Celestron Advanced VX mount

[Thalestris24]

Anyone had success auto guiding the Advanced VX mount with PHD2? I could never get PHD2 to auto guide my Nexstar mount...

Works ok for me!

[orley]

Works ok for me!

And for me too

Although with my setup I had more success with guiding via ASCOM and serial connection to the laptop than with the ST4 port from the guide camera. Am sure that method works fine and it's me who has something wrong with my setup.

[Droogie 2001]

Anyone had success auto guiding the Advanced VX mount with PHD2? I could never get PHD2 to auto guide my Nexstar mount...

When you say Nexstar do you mean the stock ALT/AZI or the AVX?

I never tried guiding with the ALT AZI mount which I got with my 8SE but since I upgraded to the AVX mount I have had nothing but problems with PHD v2 and guiding via my ASI120MC and an ST4 cable.

I had tried both guide port (ST4) and ASCOM but both were terrible. 

Saturday night I decided with the advice of another forum member to try PHD v1 with ASCOM. Now this was something I had tried before when I first got my AVX mount and ASI120 camera but I had not had any luck though. I was also using it with my 8SE OTA and an OAG setup.

Last Saturday was with my WO Star 71 and Guidescope setup , however all of the bad guiding showed itself with this setup previously as well.

Anyway I finally had some good tracking when I used PHD v1,  guiding via ASCOM. I only had 15mins with testing it all as my laptop battery finally ran out. I was guiding with 4 min subs and the graphs were smooth and flat. This was the first time ever they showed this. I have to say a big grin appeared on my face.  Clearly I need to test with much longer subs 10mins+ but it is the first signs of encouragement

I have spent so many nights staring at graphs going up and down randomly, I have sat there writing down setting after setting trying all permutations and got no where and I mean no where.

I have to say I was close to selling the whole lot.

So there are definite issues with different setup's.

It maybe the ASI on camera setting / drivers or the fact I am using Windows 8.1 or a million other reasons. If I can determine what it is I will post but for the moment I am concentrating on working with PHD v1

[Thalestris24]

When you say Nexstar do you mean the stock ALT/AZI or the AVX?

I never tried guiding with the ALT AZI mount which I got with my 8SE but since I upgraded to the AVX mount I have had nothing but problems with PHD v2 and guiding via my ASI120MC and an ST4 cable.

I had tried both guide port (ST4) and ASCOM but both were terrible. 

Saturday night I decided with the advice of another forum member to try PHD v1 with ASCOM. Now this was something I had tried before when I first got my AVX mount and ASI120 camera but I had not had any luck though. I was also using it with my 8SE OTA and an OAG setup.

Last Saturday was with my WO Star 71 and Guidescope setup , however all of the bad guiding showed itself with this setup previously as well.

Anyway I finally had some good tracking when I used PHD v1,  guiding via ASCOM. I only had 15mins with testing it all as my laptop battery finally ran out. I was guiding with 4 min subs and the graphs were smooth and flat. This was the first time ever they showed this. I have to say a big grin appeared on my face.  Clearly I need to test with much longer subs 10mins+ but it is the first signs of encouragement

I have spent so many nights staring at graphs going up and down randomly, I have sat there writing down setting after setting trying all permutations and got no where and I mean no where.

I have to say I was close to selling the whole lot.

So there are definite issues with different setup's.

It maybe the ASI on camera setting / drivers or the fact I am using Windows 8.1 or a million other reasons. If I can determine what it is I will post but for the moment I am concentrating on working with PHD v1

Hi

It's always worth posting on here rather than battling away on your own. There are usually other members around willing to try and help.

I've never used ST4 before - only pulse guiding and you have to buy the appropriate usb-serial cable for that separately. I've noticed that ST4 users sometimes seem to omit telling PHD that the mount is 'on camera' and people frequently have problems with ST4 cables for some reason (not just with the AVX). Anyway, my AVX guides very nicely via usb-serial cable connected to the Nexstar+ handset, celestron ascom drivers, phd2, qhy5l-ii mono guide cam + finder guider (all on a Win 8.1 laptop) . I don't use the handset apart from on power-up I select quick align or last align. All the required parameters have to be set though - needs some care. Don't forget to enable the real time clock! I run mine with Stellarium Scope, Stellarium, APT and Astrotortilla. All work well together.

Louise

Louise

[Droogie 2001]

Thanks Louise.

Ok re Nexstar of course that's the handset controller.

I had discussed issues with forum members though some this related to the specific PHD Dec/RA settings. I never really found anyone with the exact same setup perhaps at the time my ASI120 was still very new at the time...

Initially I started with ASCOM but got no where,though I had struggled with the OAG and finding decent guide stars.

With a 50mm guidescope I get far better guide stars and the fact I am using a much shorter FL tube. Once I have the settings nailed I may go back to trying to guide my 8SE but for the moment its a case of tuning what I have so far.

I may even try PHD v2 in the future but that can wait. As long as it guides well I don't really mind whether its PHD v1 or PHD v2.

[Guest]

 I've noticed that ST4 users sometimes seem to omit telling PHD that the mount is 'on camera' and people frequently have problems with ST4 cables for some reason (not just with the AVX). Anyway, my AVX guides very nicely via usb-serial cable connected to the Nexstar+ handset, celestron ascom drivers, phd2, qhy5l-ii mono guide cam + finder guider (all on a Win 8.1 laptop) . I don't use the handset apart from on power-up I select quick align or last align. All the required parameters have to be set though - needs some care. Don't forget to enable the real time clock! I run mine with Stellarium Scope, Stellarium, APT and Astrotortilla. All work well together.

Louise

Louise

I remember one balmy evening at Kelling trying to figure out why I couldn't get the guiding going only to realise I'd failed to select "On Camera"

It was one of those times that's comparable to looking through the eyepiece for an hour wondering why there aren't any stars on view and running the focuser in and out trying to see something...only to realise you've left the lens cap on.

That's never happened to me of course....no..never ....honest ....lolol

David

[Thalestris24]

I remember one balmy evening at Kelling trying to figure out why I couldn't get the guiding going only to realise I'd failed to select "On Camera"

It was one of those times that's comparable to looking through the eyepiece for an hour wondering why there aren't any stars on view and running the focuser in and out trying to see something...only to realise you've left the lens cap on.

That's never happened to me of course....no..never ....honest ....lolol

David

Yeah, lens cap left on... Who me? Errrmmm....

[Tinker1947]

My last guiding experience, the graph was very flat, try as i did couldn't get a picture on the DSLR sensor, its the only time i have tried to image with out collimating, it turned out i hadn't removed the scope dust cap just put the dew shield on, this was with a SGL member in attendance although he was using the DOB.....

[Thalestris24]

Oh, I meant *dust cap as it was a newt

[rpg850]

When you say Nexstar do you mean the stock ALT/AZI or the AVX?

I never tried guiding with the ALT AZI mount which I got with my 8SE but since I upgraded to the AVX mount I have had nothing but problems with PHD v2 and guiding via my ASI120MC and an ST4 cable.

I had tried both guide port (ST4) and ASCOM but both were terrible. 

Saturday night I decided with the advice of another forum member to try PHD v1 with ASCOM. Now this was something I had tried before when I first got my AVX mount and ASI120 camera but I had not had any luck though. I was also using it with my 8SE OTA and an OAG setup.

Last Saturday was with my WO Star 71 and Guidescope setup , however all of the bad guiding showed itself with this setup previously as well.

Anyway I finally had some good tracking when I used PHD v1,  guiding via ASCOM. I only had 15mins with testing it all as my laptop battery finally ran out. I was guiding with 4 min subs and the graphs were smooth and flat. This was the first time ever they showed this. I have to say a big grin appeared on my face.  Clearly I need to test with much longer subs 10mins+ but it is the first signs of encouragement

I have spent so many nights staring at graphs going up and down randomly, I have sat there writing down setting after setting trying all permutations and got no where and I mean no where.

I have to say I was close to selling the whole lot.

So there are definite issues with different setup's.

It maybe the ASI on camera setting / drivers or the fact I am using Windows 8.1 or a million other reasons. If I can determine what it is I will post but for the moment I am concentrating on working with PHD v1

Yes, I meant the stock Alt-Az NexStar mount. It has an autoguide port, but I never was able to get it to work. I always got an error message telling me that the mount didn't support the pulse guide interface...

[orley]

Hi

It's always worth posting on here rather than battling away on your own. There are usually other members around willing to try and help.

I've never used ST4 before - only pulse guiding and you have to buy the appropriate usb-serial cable for that separately. I've noticed that ST4 users sometimes seem to omit telling PHD that the mount is 'on camera' and people frequently have problems with ST4 cables for some reason (not just with the AVX). Anyway, my AVX guides very nicely via usb-serial cable connected to the Nexstar+ handset, celestron ascom drivers, phd2, qhy5l-ii mono guide cam + finder guider (all on a Win 8.1 laptop) . I don't use the handset apart from on power-up I select quick align or last align. All the required parameters have to be set though - needs some care. Don't forget to enable the real time clock! I run mine with Stellarium Scope, Stellarium, APT and Astrotortilla. All work well together.

Louise

Louise

Yes this is my experience. Guides great via pulse guiding, but the graph is all over the place when using ST4...no idea why...

[Guest]

Yes this is my experience. Guides great via pulse guiding, but the graph is all over the place when using ST4...no idea why...

My VX worked fine with ST4 and PHD (1) ..as long as I remembered to select On Camera during startup

[orley]

My VX worked fine with ST4 and PHD (1) ..as long as I remembered to select On Camera during startup

Thanks. I did have on camera enabled and thecmount would guide, just not as accurately or consistently as with pulse. I have yet to get to the bottom of it...

[Guest]

Thanks. I did have on camera enabled and thecmount would guide, just not as accurately or consistently as with pulse. I have yet to get to the bottom of it...

Sorry Orley - I didn't mean to suggest you'd forgotten to enable camera etc :-) I had read your post and for some reason quoted it in my reply - apologies for the confusion

I've noticed too that the graph in PHD can be a real mess but the guiding is still good when looking at the stars on the subs - haven't figured that one out yet - so I just tend not to look at the graph :-)

David

[Gazabone]

Really getting to dislike my AVX mount even with Starsense attached. SS seems to work fine, I then choose a calibration star and it isn't even in the field of view (scope is a Celestron C8 XLT) with a Baadar Hyperion 24mm (68 deg fov). I then calibrate the scope to the star, do a realignment and low and behold the scope misses the calibrated star in exactly the same place as it was before calibration. I've tried using the keypad to centre the calibration star and then choosing the calibration option. I've tried hitting calibration and then used the keypad to move the scope. I've tried adjusting the RA and Dec bolts to centre the calibration star. All with no improvement. I've got so frustrated with it all now that the mount is gathering dust and I'm using an EQ 3-2 with an RA motor and achieving far more accurate placing of targets in the ep than I ever have with the AVX mount.

The scope/mount seems to have been doomed from the start; it all started with getting a C8 on fleabay which was a complete dud so I eventually corrected that with another C8. My first AVX mount then had to go back to the suppliers under guarantee as it wouldn't power up so I was given a replacement mount. I couldn't get that to align well so went the starsense route and I've still got a set up which, as far as I'm concerned, is unusable.

Urrrgggghhhhh!

[Droogie 2001]

I don't know much about Starsense but I have had intermittent problems with my AVX. With mine I begin a two star alignment and slew to the first star. Usually this is fairly near the target star. Center and align. Choose next star for alignment and it can either go off to an angle where it is a lot out for the next target. (This is odd as the first alignment star is usually quite near by the target star) Or sometimes it can go crazy and slew down towards the ground. I also get this post Polar alignment where I have ask it to go to Home position and it slews down to the ground!

However sometimes it is absolutely fine and bang on. In fact last Saturday was some of the best accuracy I had ever had.

Spoke to the supplier (FLO) and I have updated the Firmware HC GEM:5.25.4320 MC: 7.09.3115. This seemed to work but last night the problem reappeared.

One possible temporary solution is to reset it back to factory defaults which usually resolves' the issue for a while.

I have a fully charged power tank and take all of the necessary steps to make sure it is charged after every use and at least every month if it is not used. I had the stock ALT AZI with this power tank and never had this issue.
Having been on this forum I seem to be one a very few who have experienced this problem (perhaps the only person..)

I am looking at trying a mains adapter to rule out power as being the issue which I am of course going to have to buy. The mains power is of course useless in a field. If it is a power issue then that means a new Powertank or alternative...The powertank is basically new and cost a fortune so would not best happy...

It is though I have 'Friday' afternoon mount. Mount will have to go back to Celestron if I cannot resolve the issue not which will take an age I would imagine. Especially as it is such an intermittent issue so I would be amazed if they fix it...

So all I would add is update the firmware (maybe star sense FM if applicable?) Reset the mount to factory default (note. you will loose any co-ordinates you have entered) and see what happens.

Also make sure the mount is definitely facing North. Use a compass (ideally a proper compass and not a mobile app) Not sure how the Starsense works but I have been in situation where I just roughly plonked the mount down towards Polaris and then could not polar align as it was too much out to rotate the azimuth bolts. Probably not related to your issue but it just helps rule things out.

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I never use the handset or do star alignments - I just use Stellarium/Stellarium Scope + Astrotortilla However, Stellarium won't go to the right place to start off with if the handset settings are incorrect... It's important to have the mount setup done correctly e.g. lat/long, date, time etc. I use the real time clock but it's as well to check it now and again. Sooner or later, the battery will run out! You have to be methodical and precise when entering data on the handset - and Stellarium for that matter. Obviously both need to match

Louise

[Droogie 2001]

Thanks. All my handset details are correct. I have cross checked them and for the last four occasions the mount has performed very well. Last night it was back to its old problems. It maybe a power issue as I know weird slews can cause this. Though I remember it happened pretty much on the first night I used the mount and thought it was something I had done wrong and thought no more of it. But as I have gained more experience I know I using the mount correctly.

One would think if I had issues in my settings then I would see this all of time.

Anyway will look at the mains power as an option next. If not its going back...

[Tinker1947]

I don't know anything about the VX mount, but with a HEQ/NEQ6 if the power led on the mount flickers when its slewing this indicates the voltage is low.........

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Ok - if it's an intermittent problem then that's annoying. FWIW I've run my AVX just using a cheap Chinese '9800mAH' 12V LiPo for maybe 3 hours with no problem. I kept a note of the battery voltage - it started out at 12.46V and went down to about 11.7V. I think it was still working ok but I stopped at that point. Unless your voltage has dropped below that, then it would seem unlikely to be a power issue. I normally run mine from a cheap 5A mains psu (from Amazon) and never had any problems, intermittent or otherwise. I'm sorry if it turns out you have a duff one

Louise

[Droogie 2001]

Thanks Louise. I don't have any means to check the current voltage output but it would interesting to find out.

I think before I can go any further I need to rule out the power as the culprit.

Do you have a link to the mains unit you have?

Thanks

[Tinker1947]

You will need to check the voltage while the mount slews so the supply is under load.....Skywatcher handsets have a show voltage option built in to the handset....

[Tinker1947]

One of these from Maplin/FLO does the job, stable 13.8 volts........

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/power-accessories/maplins-xm21x-7a-138v-regulated-mains-power-supply.html

[Thalestris24]

Thanks Louise. I don't have any means to check the current voltage output but it would interesting to find out.

I think before I can go any further I need to rule out the power as the culprit.

Do you have a link to the mains unit you have?

Thanks

Hi

Yeah, here you go:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Supply-Adapter-AC100-240V-LD182/dp/B00CQEI2IU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424773265&sr=8-1&keywords=Power+Supply+Adapter+AC100-240V+to+DC12V+5A+60W+With+UK+Power+Cord+for+LED+LD182

*I think it's probably for indoor use only*

It's also worth getting a digital multimeter - probably any on this page will do:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_st_popularity-rank?fst=as%3Aoff&keywords=digital+multimeter&qid=1424773380&rh=n%3A560798%2Ck%3Adigital+multimeter&sort=popularity-rank

Louise

Edit: I should mention I'm using the psu to power just the mount, not anything else

[Tinker1947]

Louise, i did use a Netgear 12v 5 amp PSU it run my NEQ6 on a 30' lead but always had the power led on the mount flickering, getting the extra 1.8 volts from the Maplin stopped the flickering LED and did improve the GoTo so it never slewed wildly out of  place as happened from time to time with the Netgear...