Help with celestron 5se

[Cons]

Until the other night I have not utilized the goto on my 5se, so I aligned it with 2 stars which I'm sure of, then when I asked it to go to a location the scope slewed almost 360 degrees when it only needed to go 15-20 degrees up and to the left. Anyone have any experience with the 5se. Thanks in advance.

Mark

[Cjg]

Hi Cons,

I have a 5SE and have experienced that once or twice. May I suggest that it could be due to a number of factors, probably related to the latitude and longitude being entered incorrectly, or choosing the correct time zone(s). It's harder for us Brits as we format our date differently to the US, so I pay particular attention to that. My advice would be to enter the actual co-ordinates of your observing site if you can, rather than picking from the nearest city - for me it's given a more accurate GoTo. If you are sure that you've entered in the settings accurately, then the next likely culprit would be the power supply - the mounts are power critical; how you are powering the mount?

Good luck,

Chris

[Cons]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the response. When I had this issue I was powering the the goto with batteries. Since then I have ordered and received the celestron power pack and the celestron gps. Both have arrived, but unfortunately like all new observation tool, when they arrive there is nothing but beautiful clear days and cloudy nights. I just can't catch a break sometimes. I will keep you posted as to how it all works once I get out there. How do you like the 5se, I have only had it for about a month and still learning the scope.

Thanks

Mark

[Cjg]

Hi Mark,

Agreed re the cloudy nights, we get exactly the same here.

Love my 5SE. Perfect blend of aperture and portability. Once you have mastered the GoTo, it's superb. Last week had my first view of Uranus and Neptune and used the "precise GoTo" function to find.

Chances are that you problems were with the batteries, at my local Astro Society I run mine from the dedicated mains supply, elsewhere use the Skywatcher power tank (same unit different name).

Take your time to get the mount level before starting your alignment is a big help too. I liken using a Goto to changing gears manually in a car - takes practice, you sometimes have "glitches", but the more you do it, the easier it gets. I tend to avoid the 3 star sky align and use the two star align and now rarely have a problem. I did make the manual my bed time reading for a few weeks, as there are lots of optional settings to become familiar with.

I have a 32mm eyepiece and can just about fit the Double Cluster in the same field of view; looks superb.

Good luck,

Chris

[Cons]

Chris,

How were the views of Uranus and Neptune? I'm so excited and looking forward to figuring out the goto and be able to view some of the planets and DSO's.

Thanks

Mark

[Cjg]

hi Mark, they were tiny, very very faint, but just enough on Uranus to see a slight tint of colour - bear in mind also, that this was after having been outside for almost 4 hrs, so eyes were well adapted.

Saturn is a little low until around 2036 (I think from the Northern hemisphere) but Jupiter was superb earlier this year / late last year. You will easily, easily see transits of the moons, and for me that was a "hair on the back of the neck moment".

I use this http://www.skyandtel...script/jupiter# to show when they happen, you might not always make out the moon as it transits, but to see that small black sphere and know that it's the shadow of a moon is awesome.

As a guide, I started off by using the Moore Winter Marathon - download here from the BBC site - mostly easy targets to get a feel.

At home (street lights at either end of the street) I could easily see M65 and M66 in Leo, but not a glimpse of the edge on galaxy ngc 3628, I was certain my scope was pointing at the correct area, but not even a faint smudge. But from Seething (the Norwich Astro Society site in the countryside) it was there - just. I was so pleased.

Many had suggested getting the 6SE, but am so happy with the 5; suspect that when you get a clear night, you'll have a blast with it.

Chris

[Cons]

Chris,

Thanks, I can't wait for a clear night that I can just hang outside and break in the scope. I will be sure to let you know how I did, I bought a holster for my iphone to mount to the eye piece, so maybe I might even have some pics.

Thanks again,

Mark