Celestron 8se support please

[Bettyboop]

Hi guys. I have a celestron 8se, and I think my remote control is broken. It keeps saying error 17 and error 16, plus it's moving the scope without me touching it. Also, I can't seem to connect the remote to my laptop. I have decided to try and control the scope via WIFI however, I can't seem to keep my device connected to the WiFi. So, the scope is pretty much unusable. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Drew]

Hello Bb, welcome to SGL.    What power source are you using, batteries or poor connections can cause havoc with an 8se.     🙂 

[Dave Matison]

She is getting error codes 16/17 indicating the mount and hand control aren’t communicating. Her wifi dongle drops it’s connection, likely because she is in a high traffic area. 

[Dave Matison]

Maybe there is a club near her home?  

[doublevodka]

Hi @Bettyboop, take a look here for some more info - https://nexstarsite.com/OddsNEnds/NoResponse.htm

https://nexstarsite.com/ is very useful for anyone with a Nexstar 👍

 

[lvan]

Try the HC in the aux and see if that works. Alternatively, consider a wifi booster.

[Dave Matison]

By booster, do you mean an extender?  Good idea. 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Hi @Bettyboop just a thought , if the device you are using to connect via wifi has other wifi connections that are constantly trying to connect it will play havoc with the wifi connection to your mount ... thats what i had an issue with . Now i use an ipad specifically for the mount and it stays connected . I suppose this supports Dave's theory above . 

[Shimrod]

17 hours ago, Bettyboop said:

Hi guys. I have a celestron 8se, and I think my remote control is broken. It keeps saying error 17 and error 16, plus it's moving the scope without me touching it. Also, I can't seem to connect the remote to my laptop. I have decided to try and control the scope via WIFI however, I can't seem to keep my device connected to the WiFi. So, the scope is pretty much unusable. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It is worth checking the firmware version of of the wi-fi adapter - I'm assuming you are using the Celestron Skyportal. There was a firmware update several months ago (possibly even last year) which greatly improved the stability of the wi-fi connection. 

You need to download the Celestron firmware manager from here:  https://www.celestron.com/pages/drivers-and-software which will then check your device and download any updates required.

[lvan]

9 hours ago, Dave Matison said:

By booster, do you mean an extender?  Good idea. 

Sure, booster/extender/power line adapter, etc…

[Mick H]

On 29/09/2022 at 23:54, Bettyboop said:

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Could also try holding the Celestron key (bottom left) while powering up to reset.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I had this 16/17 error twice with my Celestron SLT mount.  Briefly, it means that the handset is not seeing the mount electronics.   In my case the cause was that the mount firmware had become corrupted and required to be re-loaded.  The procedure for this requires a laptop, cabling with USB to serial converter that connects to the handset, and download of various firmware and utilities. (see nexstarsite.com for guidance)

Also worth checking that the handset cable is firmly pushed into the (partly hidden) socket in the mount.  And that you have an adequate power supply and that the plug of any external power supply is making proper contact.   (Poor connection here is a known issue and it causes assorted problems).

I recommend that you do not try using wifi until you have restored the outfit to proper operation with the handset.  If the mount firmware has failed, trying wifi will be a total failure.

Also note that if you want to connect the mount or handset to a PC or laptop, you need to look up on nextarsite.com how this is done - it will not connect if you just plug in cables, and you might even cause damage. 

[Dave Matison]

Outcome?