skymax 127 alignment problem

[pipsquip]

I have had a skymax 127 synscan goto scope for about 4months my problem with it is the alignment and goto .I set it up using the 2 star alignment I then select select a object it moves to were it thinks it is but it is out by 40 degrees and it wont track. it doesn't do it every time but it is getting worse . would a factory reset work or am I better of sending it back because its still under warranty

[jambouk]

My immediate thoughts are the issue is most likely to be elated to:

- Power issues

- User issues

This is a tricky bit of kit to get working correctly, and relies on doing things by the book.

There are countless threads about this mount but to get it to work:

Good power supply

Latest firmware in handset

Levelled

Balanced (once all cameras or eye pieces are attached) and not too much weight on the mount

Start from facing north and parallel to the ground

Correct data input (remember date format is american, day light saving etc...)

Accurate star alignment

Set up slew rates/tracking correctly.

There is a bolt you can tighten on the mount arm under where the scope attaches to add "resistance" to the elevation axis (mine was very slack and the pseudo-backlash i had caused problems until i tightened this); not too tight or the motor will struggle.

If all the above have been addressed then it might be a problem with the mount, but i do suspect it will be caused by something above or some other variable you could resolve which I've missed and which someone else will identify.

Jd

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[ronin]

The data you entered should have been something like:

Longitude: -0.4

Latitude: 50.8

I think it is entered as Longitude then Latitude and this is common mistake, it is not in the order most think of.

The timezone is 0, possibly 00 or -0. I know one system uses -0 and it isn't a Meade.

Date as said is US format: mm/dd/yyyy.

But recently the day has been greater then 12 so I would be surprised if the scope took a month of 25.

Still you never know.

I think the time format of your scope is 24 hour format, so will assume you have that OK.

DST is Off or No.

As previously said start off with the thing level, aim it North as a start. Don't think it needs to be North but it is as good as any and looks good if nothing else. Level is more relevant.

If the software is recent then there may be a polar alignment start, I think you start with the thing level and the scope centered on Polaris. A more sensible option as the start is a known position so the scope can determine corrections better. And again it looks good.

[Cornelius Varley]

Correctly entered the longitude and latitude for the centre of Worthing should be entered as 000 22W 50 49N. Check the date (mm/dd/yyyy) and the correct time format (24hr) and that DST is set to off until the last Sunday in March. The AZ GOTO mount only needs to leveled, the telescope can be in any position at the start of the alignment procedure because the first star is always manually slewed to.

[jambouk]

I was having trouble setting mine up, but after a load of changes, it worked like a dream. Having it pointing north when it started the alignment procedure was one of the changes i implemented, so it may not be necessary as CV suggests, as other changes i made may have been the reason things resolved.

Jd

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[pipsquip]

I have checked the mount arm and it does seem to have a lot of play and its definitely a bit lose so I will give the nut a little "tweak" and see what happens

[jambouk]

If the error was 40 degrees in azimuth, then this nut is not the cause of the problem; i should have added that.

Inputting data to the handset incorrectly is so easy to do and so devastating to goto accuracy, and something we have all done.

Jd

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[pipsquip]

Last time I used my scope. I did rush the setup

[jambouk]

You can input most of the info in advance as the handset remembers all the last information other than the time; so input the date and coordinates in the day time, then just recheck these and input the correct time when setting up at night.

Jd

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[borderfin]

I have a Skywatcher AZEQ6 GT mount which I haven't used yet and is still in its original packing.  It seems from this post that it's very difficult to set up and quite complicated.  For a newcomer who is not I.T. savvy would it be better to not open the mount, sell it and buy something more user friendly - and if so what?

Paul

[ronin]

There is nothing wrong with the mounts and the operation of them.

The most common problem is the operator - they assume things.

You say Southern Scotland so lets use Dimfries.

Ask the location and people talk of Latitude 55 North and Longitude 3.6 West, that is your Lat and Long.

Trouble is the scope wants Long then Lat, so you think 55N and 3.6W, and that goes in.

So the scope has this idea that it is in Brazil.

If you get the timezone right then the scope is in Brazil and running the same time as the UK.

You have to feel sorry for the scope at times, the poor thing has almost no chance, then it gets blamed for it all.

Recently one person was told 3 times that DST is On or Yes.

Last post they made about the "problem" and in the data they listed they said they had set DST to No and still having problems.

Date is US format, the scope says mm/dd/yyyy on the display, this seems happily ignored and people still fail to read it and put in dd/mm/yyyy.

Then is the obvious = the statement:- "I HAVE entered all the data correct!!!!!"

One person a few years ago swore blind that everything was 100% even 120% correct, this went on for 3 weeks then someone was in the area, had a look, entered location correctly (long then lat) and the scope worked fine. Fixed in 3 minutes.

Set your own location, do not pick one. Recall someone selecting Birmingham, trouble was it was Birmingham Alabama not UK West Midlands.

Anyway you have a different mount and a whole different set of traumatic sanity destroying experiences to suffer. :grin: :grin:

Also as the nights are remaining light you have a few months to overcome everything.

[Roy Challen]

Also make sure that the location is in the correct format. Some mounts are happy with eg. 5.5 degrees West, others will need 5 degrees 30 minutes West. There is a difference!