Cosmic Geoff

Get it sorted out in daylight with the scope and finder aligned, and focused on a distant landmark. If you were unable to focus on anything, note that a common newbie error with these scopes is to use the wrong setup of extension tubes at the focuser: i.e. not adding an extension tube, or using two extension tubes when you should have used one. 

The DEC cable on my EQ-5 mount is a pain. When the mount is doing a meridian flip I always keep an eye on it to make sure it does not get snagged.  A longer more flexible cable or a curly cable would be more satisfactory.

5 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

There you’ll see a list of all installed apps. Select the Seestar app from the list. At the top of this page, to the right of the app icon, you’ll see the app version number. 

Thanks. Says 1.18.0, same as on the Seestar downloads page.

IIRC I only had to reset my Seestar once, and that was when I started it up for the first time, and there was an instruction to press some button on the underside. 

The system for updates has changed - sometimes when powered up, it insists on a firmware update being performed before allowing me to continue. I've no idea what happens with the updates to the iphone app - does it get updated at the same time, or what? There seems no way to tell what version of iphone app is installed.

I bought the 10x50 Bresser binocular from the Lidl supermarket a few years ago at an incredibly low price (£15 IIRC).  They are an adequate binocular but clearly not as good as binoculars costing £499.  Even at 10x it helps to prop one's arm against something to steady them.

Whatever you do, avoid binoculars with Zoom.

I have the same mount and scope, but I don't live near you. I might be able to help if you can clarify at what point things go wrong. 

You need to set the correct location (London or the latitude and longitude in the correct format will work.) Then set the correct time and date (in US format, not UK).  Then do an alignment to the sky. There are several options, the simplest being one-star and Solar System align (too bad that no planets are available in the evening just now).  The alignment involves doing an initial aiming with a finder, then coarse and fine adjustments at the eyepiece.  You do need to complete the sequence by pressing ALIGN for each alignment star, otherwise the mount will not track.

I suggest you try a one-star alignment and see how you get on.

The Nexstar system is easier to use than the rival Skywatcher Synscan, and I am sure that when you get it to work you'll be smacking your forehead. 🙄

This is the first report I have seen of a dead Seestar.

I had a bother with mine a couple of weeks ago when I plugged the charger into it via ZWO's lead and nothing happened. I bought a USB to USB -C lead which charged it OK. Now I find the original lead works. I an still unsure if it was an intermittent fault or was I plugging in the blood pressure monitor lead by mistake. 🙄 

I suggest you buy and read Steve Richards' book "Making Every Photon Count" (available from FLO).  Then research any newer developments (e.g. Siril software) online.

If you just need the knob, well a knob is a knob. A knob from an electronics store might work. Failing that, as a last resort you can have one made - just drill and tap a piece of round stock and fit a grubscrew in it.

While I have not examined one of these mounts, I am surprised that the azimuth motor should have developed significant bearing wear. My experience of small motors is that this doesn't happen.  If it has, one might expect that under load it would fail to engage with the gearbox at all.   If it IS a motor fault, getting another might prove troublesome and if you can't definitely identify it as a generic motor you can buy on Ebay or from China, your only other recourse is to buy another subassembly or scrap mount.  Or find a craftsman prepared to fit another bearing bush to your motor.

A useful means of diagnostic where the altitude and azimuth drives (etc) have similar parts is to swap bits over and see if the fault follows the part.   The altitude  and azimuth motor/gearboxes in the Celestron SLT mount are the same (same part number) and I swapped them over while chasing a fault. (It wasn't in the motors).

If you attach tell-tales (bits of paper or magic marker marks) to slow moving parts, you can see if anything is moving (slowly) or not.

28 minutes ago, KnkTheBest said:

I wanted to know how much focal length it would increase by, if I then added the ADC. Is there any easy way to calculate this, and is the resulting focal length too much or too less to get the best results while imaging? Thanks!

Depends if you add the ADC before or after the Barlow lens.  The increase in focal length isn't x3 anyway, it depends on how far the camera or eyepiece is from the Barlow lens.   I think that you will find that 'best focal length' is a rather variable concept in practice.

10 minutes ago, Stu said:

If you need to reach other targets, it is quite possible to set the tripod up so its top is level on a sloping lawn, I do it quite regularly, that’s why tripod have adjusting legs

Right.

Actually the concrete in my backyard isn't level either.  I suspect that no lawn, concrete or decking is going to be perfectly level unless it is laid by a master craftsman.

If it's for imaging, one of those platesolving methods for polar aligning should work even if you can't see Polaris. And when you have done it once and marked the ground, you will have the rough setting for next time.

12 hours ago, Dibp said:

Open to all suggestions on what to hunt for until the planets come back that may keep me wanting to take my little scope out.

Double stars, or globular clusters, or the brighter planetary nebulae.

Your Nexstar handset should contain lists of some of these objects.

There is no shortage of 'what to view' guides online.

No need to invent unconventional solutions.  Many people use mains power to +12v regulated power packs.  Or car engine starters which deliver +12v.  Or dedicated astro power tanks, the LiFePo rather than lead-acid varieties being increasingly favoured.

TBH the 4" Nexstar 4SE is a bit small for planetary.  Depending on your definition of portability you could look at the 6 SE and the 8SE

I have the latter, and it is still light and compact enough to carry outdoors as 1 assembly.

1 hour ago, Nebula82 said:

The Celestron startsense looks appealing

Did you mean the Starsense Autoalign (camera system) at around £350? I have one but you do NOT need that for planetary observation.

There are various Maks and mounts in the smaller sizes.  The Celestron 127mm Mak and the  Skywatcher 127mm Mak are basically the same, and can (or could) be bought with the same-looking GoTo mount - only the GoTo system software differed.  IMHO the Nexstar system is easier to use than the Skywatcher Synscan -I have both.  And the Nexstar has a handy Solar System Align that lets you align on a planet. The Synscan has no obvious equivalent. 

Celestron now offer some small SCTs (5" and 6") with alt-azimuth GoTo mounts. I don't like the look of the tripods though - wobbly?

Are all the buttons failing to respond, or just some of them? or do they only work if you press hard? It should be possible to distinguish between a button contact or other electronic problem.

If it's a button problem, you should be able to work around it with NexRemote. Or just buy another controller. (Some people have deep pockets).

I have had this problem with Celestron hand controllers and found that dismantling and cleaning the contacts and rubbers effects at least a partial cure. No battery involved.

2 hours ago, DarkSkys said:

Given the dates, moon phase, planetary locations, etc., would you focus (😉 ) more on planetary viewing or dso

You can look up the moon phase and rise/set times on sites like' moon rise and set'.

Similarly there are sites like https://heavens-above.com/PlanetSummary which will give you the positions of the planet at any given time.

If the Moon does not intrude, this trip would be an opportunity to view galaxies (almost a waste of time from an urban site).  Provided you can use GoTo.

1 minute ago, DarkSkys said:

What kind of viewing experience can I expect from the included  25mm eyepeice on the C6? From what I understand, to get decent visuals I would need an upgraded eyepeice and barrow(?). 

The included 25mm eyepiece is okay (I use mine every time I take the scope out) but the hirer really ought to offer a range of eyepieces, something like 15mm and 8mm, or a zoom eyepiece, and maybe a 32mm to widen the field.  A Barlow will work, but the C6 has a 1.5 metre focal length so there is no need for one if the suitable eyepieces are on hand.

I have taken the similar C8 to a dark skies site and found I could see a lot of galaxies with it at this time of year.  You could also look at double stars and globular clusters. Also Jupiter and Uranus if you set up early in the evening.  Other planets will probably not be accessible.  This depends on you being able to operate the GoTo. I found the Celestron Nexstar alt-az GoTo system easy to master, and got the hang of it in one evening, with the aid of the manual.  GoTo mounts seem to baffle some folks, though. 🙂

If you do rent the C6, make sure that you get an external power pack with it and are not relying on the internal dry cells.  

As mentioned above the C6 SE package is not suited to imaging.  If you want to get imaging results from a short holiday, hire or buy a smart scope, e.g. the Seestar S50.

The Celestron 6SE should be easy to set up and use for visual. 

I don't know about the Vaonis Ve 50 Vespera, but the USP of these smart scopes is that they are supposed to be easy to use for imaging.

48 minutes ago, DarkSkys said:

I am interested in astrophotography as well and plan on also renting the Nikon F adapter if I go with that option.

I don't know what you intend here, but I would not try attaching it to the C6 SE if I were you, as this scope is not well suited for imaging.

Try defining your goals. If you want to take award-winning images, some major changes of kit may be necessary. If you want to just collect some images with modest effort, you could go for EVAA and live-stack images collected with Sharpcap and a Startravel 102mm refractor.

A new Startravel 102 should be within your budget, and you will not need guiding.

44 minutes ago, John said:

Celestron branded (China made of course) prism diagonal - the one with the part number of 94115-A.

I have two of these. They work well on my SCTs. I have no problem with them.. 

18 hours ago, bosun21 said:

There are actually two types of Starsense units now. The one costing approx £400 is the basic one which automatically does the star alignment for you and a newer release which actually does the alignment as well as guiding or plate solving I believe. The cost of the newer version was in the region of £700-800.

The newer one is a different and  more complex product, with guiding, which does not seem to have attracted a lot of attention so far.

I think the way to go is to buy the gear, set it up, use it, and THEN see if there is any function worth paying £400 for that isn't covered by an ASAIR, park or whatnot.

Be aware that upmarket diagonals offer better build quality and longer life rather than any noticeable improvement in the view. I upgraded the diagonal on my 127mm Mak and could not see any difference.