Fitting Celestron Motor Drives - Help!!

[Wedge]

HI Everybody!

It is my birthday today :occasion6: and I received a Celestron Dual Axis Motor Drive for my CG-4 Mount!

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=celestron_motor_cg4

I have followed the (rather vague) instructions, and installed it, and put new batteries into the power pack. When I turn it on, the motors do seem to be moving a little bit, however when I press the RA or DEC buttons very little seems to happen.

I have it on the 8x speed setting, and although it does move, it is EXTREMELY slow, and would be really impractical for centring objects. I have seen drives like this before, and they are really noisy, however you can barely hear this one at all when it is moving.

I have seen in the instruction manual about how if the 'worm gears' are too tight or loose it may not work, but I don't really understand it. I have also tried working the motors when they are not attached to the actual mount and again, they are really slow and almost inaudiable!

Are they broken or are they meant to do that? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Remy

P.S I have had a great day

[Kai]

No that sounds about right Remy

[mik]

Ive got the same mount and motors that is normal dont worry put your hand on the ra drive you will feel it pulse.the 2,4,& 8 are for centering objects your mount is working fine

Mick

[Wedge]

Ah that's good to hear

Have I got 'centring' mixed up with slewing?

What's does each mean? :withstupid:

[Psychobilly]

Centering is slow speed drive Slewing is faster...

[Wedge]

OK...

How do I get an object into my field of view then? The slow motion knobs no longer move, due to the motors, and the 8x speed (which I though was for moving your telescope instead of the slow motion knobs) is way too slow...

Remy.

[philsail1]

Yes "wedge"

I second what Mick, Kai and psychobilly have said.

The motors are very slow even at their 8x speed. You will only notice the difference in the speeds, when you look through your scope (using a high power eyepiece on the Moon). As you try the different speeds, you will see the Moon "shoot" across your field of view at a rate of "knots" corresponding to the speed you've selected on the control!

And yes, the motors are very quiet.

Regards,

philsail1

P.S. Don't forget, if you want to move your scope manually to get an object into the field of view quickly, just slacken off the large brass coloured clutches on the ends of the motor spindles, then you can move your scope manually until on the object you want to view, then you re-tighten the clutches and use the control box.

[mik]

As Phil said.

My procedure is as follows after polar alighnment and balance all i do is undo the clutches and slew the scope by hand i hold the counter balance for RA and around the dovetail for dec and get this as best as i can in the finder then lock clutches.

Then i just fine tune the finder with the hand control then pop in a eyepiece and fine tune again' if i wish to look at another area of sky i just turn off handset and start over.

Mick.

[Wedge]

Thanks guys, it is making sense now!

I had a quick look at the moon last night and it all seems in order!

Sorry if the tone of my last post sounded rude and impatient (when I read it just now it seemed that way to me :?)

Remy

[philsail1]

Ah! glad it's all OK for you now Remy! (No, your post didn't come across as rude!

Oh! and a belated happy birthday!

Clear skies,

philsail1

[mik]

Your welcome Remy

[Psychobilly]

I didnt regard it as rude either - glad its all up and running

Billy...