StarSense difficulties

[ChrisEdu]

Just got a StarSense, with the new CG-5 AUX splitter, from FLO.

Unfortunately, I'm not having much success with it, though. Having got it all set-up, time and location put in, mount roughly polar aligned, off it went to complete an Auto-Align. A few minutes later it tells me that it has completed and is ready, so I ask it to find Vega.

Off it goes, slewing round until it eventually stops and I peer through the eyepiece expecting a bright star somewhere within the eyepiece. No such luck! Not anywhere within the FOV. In fact, it was so far out that I couldn't find it by slewing the scope with the handset, well not for a while.

Eventually, with the star found I did the fine tune routine and tried again. Still no luck, so eventually after several unsuccessful attempts, and with cloud rolling in, I give-in and go to bed.

The next night I get out a bit earlier and get things set-up ready for darkness and another try. Off I go again, setting it off on an Auto-Align, again, nothing even close to being in the FOV. This time, when I try to do a fine tune, the handset tells me that there's an error! Okay, let's try again. Off it goes and.........freezes whilst acquiring an image! Arghhh!!!!!!

I bought this to make life easier, not more frustrating. 

Anyone got any ideas or solutions?  (C11, CG5 GT, StarSense with CG5 AUX splitter, power from the grid)

[knobby]

What firmware version is it ? There have been numerous updates . worth checking

[ronin]

What values for Long/Lat, Timezone and DST did you give?

The other thing is that although it may not be essential, level everything as much as makes sense.

[ChrisEdu]

Thanks for the help chaps. The software is from November last year. I have looked at doing the update, but find the lack of instructions on the Celestron website a slight concern.

As it is, persevering with it again tonight, I finally achieved some success, having taken more care with the Polar alignment, i.e. getting dead centre.

Okay, it didn't put things quite dead centre in the EP, but I'll take it as a victory for now! I managed to get a couple of hours outside with the only frustration being the light pollution from all the new street lights. 

[ronin]

having taken more care with the Polar alignment, i.e. getting dead centre.

Do you mean putting polaris dead centre of the polarscope?

If so that is I suspect the problem, or at least a contribution.

Polaris should sit at some given position on the circle around the centre of the polar scope.

It is a bit odd (OK very odd) that you centre everything up by putting your alignment star not on the centre.

[ian_bird]

Have you run the centering routine? That's where you center the star in the eyepiece (just defocus until you have a big fat donut and center that) and then the Starsense takes an image and plate solves it so it can see how much it is offset from your OTA.

Mine is working really well now I have done that. Each target is bang on in the center of the ccd chip.

Cheers

Ian

[ChrisEdu]

Just an update, the last time I used it was far more successful. The difference being that I was more precise with the Polar alignment. So, it seems, you still need to take some care when getting set up for the evening.

[tekkydave]

If you download the CFM utility from the Celestron website and unzip it there are instructions within including a jpeg showing how to connect everything up. It will update the firmware on the mount, hand controller and starsense which is well worth doing.

[pyrasanth]

Precise polar alignment with Starsense?- you don't need to be precise. It uses a plate solving algorithm to correct for the actual position vs where the mount is. That is the whole idea of the device. I used one very successfully on my Celestron before I bought the Paramount MX+ & it nearly always dropped stars in the centre of the CCD or eyepiece. What is critical is time & latitude hence I used a GPS device in conjunction with the StarSense is a great help. The firmware upgrade  is not difficult but you will need the right combination of cables. Having a rough polar alignment will help as it will help to minimise field rotation if you plan astrophotography.