Celestron AVX Mount Errors

[Nuka]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to post my experiences with the Celestron AVX+Advanced GT and Celestron's Firmware Manager (CFM) - Specifically Boot Loader Errors 

 

I've used Celestron's Advanced GT Mount for a few years and only had a Boot Loader error once. The Good people at FLO re-flashed my handset and away I went. Happy camper

Before getting in touch with FLO, I tried desperately for days to try and re-flash myself (I've worked as an IT hardware repair technician for years so i'm not an id10T but I am certainly no programmer/software engineer). I used probably every version of CFM available and every version of windows / XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (also contacted Celestron and had 2 people sending me links to CFM - they couldn't figure it out!) also I should point out i was using 3 different computers AND 2 completely different cables lol.

I never managed to update my handset due to - freezing / crashing / mount not detected and the general instability of CFM.

 

Now on to my AVX. I'm very happy with it overall but i've only had it a few weeks. Tonight it threw a Boot Loader error at me (just as i was about to start collecting data on Andromeda )  - very similar if not exactly the same as my older Advanced GT. ahh....SO it's ok i'm thinking!  I just re-flash!

 

Hmmmm lol now my re-flash worked sort of and I now get "Advanced GT" on the screen with an error 17 "No response invalid model"

 

Personally I think CFM is JUNK (I've seen more stability/reliability with windows vista and an 8800GT playing Crysis 1 lol) it has taken me 5 years and 2 mounts to come to that conclusion. What are we to do if we plan a trip and the skies are just right - then (BOOT LOADER ERROR) pops up? Anyone else had any similar experiences or feel frustrated by this? Sure if you can re-flash in 10mins then your good to go but what if that ends your trip and AP session? 

There is no way i'm alone in this 

 

Thanks for reading and please share your experiences!

Nuka

 

 

 

 

[Thalestris24]

21 minutes ago, Nuka said:

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to post my experiences with the Celestron AVX+Advanced GT and Celestron's Firmware Manager (CFM) - Specifically Boot Loader Errors 

 

I've used Celestron's Advanced GT Mount for a few years and only had a Boot Loader error once. The Good people at FLO re-flashed my handset and away I went. Happy camper

Before getting in touch with FLO, I tried desperately for days to try and re-flash myself (I've worked as an IT hardware repair technician for years so i'm not an id10T but I am certainly no programmer/software engineer). I used probably every version of CFM available and every version of windows / XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (also contacted Celestron and had 2 people sending me links to CFM - they couldn't figure it out!) also I should point out i was using 3 different computers AND 2 completely different cables lol.

I never managed to update my handset due to - freezing / crashing / mount not detected and the general instability of CFM.

 

Now on to my AVX. I'm very happy with it overall but i've only had it a few weeks. Tonight it threw a Boot Loader error at me (just as i was about to start collecting data on Andromeda )  - very similar if not exactly the same as my older Advanced GT. ahh....SO it's ok i'm thinking!  I just re-flash!

 

Hmmmm lol now my re-flash worked sort of and I now get "Advanced GT" on the screen with an error 17 "No response invalid model"

 

Personally I think CFM is JUNK (I've seen more stability/reliability with windows vista and an 8800GT playing Crysis 1 lol) it has taken me 5 years and 2 mounts to come to that conclusion. What are we to do if we plan a trip and the skies are just right - then (BOOT LOADER ERROR) pops up? Anyone else had any similar experiences or feel frustrated by this? Sure if you can re-flash in 10mins then your good to go but what if that ends your trip and AP session? 

There is no way i'm alone in this 

 

Thanks for reading and please share your experiences!

Nuka

 

 

 

 

Hi

Sorry for your bad experiences. FWIW I've never had any problems with my AVX and I've never attempted to flash the firmware - nor would I! I mean, if it ain't broke...

Hope you can sort the problem

Louise

[Nuka]

Hi Louise,

Thanks for posting. That's good to hear and I hope you never have to re-flash the handset!

 I believe the problem is sometimes caused by power/interruption but i'm using a tracer lithium batt atm and all was well until tonight /sigh  lol

 

[Nuka]

Ah i found this! Not sure if i can paste it in here, but may be useful if anyone has the same problem. Love the AVX otherwise, I think it's absolutely brill! 

 

WHAT DOES THE HAND CONTROL MESSAGE NO RESPONSE 16 (AND/OR NO RESPONSE 17) MEAN?

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 | Date Posted: 11/19/2010

"No response" means that the hand control has lost communication with the electronics board within the base of the telescope.  The number following this message will indicate the address of the component that has lost communication. 16 indicates the azimuth or RA motor board, 17 the altitude (declination) motor board. Unfortunately, this number doesn't tell why the error has occurred. 

To clear the no response messages, repeatedly press Undo. This fix may be only temporary and does not address the potential underlying problem.

There are several reasons why this error message would appear.  Insufficient power is the most common. Check your power supply.  If the DC battery is low, the scope will be unable to communicate with the base of the telescope.  If you are using an AC adapter, please make sure that the adapter is rated for an output of 12 volts DC at a minimum of 2500 mA (2.5 Amps).  If your adapter puts out less current than 2500 mA, the scope will not be able to communicate properly. Check all power connections including the power port pin for solid connectivity.  

If you have a cable in the PC port (of a mount that has a PC port) that is not connected to anything, then this can also cause the messages to appear.

The next potential causes: the hand control, the motor control circuit board, the motors, or the cables-wiring-connectors in between.  Plug in the hand control to an AUX port and see if this eliminates the message. CGE DEC and RA cables are easy to check and swap around to see if it's these cables or their ports. Advanced GT mounts similarly have the DEC cable that might be the problem. Try reflashing (updating) the motor control firmware. If you are able to update the hand control but not the motor control, the problem is most likely the motor control board.

A computer crash or communications break between your PC and the hand control during an MC update may result in either “Initializing”, blank screen, “No Response 16” or “No Response 17” messages. This will prevent your updating the MC for your mount. To clear the no response messages, repeatedly press UNDO. Then proceed as usual with the MC update.
 

If these ideas don't work, it’s best to send the mount and hand control back to Celestron for factory service.

[Nuka]

lol 2010 post from Celestron. I bought my mount this year in 2016.... Hoped they had sorted some of these issues out

 

[Beeko]

Sounds like you flashed the handset with the wrong software. You need to uninstall al cg5 builds and install the avx software. I did this recently without problems but remember it taken me ages to decide which software was the correct one to download. 

[Nuka]

Thanks Beeko i'll give it a try. I've just seen a different directory on Celestrons website for the AVX CFM maybe thats it. Very confusing....

[PeterCPC]

I have had a few issues with my AVX and the CFM over the years but it always got resolved. I run the mount through the mains adapter - maybe that's better?

Have you tried joining Team Celestron to see if there are any others with similar issues?

Peter

[Nuka]

Hi Peter thanks for your post and i'm glad i'm not alone. I really feel like i'm hitting my head against a concrete pillar with this junk CFM.

I've just tried CFM again and it is flashing the handset but it thinks its and Advanced GT model. even though I can clearly see within the packages folder there are files name "Advanced VX" 

 

[Nuka]

Here's an image of what the latest version CFM (2.1.6050) looks like for me. Within mount types the Advanced VX is not there under (Equatorial GEM)

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I imagine you select 'Advanced' from the GEM list? FWIW my Nexstar+ has 'HC GEM 5.22.3280' under version. As I mentioned before, I'm not inclined to try and update it!

Louise

[Nuka]

Ah yes,  Steve from FLO has said it should see it as "Advanced" and the handset is flashing but unfortunately i keep getting this error - "No Response 17 - Invalid model - mount will not work properly"

 

Thanks for posting your HC version ive just looked at mine and I get : 'HC: GEM 5.29.6225' and then 'MC?.?? ?.??  <<<< lol that can't be good can it? 

Defo hope you don't have to go through this Louise, if it aint broke... is spot on!  

[Thalestris24]

25 minutes ago, Nuka said:

Ah yes,  Steve from FLO has said it should see it as "Advanced" and the handset is flashing but unfortunately i keep getting this error - "No Response 17 - Invalid model - mount will not work properly"

 

Thanks for posting your HC version ive just looked at mine and I get : 'HC: GEM 5.29.6225' and then 'MC?.?? ?.??  <<<< lol that can't be good can it? 

Defo hope you don't have to go through this Louise, if it aint broke... is spot on!  

MC is for the motor controller inside the mount and which uses separate firmware. Well, you've put me right off attempting to update mine! Sorry you've had these woes. Maybe your best bet will be to contact Celestron, if you can. Apparently, the "No response 16/17" means there is no communication between the hand controller and the MC board for RA and DEC motor control. It could also be a bad connector on the hand controller or a bad controller. I found a reference on the net where the culprit was the MC board. Others suggest it could be a power issue. Was everything working fine before you attempted the update or were you getting errors before?

Louise

[Nuka]

Yeah I don't even think my mount is 3 weeks old yet so it's not a good start. Everything was working fine. I probably used it 5 or 6 times and i never needed to remove the cables. They all seem to fit nice and tight - there's no play or give anywhere that i can tell.

It does look like the MC board could be it. I've also tried plugging it in to my car and using the lithium battery - both power sources give the same error. I doubt it's the cable cause that would glitch the power on and off anyway.

 

Do you run your AVX on the mains Louise? I used to sometimes run my old Advanced GT on the mains but I wanted a portable grab and go setup, so running the mount on the mains is not an option i'm happy to live with unfortunately

 

2 nights ago I took this picture, my first half decent attempt so all was looking up. I think it will cheer me up posting my first pic with the AVX lol.

[Thalestris24]

6 minutes ago, Nuka said:

Yeah I don't even think my mount is 3 weeks old yet so it's not a good start. Everything was working fine. I probably used it 5 or 6 times and i never needed to remove the cables. They all seem to fit nice and tight - there's no play or give anywhere that i can tell.

It does look like the MC board could be it. I've also tried plugging it in to my car and using the lithium battery - both power sources give the same error. I doubt it's the cable cause that would glitch the power on and off anyway.

 

Do you run your AVX on the mains Louise? I used to sometimes run my old Advanced GT on the mains but I wanted a portable grab and go setup, so running the mount on the mains is not an option i'm happy to live with unfortunately

 

2 nights ago I took this picture, my first half decent attempt so all was looking up. I think it will cheer me up posting my first pic with the AVX lol.

Nice pic - hope it's not your last, lol. Yeah, I power mine with a cheap 5A mains supply. One thing you have to be careful of is not accidentally plugging the Nexstar+ into the ST4/autoguide socket rather than the HC socket... Likewise with the DEC socket. It's easy to do those things with a new mount that you're not familiar with.

Louise

[Nuka]

Yes defo! mine came with a big red sticker saying if I plug it in wrong place i will get smoke lol  also has some rubber covers on the ST4 and AUX ports.

I've boxed it up now ready to send back to FLO. I'm sure with their expertise they will have it sorted in no time. I just hope it's not a power issue because if I can't use it on a battery - I might as well not have it. If the electronics are that fussy this is likely to happen again....

 

Nuka

[PeterCPC]

I hope that you get it sorted ok.

Peter

[Nuka]

Thanks Peter,

Will post the results soon as I know and hopefully this will help all AVX owners should the worst happen.

[RayD]

21 hours ago, Nuka said:

I just hope it's not a power issue because if I can't use it on a battery - I might as well not have it. If the electronics are that fussy this is likely to happen again....

 

It's definitely not battery related.  A battery, provided it has sufficient capacity and is charged etc., will provide a far cleaner and better power source than any plug in power supply.  The very best are pretty much equally as good now, but none are better.  Only down side of a battery is they run out.

I think someone has mentioned before about some QC issues with Celestron.  My AVX had to go back soon after I had it as one of the power ports between the RA and DEC motors was faulty (where you plug the curly cable in), and now my 12V power lead is failing at the mount end.

I'm sure you'll get it sorted as it sounds like a memory (flash) or similar issue rather than power supply related. 

 

[Nuka]

13 minutes ago, RayD said:

It's definitely not battery related.  A battery, provided it has sufficient capacity and is charged etc., will provide a far cleaner and better power source than any plug in power supply.  The very best are pretty much equally as good now, but none are better.  Only down side of a battery is they run out.

I think someone has mentioned before about some QC issues with Celestron.  My AVX had to go back soon after I had it as one of the power ports between the RA and DEC motors was faulty (where you plug the curly cable in), and now my 12V power lead is failing at the mount end.

I'm sure you'll get it sorted as it sounds like a memory (flash) or similar issue rather than power supply related. 

 

Thanks Ray that is good to know. I'm using a Tracer LiFePO4 12AH and I picked it because it was supposed to give a sustained power output. It's never been below 60% yet and i'm well happy with it so far! 

[RayD]

Just now, Nuka said:

Thanks Ray that is good to know. I'm using a Tracer LiFePO4 12AH and I picked it because it was supposed to give a sustained power output. It's never been below 60% yet and i'm well happy with it so far! 

Perfect, they're very good.  They are designed to provide full power to a pre-determined point and then switch off to protect themselves from over discharge, rather than standard batteries which will reduce output voltage as they run down.  You can pretty much remove that from the scenario at the moment, especially if you have tried it on other batteries with the same issue.  May be worth just trying another lead though, as I say my one is failing intermittently, so worth just eliminating that also.  Whilst it is a screw fitting, any 5.5/2.1 tip positive power lead will work.

[Nuka]

8 minutes ago, RayD said:

Perfect, they're very good.  They are designed to provide full power to a pre-determined point and then switch off to protect themselves from over discharge, rather than standard batteries which will reduce output voltage as they run down.  You can pretty much remove that from the scenario at the moment, especially if you have tried it on other batteries with the same issue.  May be worth just trying another lead though, as I say my one is failing intermittently, so worth just eliminating that also.  Whilst it is a screw fitting, any 5.5/2.1 tip positive power lead will work.

That is great news! I do have another lead that was used for a PD Colour (CCTV camera) i'm not sure if it's tip positive tho I better be careful or smoke lol! 

[Nuka]

Ah my multimeter is dead that would have worked!

[PeterCPC]

All going well isn't it!

Peter

[RayD]

7 minutes ago, Nuka said:

That is great news! I do have another lead that was used for a PD Colour (CCTV camera) i'm not sure if it's tip positive tho I better be careful or smoke lol! 

Yes definitely don't use it unless you know for sure, not with your luck!