with four cal stars, I would assume the scope would not slew far from Sirius when starting the "polar alignment", however the mount swung all the way around to the west??? (opposite from when Sirius was at the time, as if the hand controller was trying to get me to swing the whole mount around to the north)
I have gone right the hand controller settings to double check the settings a correct and I'm still puzzled.
The only thing I have noticed is when do the all star alignment the hand controller list the two alignment stars as "w" (west of meridian) when in fact they are east. Vice verser for the cal stars, it lists them as "E" instead of west.
hello rod my brother has the cg5 gt and that is doing the same thing
very frustrating!
celestron were not very helpful unfortunately and they just emailed him (after about a week) with the standard procedure of alignement which he already knew
we cannot get to the bottom of it at all
pat
Have you updated the handcontroler with the latest available update from celestron I Had the same problem with my CGE pro after two star alignment when I first got it point to Jupiter it went in the operset direction to wear it should be, updated software the problem had gone and worked like it should do, as well I got the GPS ad on that seemd to bullet proof it.
Set up the mount, roughly aligning the tripod and polar axis to the north and use the mount’s scale for the latitude.
With the CGEM, first use the 2-star align with two calibration stars for a regular alignment.
Then choose a star in the south around or below the celestial equator for the All-Star routine. This makes the fine adjustment controls relatively easy to reach while at the eyepiece. (Those observing in the Southern Hemisphere would choose a star in the north around or above the equator.)
Slew close to such a star. Then use IDENTIFY. The star should be the top one on the list. Press Enter and your scope will start to slew to it. Press Undo immediately to get to the top of the menu and then press Align. Choose POLAR ALIGN > ALIGN MOUNT. Your scope then completes (re-slews) to the star that you just identified and goes through the All-Star polar alignment. Follow the prompts and adjust the mount manually using the adjustment screws.
Turn off the mount. Turn on the mount and do another 2-star + two calibration stars alignment. Then check ALIGN > POLAR ALIGN > DISPLAY ALIGN to see the accuracy of your polar alignment. An alignment within a quarter degree of the North Celestial Pole is good enough for most purposes.
the general idea is you choose stars u can view from your observing place. Slew to the star. Center in eyepiece. Press align. do about 4-5 stars in total and u should be fine. Btw polar alignment has nothing to do with goto. If your mount is pointing at True south, then your mount tracks very well. If your mount is polar aligned well then your goto's will be fairly accurate.
the general idea is you choose stars u can view from your observing place. Slew to the star. Center in eyepiece. Press align. do about 4-5 stars in total and u should be fine. Btw polar alignment has nothing to do with goto. If your mount is pointing at True south, then your mount tracks very well. If your mount is polar aligned well then your goto's will be fairly accurate.
His doing a polar alignment not a goto sync lol, if you didn't know snycscan and the celertons now support polar alignment much the same as align master works. I thought the same when he said sync but if you read his post fully you will see his doing a polar alignment not a goto sync.
god i hope rod is reading this also.... i feel i have hijacked his thread!
now jay they are the instructions we have followed....... however when we press the "undo" it does not and the mount carries on and re centres that star
in my brothers mount there is no "undo" button it is called "back" on his
maddening!
Yes I had updated the firmware to HC 5.21.2200 MC 6.17 .617 yesterday, I was have the troubles with old version and are still having trouble after update.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Starblazer99
Have you updated the handcontroler with the latest available update from celestron I Had the same problem with my CGE pro after two star alignment when I first got it point to Jupiter it went in the operset direction to wear it should be, updated software the problem had gone and worked like it should do, as well I got the GPS ad on that seemd to bullet proof it.
the general idea is you choose stars u can view from your observing place. Slew to the star. Center in eyepiece. Press align. do about 4-5 stars in total and u should be fine. Btw polar alignment has nothing to do with goto. If your mount is pointing at True south, then your mount tracks very well. If your mount is polar aligned well then your goto's will be fairly accurate.
I understand your point Mark . The goto alignment procedure is fine (apart for some over slewing on targets on other nights, that's another story) Its the "polar alignment" procedure that's in error.
Its like the mount knows its position for goto functions but has no clue at all when I start the polar alignment procedure.
When you pay thousands for equipment you expect it to do what it says it can do.
I would send celestron a email and tell them whats going on, sounds like a firmware issue for sure. Seems pretty odd though since they fixed the southern hemi issue with the syncscans To be honest i use the old school method of plumb bob and compass then a drift lol. I used align master but its gotta be perfectly level and not far off to start with, so now the Heq5 goes old school.
I understand your point Mark . The goto alignment procedure is fine (apart for some over slewing on targets on other nights, that's another story) Its the "polar alignment" procedure that's in error.
Its like the mount knows its position for goto functions but has no clue at all when I start the polar alignment procedure.
When you pay thousands for equipment you expect it to do what it says it can do.
Weirdly though, my CGEM works beautifully for the polar alignment. Every time.
I do a sync, and add the maximum amount of stars and then do the polar alignment routine and it just works.
rod i think(?) you and my brother have the same problem and he has told me to pass this link on
although untried on his part he is almost certain he has at least found his problem
take particular note of point 7, as when he got there found his hemisphere registered not north or south but "OFF"!
hope this helps
pat
Rod, thanks for the update. I got my C11HD CGEMDX a few weeks ago and am still learning it (finding it less friendly and (surprisingly) less accurate on tracking than my C102SLT AltAz). Loving the scope but not loving some of the "character", the learning curve and lack of help from Celestron.
To be honest i use the old school method of plumb bob and compass then a drift lol. I used align master but its gotta be perfectly level and not far off to start with, so now the Heq5 goes old school.
and that there is a definite bug in the HC firmware.
