Alignmaster - can I use it with a handset & with a CGEM?

[Martin-Devon]

I've seen lots of good reviews recently on Alignmaster to get accurate polar alignment. However, the users all seem to have an EQ5 or an NEQ6 and have EQMOD so presumably they are running the scope control from their laptops via ASCOM. I have a Celestron CGEM and run the scope control of this simply via the handset, I don't want to rig up at this stage to any computer-driven system.

My question is whether Alignmaster will work with my CGEM set-up via just using the handset to input directional commands to the scope? I have downloaded the ASCOM drivers just in case the CGEM even with the handset working through Alignmaster needs these - but will this work?

Martin

[Black Knight]

The Alignmaster site just mentions a GOTO mount using Ascom as a requirement, so I guess it should work.

[Star Gazer]

I've seen lots of good reviews recently on Alignmaster to get accurate polar alignment. However, the users all seem to have an EQ5 or an NEQ6 and have EQMOD so presumably they are running the scope control from their laptops via ASCOM. I have a Celestron CGEM and run the scope control of this simply via the handset, I don't want to rig up at this stage to any computer-driven system.

My question is whether Alignmaster will work with my CGEM set-up via just using the handset to input directional commands to the scope? I have downloaded the ASCOM drivers just in case the CGEM even with the handset working through Alignmaster needs these - but will this work?

Martin

Hi Martin,

I have used AlignMaster (AM) with my Mach1GTO. It definitely requires the ASCOM driver. I don't see that you could use AM with any handset from whatever vendor, since AM will issue slew commands to your mount via the ASCOM driver.

If you get AM working and giving you good alignment I'd appreciate knowing how you got on. I tried AM several times last year but never seemed to be able to converge on anything remotely accurate enough.

Tim