GOTO Help

[Hightower]

Hi all,

I've put this in beginners advice because that's what I am (and in need of help) - but please move if it's wrong.

Last night I unboxed my new SW130p GOTO. I set it up outside, and started on the handset. I entered the details as I knew them (does the time setting have to be pretty much perfect, including settings?). After all the settings, it asked for alignment - now, no matter what I tried I couldn't seem to get it perfect - by perfect I mean after alignment I would select an object, and then I would have to line it up. I expected a little centreing on the scope, but for some objects they hadn't even entered the finderscope - that's how far off the positioning was!

So, is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

I tried brightest star, and 2 star alignment. I tried aligning numerous times, to numerous stars - Betelguese, Pollux, Castor, Polaris, and others that I can't think of the name for.

The tripod was level, at least according to the spirit level on the tripod. And I'm sure my lat/long are correct - just checked on another site.

I could find objects ok but it took quite a lot of manual slewing, so last night I didn't see a lot of the sky because I was trying to get it perfectly aligned.

Oh, I also reset the box and started again from the start, entering all the details again to make sure.

Any advice would be gratefully received - if I have missed a thread already that may help, please point me towards it

[Cornelius Varley]

Did you remember to align the finderscope with the telescope?

Peter

[Hightower]

Well, it was dark when I got outside, but I managed to put the scope on Jupiter, and then aline the finderscope to that, so yes. After that, whenever I centred the scope on something else it was always centred in the finderscope also.

[Carbon Brush]

There is a lot that can go wrong. The sales literature omits this!

Today, in daylight do a few trials. Use any star chart software to give you positions of 'target objects. Watch the scope travel between them and see if anything looks wrong. There may be 'finger trouble' in the way you have set up the handset. There may be small movements in the mount that are best seen in daylight.

Also a daylight run will get you more familiar with the new kit. Making your 'dark' use much easier.

Just as an illustration of how things go wrong in the dark. I once failed to note a handest required USA date format. First time out the day/month happened to be the same number so everything was OK. A few days later and the handset was looking for stars in the wrong place by months! On the night i stuck to manual positioning. Next day, doing trial runs in comfort, the Doh!! moment took only a few minutes.

[Greg]

Is it a alt/Az or German equitorial..

If its a GEM

Ensure your tripod is level on all three axis.

Ensure scope is correctly balanced.

Polar align the scope.

Input date ..time ..year in the American format. Mm..dd..yy

Input your coordinates. (Google earth will show you this or use a gps.)

Daylight saving time to no.

Choose three star alignment..

Now this is the interesting bit... The first star will be fairly close, the second star will be quite a way off and the third star will be close..

The reason being is that the mount is "learning"

Try and choose the three alignment stars the goto offers you.

On each star slew the scope till the star is in the center of a medium power ep and press enter.

Et voila ..

Most errors on a goto mount are caused by users error, we've all done it so don't panick. Just set your scope up in a methodical way every time and it will eliminate mistakes.

If it an ALT/AZ iirc... You have to point the mount and scope at a group gf bright visible stars and do a brightest or two star alignment..

Brightest star will give you the choice to slew the scope to the brightest star in you current location..

The Two star alignment will give you two stars at you location, usually in different sides of the meridian, after you've done the first alignment the hand controller will give you a list of second stars, the scope will slew to that star and stop, center it In your eyepiece and press enter.

Now the dreaded part.. The hand controller will say ..... Alignment successful and your away

Or..... Alignment failed... Check everything and start again..

HTH

Greg

[Hightower]

There is a lot that can go wrong. The sales literature omits this!

Today, in daylight do a few trials. Use any star chart software to give you positions of 'target objects. Watch the scope travel between them and see if anything looks wrong. There may be 'finger trouble' in the way you have set up the handset. There may be small movements in the mount that are best seen in daylight.

Also a daylight run will get you more familiar with the new kit. Making your 'dark' use much easier.

Just as an illustration of how things go wrong in the dark. I once failed to note a handest required USA date format. First time out the day/month happened to be the same number so everything was OK. A few days later and the handset was looking for stars in the wrong place by months! On the night i stuck to manual positioning. Next day, doing trial runs in comfort, the Doh!! moment took only a few minutes.

How will I align the scope in the day though, to be able to trial it? (sorry if that's a newbie question!)

I got the date right hehe - don't think it would let me write 25 for the month While I was waiting for the scope to arrive, all I did was read up on what others came across - 90% were probably "didn't enter the date write, doh!" so I made sure I wouldn't be caught out by the same trick lol

[Hightower]

Daylight saving time to no.

Wow, after swearing to myself I wouldn't be caught out by the US date setting, it seems I got caught out by something even simpler! I had this set to yes.

I always thought DLS was yes in the winter, no in the summer (and my missus thought this too). But after a quick google it seems this is the other way around.

I'm guessing this will be enough of a setting to cause the effects I was seeing?

[Cornelius Varley]

Greg,

There is no need to polar align an alt-az go to mount.

Peter

[Russe]

Yes!!!

GOTO is tricky to get right and I still have nights, where I have to align again, coz I'm unhappy. Also, during the night things seem to get progressively worse. I guess the answer to good guiding is a guidecam not the **** GOTO setup...

[Hightower]

Thanks guys, really looking forward to tonight now. Last night I didn't even give that setting a thought - I could have sworn it was DLS.

[Greg]

I understand that there is no need to polar align an Alt Az mount...

But without searching the various retailers, I was unfamiliar with the set up so thought best to give both options.

And apart from that after being several years on this forum, you'd be surprised what people have tried to do:)

Good luck tonight.. Let us know how you get on..

Greg

[Hightower]

Will do! Now just need to get my xbox camera sorted......

[Capricorn]

One other bit, use stars to align with, not planets such as Jupiter.

And don't assume that it will not allow you to enter a month of 25, them things is pretty dumb. Have worked on systems that have had instances of things much more ridiculas then you would believe.

[SeedyF]

One other bit, use stars to align with, not planets such as Jupiter.

And don't assume that it will not allow you to enter a month of 25, them things is pretty dumb. Have worked on systems that have had instances of things much more ridiculas then you would believe.

Indeed, my Synscan instructions tell you not to use planets. Look for bright stars, at a similar altitude if possible and aim for at least 60 degrees apart. I have found that using stars close together does have a negative impact.

And remember Daylight Saving means putting a little aside in the summer when we have plenty so we can use it in the winter when we're a bit short

Good luck, and clear skies

[brucen]

I am sure you have them right but just a reminder that the lat and long are input in hours and mins and not in decimal format. There have been a lot of posts where people have not realised the difference!

[Jiggy 67]

Hightower, take a look at this thread, offers some good advice and an alternative method of aligning, ie, manual slewing to center an object during alignement rather than using the controler, lot of people swear by this method. I've yet to try it but will do next time because I have a lot of problems with using the controller to align