My GoTo is way off!!

[MattG1968]

Hi all. Took my new CGEM 1100 out for first time last night. Managed to get everything set up ok but couldn't get the computer to slew the scope to the right places. I tried two star align twice and Solar System align using the moon!! but to no avail. Each time I looked for major objects like Saturn the scope would slew 180 degrees to the left. I'm pretty sure I entered location, time, date etc Ok so I just don't know. Any ideas appreciated. Matt

[Welrod50]

Hi Matt, ok checklist: mount level, polar alignment done correctly, scope balanced against counterweights (loads of you tube vids cover this) location set correctly (degrees - minutes - seconds if it's like Skywatcher EQ GO-TO mounts) time and date (date in US format ie month - day - year) . If all is done right, then a one star align should be pretty close and more than good enough for visual. Have a look at you tube vids this morning about setting up your mount, I'm sure you'll find something. It may be something simple. I doubt that the computer is duff by the sounds of it, it's more likely that it's getting incorrect info somewhere from you Good luck!

[skywatcher250]

dont forget the clocks changed - change your DST setting if you havent used it since clocks changed few weeks back

[skywatcher250]

also it seems to make a huge diff which stars i use ( use 2 star)

i used vega and procyon or vega and polaris last night

[Demonperformer]

That's a good checklist.

My first guess would have been the date (how many times have I fallen into that very trap), but that tends to happen during the first 12 days of the month.

If it is slewing 180 degrees the wrong way, I wonder if you have entered your latitude as south rather than north, which I think would have that effect?

[MattG1968]

Thanks very much guys. I will take on board all of your advice and have another go. It just seemed odd that the scope was so far out I.e. 180 degrees. Cheers, Matt

[ronin]

Also make sure that Latitude and Longitude are entered in the right order, some gotro's have Longitude first, that really upsets things if they go in in the wrong order.

[Marki]

dont forget the clocks changed - change your DST setting if you havent used it since clocks changed few weeks back

Did this on Friday night - took me three attempts at aligning till I figured it out! Doh! And I still regularly forget the month, day, year thing! I think its because we get so few observing opportunities that the set-up never becomes second nature (that's my excuse....).

[cosmological]

One thing that I've noticed is that the two alignment stars need to be done in quick succession, if there is too long a delay between the first alignment and the second alignment star then the Goto tends to be a bit off. You should decide what stars you're going to use before hand, find where they are in the sky and then do the alignment.

[mrstraighty]

Check that your timezone is entered correctly. I am having the same problem and described mine as looking at a baseball diamond. If I told it to slew to 1st it would go to 3rd. I have not had the chance to return home to try again. Ive an Orion goto and I think I might have entered my time zone in the + as opposed to the -? Texas' time zone is-6 and i think I've entered just 6 which I assume is a 180 deg timezone error?. It was cloudy the rest of the days before I had to return to the Rio Grande Valley to work. Update if you figure it out and I will do likewise as i will return home this week.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

If it is slewing 180 degrees the wrong way, I wonder if you have entered your latitude as south rather than north, which I think would have that effect?

That's what I was thinking.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

One more thought - could the scope be mounted back-to-front?

[peeceeTal2M]

If you're 180 degrees out try turning the scope around, as previous poster said it might be on backwards!!!!!!

[Thommy]

Hi,

Did you ever figure this out? I tried my "new" second-hand CGEM last night for the first time, and experienced something similar - only not 180 degrees away from target. No problem with the first align star. The second was also ok! Both west of the meridian. Then I chosed to add additional calibration stars east of the meridian, but it was way off the first calib star and the second was even worse!

Cheers,

/Thommy

[Matt Scunthorpe]

One thing that I've noticed is that the two alignment stars need to be done in quick succession, if there is too long a delay between the first alignment and the second alignment star then the Goto tends to be a bit off. You should decide what stars you're going to use before hand, find where they are in the sky and then do the alignment.

I have often noticed this too, i found it strange as you'd think it would hold the info. But its especially annoying when you choose the first star, then find the 2nd star is hidden behind the house or a tree, and your rushing around trying to find another star to look at.

That being said, i havent had the telescope out at all this winter.

Matt.