CGX strange issue

[Hogarth]

Just had a really strange issue with my CGX

After about 3 hours of imaging, going rather well, I noticed PHD2 start complaining it cannot send any pulse guides to the mount and the current exposure was a total mess of trails. Stopped PHD2 and did a Quick test of a 10 second exposure and sure enough it’s not tracking anymore.

Noticed in Apt, the R.A. and DEC co-ordinates were all strange negative numbers. Just didn’t look right..(mount thinks it’s suddenly in the Southern Hemisphere ?)

So told the mount to go home using the hand controller, it started going down towards the ground. Stopped it and shut the power off, move the axis manually back home and switched back on, did a quick home position all good. Packed up for the night.

Details

CGX firmware 7.15.9120 (notice a newer one came out in April 2020)

Starsense hand controller - latest firmware

Latest ASCOM Celestron driver

USB Cable from PC to bottom of hand controller

Star aligned with Celestron starsense

APT v3.84

PHD2 2.66

I was Imaging M81/m82 way past the meridian at the time

Temp around 3 degrees C

Location : UK 54 degrees lat. Definitely northern hemisphere

 

Feels like some odd software glitch.

 

Anyone experienced this ?

Edited April 12, 2020 by Hogarth

[newbie alert]

Hi Hogarth, I've not got a cgx but I use a cgem, last week I was getting phd flagging up that it couldn't receive guide commands to the mount but as it carried on and worked the next session I thought I'd just keep an eye on it, just in case my cable to the handset was playing up.. I have noticed that if I use APT to park the mount at the end of the imaging session that it also switches the tracking off in the handset, so I have to manually reset it back to eq north, and set the rate ...nothing too drastic but it's easy to forget...anyway I was imaging the sun with my pst and all of a sudden my mount stopped tracking and the sun drifted and couldn't re center in the RA axis,  slew it back to home position, hibernate and switched it back on and it was fine...several evening sessions later and I'm back on the sun, but this time the RA wouldn't move at all...Long story slightly shorter is that I've now taken it apart and so far I've found a seized bearing, just hoping once I've  replaced this and put it back together it's not the board...fingers,  toes and everything else crossed...

Just thought I'd let you know to check the tracking in the handset, it's in eq north, and the rate is set to sidereal or whatever you're on..

If the mount is under 2 years old  contact your supplier and maybe send it back to celestron..don't open it up as I have done if it's within it's warranty period as you will invalidate it

Edited April 14, 2020 by newbie alert
Added info