Astro Dave

I recently decided to give the SynScan app a try on my new Orion XT10g. Now using the hand controller I was familiar with the "Brightest Star" and "Two-Star" alignments methods, indeed I always use the Two-Star method. With the app however I see that the Two-Star has been replaced with the level north two star. What is that? And since there's no manual for the app, what precisely does level north mean? I'm guessing that you level the OTA and point north but with what precision? Any idea why that replaces the Two-Star method from the hand controller? OK, so fine. I did the Level North alignment. I noticed that as it goes to each of the two stars and stops, while waiting for you to center the star, a couple of the directional buttons are flashing. What's interesting is that the ones flashing are not the ones for the direction that the scope needs to move to center the star. Again, what's up with this? Finally, after aligning and doing a Goto (reasonably accurate), once it arrives at the target again, one of the directional buttons is flashing and there's a message above the object name that says that I'm to center it. Huh? Can someone help me make sense of all this. And, is there a manual for this app ?? Thanks.

*** Update *** My new XT10g's hand controller's buttons are not always responding. The altitude buttons mostly don't work but every now and then they will kick in. Similarly the Enter key and menu up/down buttons are sporadic in their response. Orion sent me a new hand controller. The buttons seem less sloppy than the original one. Alas, this new one is giving me an error, saying it can't see either axis. Another call to Orion tech support and they were unable to provide a solution. They asked me to email their tech support team so I have and now I wait. In the meantime I've been playing with the SynScan app on my iPhone. I'm not sure yet that it would be a good replacement for the hand controller. I much prefer physical buttons for slewing for their tactile response. But I'm keeping an open mind. More later.

Not on the GoTo mounts. The Azimuth axis is "shrouded" with the encoders and motor so that there's no easy way to adjust it.

I recently purchased an Orion XT10g which will be replacing my Evolution mounted EdgeHD 8 and a 10" Zhummel Dob. This scope will give me the extra aperture that the Zhummel has as well as the tracking and GoTo of the Evolution. I made a few upgrades before I took it out for its first night under the stars... Center spotted the primary with Catseye's Hotspot (already have set of their collimation tools) Installed Protostar FlockBoard along the full length of the tube Replaced the focuser with a Moonlight CR focuser Added a couple Farpoint lifting straps Added Bob's Knobs to the secondary holder. Last night it had its first light. Overall I'm quite happy. Collimation was easy as expected using Catseye's tools. Alignment (two-star) was similarly quite quick and easy. Objects were found easily and well within, if not near the center of my lowest power, widest field eyepiece (17mm Ethos) Skies were clear and transparency was above average. Seeing wasn't the best so I kept to low powers. Very impressed with the optical quality. Using my GSO coma corrector I got near perfect images even at the edge of a 100º field of view. As was the case with my Zhummel Z10, the GSO corrector is plug-and-play. No need to do any adjusting or fiddling. Panning around via the hand controller was very smooth. No backlash noted. Now the only issue that I have is that the azimuth movement, manually that is, is very stiff. Stiff to the point of really not possible without toppling the whole scope over. I've already raised this concern with Orion and they are sending a new base out to me. I'm hopeful that issue will be fixed.

Has anyone compared these to Naglers or ES82s ?

Indeed, I did get all I paid refunded to me. They asked me not to send the eyepiece back but rather to destroy it. I see now that they are about to re-introduce these. I'm hopeful.