Sky-Watcher Syncan Help

[chn]

I've been reading a few posts on here offering advice on setting up the synscan goto mount but I'm getting no joy at all.

I'll list what I've done clearly:

Date is entered in american format (impossible to get this wrong as its the 19th).

I've set the correct time and I set the time zone as zero (UK as listed in the handbook)

I set Daylight saving to Yes

Obtained my co-ordinates N51.5826 W2.8274 and have entered them in using degrees and minutes in the correct field. Degrees and minutes are entered in the remote as 002 49'W 51 34'N

I did this last night and after centering on Vega I then chose Capella and it was miles off.

I've just done a factory reset and reentered the above details now (as at 12:34) and used a gps skymap on the ipad to try and get a general guide to see if its moving toward the right place. I chose tthe 2 star alignment and directed the scope toward sirius and approximated the scope with the skymap. I then chose Regulus which should be skewing East but just as last night, it went off in totally the wrong direction, skewing down to the South West....

What on earth have I done wrong?

Is the scope supposed to have the declination set to zero when I start or something?

[Freddie]

Is the scope in the parked position? Have you told the setup you are starting from the parked position?

[chn]

Not sure what the parked position is, its not mentioned in my instruction manual? It just says to attach the scope and go through the setup procedure entering the details and then use the controller to go to the first object?

[EssexGazer]

We're not in British Summer Time yet so "Daylight Saving" should be - No

[Mikea]

I always start from parked - approx North facing and OTA horizontal and never had a problem. Is this a new purchase with latest handset firmware? What power source are you using? Synscan GOTO is rather fussy about power supply voltage and can do daft things if voltage is low.

[Mikea]

We're not in British Summer Time yet so "Daylight Saving" should be - No

Yes we are!!

[chn]

We're not in British Summer Time yet so "Daylight Saving" should be - No

British summer time started on March 25th

[chn]

I always start from parked - approx North facing and OTA horizontal and never had a problem. Is this a new purchase with latest handset firmware? What power source are you using? Synscan GOTO is rather fussy about power supply voltage and can do daft things if voltage is low.

Yes, brand new purchase.

I'm unable to update the firmware at the moment. I'll try setting it now with the scope horizontal and facing North. I'm using batterys at the moment, but I've also used a 12 volt jump started with 12v output.

[Mikea]

_{Maybe EssexGazer lives in a police box...}

_{Why is this font so tiny?}

[SeedyF]

Chn,

If I was being picky I would say your co-ordinates should be 002 50'W 51 35'N if you were rounding properly (i.e. up in both cases here), but that shouldn't make the massive difference you describe. Have you maybe got the Lat/Long co-ordinates the wrong way round? You have them the right way round inthe text above, are you putting them into the handset in that order?

I am using a Dob. With the Synscan on a Dob you need to start the scope from a set position - so the goto always has a known defined starting point I think. On the dob that is pointing north and Dec set to zero. I assume you need some similar sort of similar pre defined starting point.

Edit - to eliminate muppet mistakes - ALT is set to zero

[Black Knight]

Is this an EQ mount? If so, did you polar align it first? The home position on an EQ mount is where the counterweights are facing straight down. Dion from Astronomy Shed does a series of pretty good videos showing how to set up an EQ mount, including how to accurately set the home position. Look for astronomy shed on YouTube you may find them useful.

[Mikea]

OK - what version firmware do you have? I wouldn't bother updating if it's new.

[EssexGazer]

Sorry for the mis-information, all this rain had convinced me that we can't be in BST

(is it really that long since I used my scope? )

[chn]

I always start from parked - approx North facing and OTA horizontal and never had a problem. Is this a new purchase with latest handset firmware? What power source are you using? Synscan GOTO is rather fussy about power supply voltage and can do daft things if voltage is low.

I've just gone through from the parked position as described and its worked! I also attached the 12v jump starter, so not sure which sorted it but thanks. Hope the skies are clear tonight now.

[Mikea]

I know what you mean EssexGazer!

Glad you sorted it chn!

Clear skies.

[chn]

Thanks for everyones advice, it looks like you were all getting at the same thing (the starting position) but this seems to be missed off in the instruction booklet. Looking forward to tonight now

I did manage to get a look at Saturn last night and it looked amazing. The scope seems pretty good quality for the price (127 Sky-Watcher Skymax although the mount will need to be updated at some point I think)

[pgwenlan]

I have the same 'scope, and don't start from "parked", because my position will change from session to session.

I assume that you are doing a "2 star alignment"? If so, it WILL be off on the 2nd star - it needs you to tell it where that star is.

When you say "miles off", how far do you mean? Sometimes mine can be several degrees; but it doesn't know where you are specifically - the lat/log is only accurate to about 100m, and there is no allowance for height above sea level - hence it needs you to centre on the 2nd star...

Use as high a magnification eyepiece as you can to get more accuracy - but on the 2nd star you will probably need to go back to a 25mm or so to find it initially, then drop to a smaller eyepiece to centre it in...

Also, don't rely on batteries - they won't last long at all!

Hope that helps!!

Peter

[Cornelius Varley]

We're not in British Summer Time yet so "Daylight Saving" should be - No

Daylight saving should be Yes during during BST and No during GMT.

Peter

[Jiggy 67]

I have the same 'scope, and don't start from "parked", because my position will change from session to session.

Don't know how you do that. Parked just means that the scope and mount are all starting in the correct position....scope pointing along the axis of the polar scope. If you started with the scope pointing 90 degrees, East for example, and the handset thinks you are in the correct "parked" position, any movement thereafter will be completely wrong. I always find the more accurate you are parked, with the counterweights pointing exactly down and in the center of the the axis of the mount, as in Astronomy Shed's video, the more accurate the handset will be

[pgwenlan]

Don't know how you do that.

Unless I've mis-read, Chn has the "Synscan goto" - which does not need to start from any particular position; and locates itself via the 2-star alignment.

It takes a bit of practice, but once you have the hang of it, it takes just a couple of minutes to be up & running. It also has "brightest star alignment", but I've found "2 star" so easy.

That may also be why "parked position" is only very briefly mentioned in it's particular manual...

[chn]

When I said miles off it was in the wrong direction completely, as in the second star was supposed to be in the eastern sky but the mount spun around to the south west. I really don't know what happened but I didn't change the settings at all just started from the parked position and it worked as it should.

[cyborg421]

I have a Synscan Dob, not sure it's the same as the one being described, but the best thing

i discovered was that you didn't need to point it North or from parked to align it.

My alignment routine is

1) Level scope as far as possible, I'm never that precise.

2) Choose 2 star alignment.

3) Point Dob at rough position of first star and align.

4) Choose 2nd star and align.

5) Sorted!

There is always a certain degree of latitude when moving to objects. I use a 32mm Panaview initially and the object is always in the field of view. I then centre it and then use whatever eyepiece I choose.

Simon

[Stu_2011]

My CPC 925 did something very similar when new and it turns out that the Celestron system (and I presume the skywatcher system as well) is sensitive to power supply, if the input voltage is a bit low then it does weird slewing things. How are you powering the mount?

What voltage reading do you have on the handset readout, I think it's in utilities or something.

I had to change the battery in the powertank even though it was brand new, the as supplied one was rubbish.

Thanks

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stu_2011]

My CPC 925 did something very similar when new and it turns out that the Celestron system (and I presume the skywatcher system as well) is sensitive to power supply, if the input voltage is a bit low then it does weird slewing things. How are you powering the mount?

What voltage reading do you have on the handset readout, I think it's in utilities or something.

I had to change the battery in the powertank even though it was brand new, the as supplied one was rubbish.

Thanks

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Someone has already mentioned this power issue I noticed!!

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