Nexstar hand control

[Ascella]

Hi DIY'ers

My Nexstar handset give me headaches when it's sub zero outdoors. The display becomes totally unreadable, and this has been a problem with the models ever since I got my first Nextar 5 SCT around year 1999-2000. I am now at my second Nexstar, a 5" reflector and the problem is that bad I am always starhopping manually, by pressing direction buttons. When push comes to shove, I have paid a small fortune for something that cannot be used when it's cold. Buying my second Nexstar, I really thought this flaw was fixed by the innovative team at Celestron.

I find the Meade Classic hand controls way better, but don't know hos the Autostar perform in cold weather?

Been trying to tie hand warmers by means of rubberties, but they just fall of eventually. The design of the handcontrol and the cord inlet underneath makes it a good challange to fasten anything.

How have you solved this issue? Tnx!

[knobby]

Ive not had that problem... But how about bunging the controller and some hand warmers in a freezer bag?

[Ascella]

Hi. Tnx for reply. You never exprienced it? Now thinking maybe I've laid my hands on a lemon, again. The problem is very obvious from -17ºC (coldest temp I've tried it) up to a few dgs above zero. Spring and summer it works fine. Yeah, that's what I've tried, hand warmers, but the cable inlet in the middle of the bottom of the controller makes it hard to get a good fit. Don't understand why they couldn't put the cord connection in the bottom of the handset like any other keypad.

Been thinking of making a little insulated woodenbox, fitting the controller in it, and then tucking down the warmers between the handset and the insulation in the wooden box.

[knobby]

I only had the 4se for about 6 months and probably never took it anywhere as cold as you, maybe close to freezing was the coldest.

Maybe you could try something like dew heater tape?

-17 is, well... Very cold!

Good luck

[Ascella]

Thanks for the hints. It seem to be a well known problem with the hand controls: http://www.nexstarsite.com/OddsNEnds/WarmHC.htm

The last option, to open the box and installing caps of various types as tiny heaters, is beyond my capabilities.

I am making a little insulated box now, will serve as a shell for the controll and tucked down hand warmers. Hopefully it'll keep warmer longer. Atleast it's a try at a very small cost.

[pgt324]

In case others come across this, try cleaning the contacts on the ribbon cable inside the hand controller.  Doing so helps with other display problems.  There are detailed instructions on Cloudy Nights at this link: http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/229588-celestron-hand-control-fix-control-lcd-weak/

[The Admiral]

May be I'm wrong, but isn't it that LCD's just don't work when they get very cold? The molecules just get too sluggish to re-orientate. Either the handset needs to generate sufficient heat, and be insulated so that it keeps itself warm, or it'll need an external source of heat. I've not used it in such cold conditions and haven't had that much of a problem, though from memory it is less than perfect when it is cold.

I wonder if just putting it inside an expanded polystyrene box when you are not actually operating it would be enough.

Ian