Celestron CGE Pro.

[Wout]

Hi everyone,

A few weeks i finanly decided to start AP back up.
I had a very nice setup:

Canon 50d astro modded
Skywatcher HEQ6 Pro
Skywatcher 200 pds
100mm guide scope
and synguider.
Unfortunally the economy took a global dip,  because  i had my own busines i had to sell it all.
Well those days are gone.

Since the last week im a proud owner of a celestron CGE PRO with a skywatcher 250pds.
I m starting with a canon 450d.
 

Well everytime i buy some new gear, its is always bad weather the first few months.
Well this time it went different, snow and brilliant skys.
So for those who never seen a cge pro, its massive!!!! around 70-80 kg without scope.
also 1m80 high.

So monday i was ready to go outside, after a fitness off weight lifting, i didnt succeed in getting the mount alligent.
A little frustated i brought everything back inside.

The next day i wanted to a little experimenting whit the nexstarplus.
My dad came around to admire the mount, then i plugged in the mount and something just happend

 

BOOT FAILURE PKG 0008.

So a little stressed out like wtf
i started my search on the internet.
Well there isnt much to fing off this type off mount, luckely i came to this site and found a possible answer, update the synscan.
Ok cool lets do that!
But... how?

I didnt have the right cable, u need a rsr 232 to usb and a rsr232 to rj11.|
I did have the usb cable.
Looking on the internet, i ordered a cable at monday, delivery time..... friday...

There must be another way!!!
I startet the hunt in my house for old cables.
And i found a female rs232 and a old phone cable rj11
After a serious time searching for schedules on the internet, i found the solution!
I took my solder and connected the cables.
Then searching the web for cmf. and 20 min later the handcontroller was updating!!!
Isseu solved!!!

The next night everythin outside, and again no star came into the sights. everything was way off
again checking everything. mount was level. pointing to north. but no luck, even took a photo of 4 sec and there were only trails.
Frustated everything inside.

The next day looking again on the internet for polar allignment.
For those who do not know, the cge pro has no polar scope, nor u can buy one. it is just not there...

well again everything outside. waiting until dark.
I look outside, clouds..... looking the weather snow forecast.
everything inside, i went to the toilet came back looked again no clouds crystal clear skies.
I did a few phone calls and everyone had a nice sky filled with stars.
again everything outside, grabbed a cup of coffee and went outside
cloudy as hell, thick clouds every direction.
So everything inside again.

The next day (today) i brought everything outside again.
I had some time left, so i pointed the mount to 0 degrees.
Just for fun started to test the mount. With everything closed i give the command to go to the sun.
The mount started slewing, the sun was low in the west. my scope pointed almost straight up and to the east.
I was stunnend...... 
I was checking everything again and again and again.
I updated the handcontrol again, no luck

with everything the mount did, there was no logic in it.
I was getting a little angry and upset. i didnt buy a broken mount???

Well, my father in law came by and joked about the cables.
I looked at him and wondered, could it be? no it couldnt.
I run outside and everything looked fine, well what the heck and i switch the cables.

Well during i am typing this, the mount is dead accurat everytime
I can make shot off 90 sec without guiding.
It has been shooting for almost een hour with no correction.
What a relieve!!!!

pictures will is 90sec on iso 300

 

So the lesson is, dont worry keep thinking!!!

 

My question is, how correctly polar allign with this mount?

 

L_0111_ISO300_90s__10C.CR2

[Space Hopper]

Celestron Starsense ??

Maybe source a used one as they are currently hard to get hold of new ?

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-cgx-series/celestron-starsense-accessory-for-celestron-mounts.html

[Wout]

thnx,
indeed starsense is an option, but an expensive one.
i will look for a used one, but still there must be a easy way.
 

Also, i had a very nice tracking off orion this evening, but do you allign everytime again for a other object?

[Wout]

well, i found the solution.
the QHYCCD polar aligntment.

 

It is a camera mounted below thescope on a losmandy dovetail.
U need a special adaptar to fit it on a losmandy.

But then, it is very very easy to polar align.

Just followsimple steps and your done. im in love with it.

U can buy it around 320 euro in the netherlands, i bought it for 185,- through ali-express and it is the same item, only cheaper.

 

[Wout]

for the boot failure, well thats another story,

after a few days the mount give the error 16 and 17.
After a search on the web, well my heart broke, the motherboard has probably failed.

after a long discusion with possible solutions with the seller, ive returned it.
They would have a look into it, every week i had contact with them.
after 4 weeks the relief came, they have bought another cge pro and changed the colum.
I went back to pick it up, and the mount is perfectly working.
also every connection is working correctly.
 

 

[iapa]

On 11/02/2021 at 21:25, Space Hopper said:

Celestron Starsense ??

Maybe source a used one as they are currently hard to get hold of new ?

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-cgx-series/celestron-starsense-accessory-for-celestron-mounts.html

There was one in the buy/swap forum here

[iapa]

On 11/02/2021 at 21:45, Wout said:

thnx,
indeed starsense is an option, but an expensive one.
i will look for a used one, but still there must be a easy way.
 

Also, i had a very nice tracking off orion this evening, but do you allign everytime again for a other object?

For polar alignment, SharpCap has an easy to follow process.

I just do polar alignment, then plate solve to centre my target. 

[Wout]

I use QHYCCD polar alligntment, 
its a little camera under my telescope, it works great.
after 2 star alligntment and 3 calibrater stars, everytime everything is right in the center of my camera, no problems here

But still have tracking problems, i can make exposures of max 90 sec without autoguiding.
I have no idea to salve this.
Next week my autoguider plus autoguider scope will arrive, so i hope the problem is gone then.

 

so far im very satisfied with the scope and mount. if the pictures look like this when im just starting who knows... one day