60TH Anniversary Limited Edition Celestron Evolution 8HD (Celestron model no. #12098) - Does this specific model have a working 'Power Logo' light??

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

Hi, 

I have just taken delivery of this telescope.   The 'Celestron' logo on the side of the fork mount arm (above the WIFI symbol indicator) does not light up under any circumstances. (The WIFI connection symbol light and tray accessory light work fine. )

On the regular 'Evolution' models (IE not this limited edition model) this 'Celestron' logo  serves as a battery indicator light and power light. It pulses when the battery is charging and it is illuminated when the mount power is switched on. The regular 'Evolution' user manual refers to this light as the 'Celestron Power Logo'. To be clear - I am not talking about the WIFI symbol light, which is working fine.

So my question is - does this Limited Edition model actually have a working 'Celestron Power Logo' light? The design of the Celestron logo on the fork arm on this limited Edition model is quite different from the regular Evolution models and I am wondering if it is actually meant to light up on my model?? Otherwise, how am I meant to be able to see if the battery is charging, etc??? (See "Appendix C L.E.D. Status" of the regular Evolution manual where it confirms about the Power Logo lighting up during charging, etc)

So, right now,  I don't know if my Celestron Power Logo light is broken or if this precise model does not have one?? Please only respond if you are SURE of the answer to this question. I don't mean to sound rude, I just want to know if I have a defective mount or not  I dont have a smart phone to check battery status, so it's very important for me to have a working battery status light. (Celestron must agree with me, because they designed the regular Evolution model with this light, right?!  )

I will phone Celestron and ask when their office opens. I just wondered in the meantime if anyone knew the answer to my question.  

Thanks for any help you can give me in solving this mystery. 

Siouxsie

 

Edited July 30, 2020 by StarGazingSiouxsie

[JBBsaturn]

Hello,

So I just got my new 60th anniversary Celestron today and guess what???  The power logo battery display light ain’t working?  The manual clearly states it will blink until the battery fully charges and then go solid.  If you or anyone else out there gets an answer to this I’d like to know.  My first Celestron... is the manual wrong or does my new telescope have a problem?

JBB

[FLO]

19 hours ago, StarGazingSiouxsie said:

So my question is - does this Limited Edition model actually have a working 'Celestron Power Logo' light?

It does not. This is normal for the 60th anniversary mount which has a new opaque placard that does not allow light transmission from the LED.

Battery status can be checked through the handset controller (MENU -> PERIPHERALS -> BATTERY -> STATUS). 

HTH, 

Steve 

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

7 hours ago, FLO said:

It does not. This is normal for the 60th anniversary mount which has a new opaque placard that does not allow light transmission from the LED.

Battery status can be checked through the handset controller (MENU -> PERIPHERALS -> BATTERY -> STATUS). 

HTH, 

Steve 

Hi Steve - and thank you VERY much. 

Funny - I am Brit now living in the USA and just happened to be looking at First Light Optics website  last night for the first time ever - and then you pop up here  Nice bit of synchronicity as they call it. 

Back to astronomy - and I hope this info helps any prospective future owners of this particular telescope (specific Celestron model 12098) - this telescope does not come equipped with the NexStar hand controller (HC) from the factory. It only comes with the Star Sense HC which comes, of course, in the Star Ssense box with the camera. 

This may nopt seem a big deal -  but it is. The StarSense HC has a different telescope menu and it cannot access the same 'PERIPHERALS' menu that the NexStar HC can.

( See page 17 of the Celestron Evolution Manual for reference https://s3.amazonaws.com/celestron-site-support-files/support_files/CELESTRON_NexStarEVOLUTION_Manual.pdf   )  

This means that the StarSense HC cannot check things like battery status nor adjust the lights on the telescope (the WIFI logo light & the small red LED light that shines down into the azimuth clutch area / upper accessory area of the mount. It seems that this specific telescope model does not come (thanks Steve) with a battery status light (AKA Celestron Power Logo).

Not having the NexStar HC also means that the user cannot access the telescope's goto functionality without using StarSense, which I think is wrong. Supposing if I wanted to, for whatever reason,  use my telescope's goto without the camera? I don't think I'd be able to without the StarSense HC  (of course I could still use the telescope in manual mode, using the cluches). 

Also, it means I cannot readily check battery status; again, you cannot check this with the StarSeense HC.

You can check battery status and adjust the WIFI logo light and accessory tray light by using the Sky Portal App on a smarty phone.  Howver, I am perhaps unusual these days in that I am not a Smart Phone owner. My phone belongs in the Science Museum in London. So I don't have any way at all of checking my battery status nor adjusting my lights without the NexStar HC. (As far as I know, anyway. I am not am not an expert on this but have done a ton of research into it. If anyone knows differently, please share.)

In summary - 

1. This telescope does not come equipped with a battery status light AKA Celestron Power Logo as the regular Evolution models do. (Thanks Steve). At least now I can stop stressing that mine was broken, although my gut said it wasn't.

2. The telescope does not come equipped as standard from the factory with a NexStar HC, only a StarSense HC.

3. The StarSsense HC cannot check battery status nor adjust the telescope's lights. You need the NexStar HC for this.

4. The battery status and mount lights can be accessed by connecting to the telescope via WIFI using Sky Portal APP on a smart phone

(Btw I have updated all the firmware on the StarSense HC & camera and the telescope's mount.) 

I have written to my supplier in the USA - BH photo & video - asking them if they will provide me with a NexStar HC due to reasons I mentioned above.

I am otherwise really happy with this telescope - and I am fussy!!! The build quality is exceptional, the carbon fibre OTA beautiful and all the one off decals really very attractive. It's a great buy. 

Question - 

Is it possible - somehow - for the StarSense HC to be adapted such that it can access the same utility and peripheral menus as the NexStar HC can? I doubt it and even if it were possible I think it would be scary but thought I'd ask. 

Edited July 31, 2020 by StarGazingSiouxsie

[FLO]

4 minutes ago, StarGazingSiouxsie said:

Funny - I am Brit now living in the USA and just happened to be looking at First Light Optics website  last night for the first time ever - and then you pop up here  Nice bit of synchronicity as they call it. 

We often pop up at SGL 😁

Regards, 

Steve 

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

10 hours ago, JBBsaturn said:

Hello,

So I just got my new 60th anniversary Celestron today and guess what???  The power logo battery display light ain’t working?  The manual clearly states it will blink until the battery fully charges and then go solid.  If you or anyone else out there gets an answer to this I’d like to know.  My first Celestron... is the manual wrong or does my new telescope have a problem?

JBB

Hello JBB

The fact that it says that in the manual - the manual; specific to this model and not just a generic Evolution manual - was also doing my brain in and causing me to worry. The fact that yours isn't working either (and Steve's reply) tells me it's an editorial oversight by Celestron. They have actually described the functionality of a regular Evolution mount's battery status light. When comparing the area of the mount which contains the Celestron logo between a regular Evolution mount and the Limited Edition's mount, it can be seen that they are very different on this model compared to the regular Evolution model. I for one love the Limited Edition's looks but think Celestron should have left the regular Evolution's light installed. 

Yours didn't come with a NexStar HC either - correct?

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by StarGazingSiouxsie

[Starwatcher2001]

I have the peasants version of the Evolution 9.25, rather than the Anniversary one, also with StarSense.

Other than a working power light, I have exactly the same set of issues as you (including the StarSense controller with some of the options missing), so if you do find a resolution, please let us know.

Does your accessory tray have six little rubber bumpers slotted into it, to stop it catching on the tripod leg when it's all folded up?  If so, I'd suggest you superglue the little perishers in place. They fall off at the drop of a hat and I've already lost two in the long grass.

Cheers,

Mark

[Shimrod]

On 31/07/2020 at 14:56, StarGazingSiouxsie said:

Question - 

Is it possible - somehow - for the StarSense HC to be adapted such that it can access the same utility and peripheral menus as the NexStar HC can? I doubt it and even if it were possible I think it would be scary but thought I'd ask. 

It might be worth registering on Team Celestron - the Celestron support and beta testers site where you could ask the question direct of the developers. They do have various threads for feature requests - I've always thought it strange that the Starsense HC had less options than the standard handset, although I now control my mount through a tablet or laptop.

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

12 hours ago, Shimrod said:

It might be worth registering on Team Celestron - the Celestron support and beta testers site where you could ask the question direct of the developers. They do have various threads for feature requests - I've always thought it strange that the Starsense HC had less options than the standard handset, although I now control my mount through a tablet or laptop.

Thank you, I'll bear that in mind. I also asked Michael Swanson for his opinion and he said it would be tough to align the functionality between the two.