StarSense and CG5

[M4lcs67]

Info regarding the compatibility of the above has been varied, so I sent Celestron Tech support a message.

Hello,
I am still very interested in the Starsense accessory to go with my CG5. I know that it is supposed to be compatible, but I have read on the Stargazers Lounge forum that there are some CG5's that are not. Is this the older versions? One of your beta testers Chris Rowland in the UK has posted on the forum that he cannot get the Starsense to work on his CG5. My CG5 is 18 months old.
Is there a way of checking what the firmware my CG5 has? Which version do you have to have in the hand controller for the Starsense to work?
I don't want to go to the expense of getting it to then find that it doesn't work. I am sure that everything will be ok, but I just want to be sure before I buy it.

Many thanks

And this is what they currently say:

Thank  you for contacting Celestron Technical Services. At this time our product development department is working on some of the Starsense and EQ mounts that are not working properly. There is no set date at this time on when the issue will be resolved or what causes the Starsense not to work with the CG-5. Please continue to view information with us for any updates.

I hope they get the issues sorted as I would really like the StarSense to go on my CG5.

[paulastro]

I have to admit I bought a second hand 8SE just so that I could try out a StarSense for myself.  I managed to source a StarSense and it works like magic. (I think it is!)  It is well worth waiting  while those nice clever people at Celestron dot the i's and cross the t's.

[M4lcs67]

I think you are right, Paul. At the beginning I was chomping at the bit about the SS. To begin with it was supposed to not be compatible with the CG5 then it was. If you check my posts count I have commented about it more than anything else over the past year. Recently people have been commenting on how it doesn't work properly with the CG5, so I think I will hang fire until all the bugs have been 100% rectified.

[hobsey]

Thats just great! I have one on backorder for my CG-5. 

[Chris Rowland]

As I've been mentioned...

I have been working with Celestron to resolve this and tried a fix that works.  I'm not at liberty to give details but it is being fixed.

I've no idea when this will be generally available.

Chris

[M4lcs67]

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news Hobsey. I am wanting one for my CG5 as well, but with all these rumours going around I have decided to hold out for the time being. Now with it coming straight from the horses mouth so to speak (Celestron) I am even more cautious. If you've pre ordered from FLO they operate their excellent 30 day money back guarantee, so you can still get it and see if it does work with yours or not. 

Sorry Chris. Hope you don't mind that I mentioned you. Good to know that it will be ok in due course though. I really, really want a SS on my rig.

[Chris Rowland]

I don't mind being mentioned although a PM to let me know would be nice.

I think that devices like the SS are the future of goto scopes.  Nobody really enjoys doing alignments.  Once these become more generally available the choice will be between non got scopes and self aligning scopes.

Chris

[hobsey]

Hi Chris,<br />

<br />

I know you can't say too much about it but do you know if the next batch that gets shipped over will be updated with the info that you have been helping them with?<br />

<br />

Cheers, Anthony.

[Chris Rowland]

Sorry but I've no idea.  It always surprises me how long it takes to get from prototype to production.

Chris

[paulastro]

I think that at the present time we are in a period which, in retrospect, will be seen as a revolutionary time for goto scopes.  I'm certain that in a short time we will all wander what all the fuss was about and that StarSense type systems will be the norm.  Seeing the StarSense working with my 8SE is truly amazing - and this is from a guy who for many years has been rather disrespectful to those using goto systems!  I can find most things the old fashioned way, but the time saving and not having to contort to align through a finder is truly revolutionary.  This is specially true as I approach the 60 threshold in a year or so.  God bless all those people at Celeston who have made this possible.

[M4lcs67]

Agree entirely, Paul. In the relatively short amount of time that I have been into astronomy in a big way (4 years) I have been wishing for a system that is totally fool-proof and once the bods at Celestron have ironed out the bugs I for one will be very happy. Some may scoff at such systems, but for some of us it will be a boon. I had a stroke 5 years ago and I find it difficult to fully understand Celestrons instructions most of the time. I am not stupid, but I get the impression sometimes that they assume that people buying their products already know what to do. In some cases I have read and read the instruction over and still cannot get it. Thank goodness for SGL. If there has been something that I haven't understood there are always people on here willing to share their knowledge.

[proflight2000]

I don't wish to sound dippy here and I apologise if I hit a nerve as such, but if you have a scope that in short can be set up after just pointing it at two stars, what is the need for starsense. Is it not something that in effect is doing the same job as the telescopes computer would do. Saying that though, I was intrigued by the video from Celestron showing it in action, very clever indeed, just wondered what basically it does differently apart from giving someone 5 extra minutes to stand and watch :-)

[Chris Rowland]

The ease of use is not to be sniffed at, especially for equatorial mounts where you need to centre more like 4 to 6 stars.

There's all sorts of potential, for example automatic accurate centring where it moves to where it thinks an object is, takes an image, solves it, and makes a fine correction.  You can do that manually at present but if it was automatic every object would be in the middle of the EP.

At star parties I find that just as I'm starting aligning someone calls "Chris! Can you give me a hand please". With StarSense I leave it to get on with it and when I get back it's ready.

Chris

[M4lcs67]

Thats what I have read so far, Chris. The fact that many people who have StarSense already have reported that it hits bang in the centre of the eyepiece. That in itself proves that it is an accurate system and not just an expensive toy.

[hobsey]

The ease of use is not to be sniffed at, especially for equatorial mounts

This is why I'm looking forward to it as I find the controls on an eq confusing. Az mounts have up, down, left, right where as I find the eq controls all over the place.