aligning cg-5 gt goto mount

[red dwalf]

help !

tried to align my mount last night and is a big step up for me from my skywatcher autotrak, did a line up through the holes in the mount with the pole star using eyes only, then i`m not sure what settings i need on the goto controls all a bit to technical for me but i`m trying.

tried to do a 2 star align but when it said it was going to a star there seemed to be nothing to look at.

i`m in the uk

any help please.

Rob

[arad85]

It's a steep learning curve!!

Firstly, you need to be on the latest software (HC 4.16). If you don't have that, you will need to upgrade the software via serial cable. Then you need to do a 2 star align, add a couple of calibration stars, then do a polar align using any star not close to the zenith (thus getting it truly polar aligned), followed by another align (actually replacing the original alignment/calibration stars.

It's very difficult to explain, but once you think about it, it's relatively easy. I was getting everything I slewed to within the 11mm eyepiece of a C9.25 (FL 2350mm) last night after following that process (although it did take about 30 minutes to align the mount)

[arad85]

PS. Try downloading the CGEM manual which describes how this works in V4.16 of the software (the two mounts are compatible as far as the software goes). Read it several times on two star align and all star polar alignment and then go out to try it out. The manual is available: http://www.celestron.com/c3/images/files/downloads/1235085036_cgem11097inst.pdf

[red dwalf]

cheers chaps,

i think the version is the newist one, chap i bought it off said it had been updated, do i look on the control for version number and can i get the new one from the celestron web site, i guess that i have to download a zip file to my computer, plug in the serial port to comp and handset ?

[arad85]

cheers chaps,

i think the version is the newist one, chap i bought it off said it had been updated, do i look on the control for version number and can i get the new one from the celestron web site, i guess that i have to download a zip file to my computer, plug in the serial port to comp and handset ?

Yup. Power up and go to top level menu, then find Utilities->Version. Software is all available from the Celstron web site and yes, via the serial cable.

The key to this is understanding what you are doing. Read the manual SEVERAL times, try the process and then re-read the manual. As to stars you are choosing - you have to remember that the further apart the stars are, the easier it is for the mount to calibrate to. If the star is too high in the sky, a slight error in placement will be significant when you are off the vertical.

Also remember that there is gear backlash and you should always approach the star the same way as the mount - can't remember which that is BTW otherwise the backlash in the gears puts the calibration out. When you are looking down a long tube, a little out can be a long way

Hope that helps...

[ombos]

Ok, lets start from the beginning lol. Please just comfirm that you mean CG-5 Equatorial goto mount which I'm sure the answer is yes to, if thats the case I'll run you right though it, just confirm please. It's very simple but there are a couple of sticky areas.

Dave

[red dwalf]

yes cheers Dave, it is the cg-5 gt goto mount and i`ve checked the version and it`s the latest 4.16

[ombos]

Please excuse me if I mention something that you already know and this is what works for for me and allows me to track every object I've wanted to. OK, well as for software I've never updated mine and as of yet had no probs so lets hope that continues. Anyway here we go. First you have two options where you can mount the head upon you tripod. There is no reference to this in the book but all you do is remove the peg and move it 180 degree into the other hole, why move it? If your using a lets say a 10" reflector with the legs down you can find the mount wanting to fall over if your not careful when removing the scope or weights. Thats if you have it so that the two open legs are facing the pole and not the one leg. If you look at your instruction book it shows pics of both ways but like i said does not tell you that you can move it!

OK, now find you long and lat via goggle earth and set your manual latitude via the front and rear adjustment screws eg in Mansfield its 53. Please note remove the front adjuster when your set it or the motor housing WILL catch it and its not a nice noise trust me. You can put it back if you wish when you move the mount, I just leave it out. Set your front of the mount (the one with the Azimuth adjustment knobs) so that it point North, use a compass if your not sure. You will learn where to put it with experience and some sort of land marker, I use the bird box which is poler north bang on, thats a point, when using 4 star alignment and above I've never had to polar align it, I've set it up via quick facing north and polar aligned it and the result was the same so don't worry just get it facing north as best as poss. Mount your scope and balance. Fit your Dec motor lead now make sure its the RIGHT WAY ROUND, yes it fit both ways but only works one way, this is one of the main reasons for people having their scope pointing at the ground! Next power, you require a good power supply via a nice power pack or the likes, this is very important or once again the mount will move but it will go mad and even start moving by its self which can lead to a broken scope if your using large refractor or reflector, once again a main reason for people having pobs and saying the scope is pointing at the ground or at nothing at all. Check all connection or you will have the probs above.

OK power her up and it ask you to set the index marks and press enter so thats what you do. Now if you've not saved your site or your on a different site etc you will have to start entering some info for the computer to establish where it is, what date it is etc so let have a look at that. Remember that when you enter such things as date its the USA way MM:DD:YYYY as opposed to the UK way. The time can be set for 12hrs or 24 hrs clock, I use 24 hrs set the time etc, remember you can do all this in the house in the day time and just alter the time when your out and also it'll give you time to play with it. Where on universal time so thats what you set it to, and being BST you set it to daylight saving time, I can't get my head round that one but in summer yes, winter no, you can then set your lat and long, so its your west setting first from goggle earth and then your north setting eg 1 09,59West 53 09 13 North second, you will have to get to know the process thats the only way read and read again like the previous posts have said.

Now it will ask you two star align, press enter, now this is what I do, I know what stars I can see and use the best ones for time of year and location, this time of your I first pick Vega, I dont let the scope pick its own targets yet. it should slew to Vega if it odes not then you've entered something wrong, dont panic go though it all again and have a cup of tea, use the control to center the stat in your finder scope and press enter, then using the controls center the star in your ep and press align, then pick your next star Altar and do the same again, then pick Deneb, the computer will now have a basic data to start to calibrate its self so next pick a star from the other meridian by pressing undo the handset will list stars from the other meridian and choose one from the list it will slew to it and then just pick one or two more from that meridian and thats it, it sound so complex yet when you've done a few hundred times it second nature lol. With not polar aligning the mount bang on if your viewing for more than a couple of hours it will pay you to add a couple more stars later on just to realign it, see how you go and just play with it in the daytime inside, you can save your site so that all you have to do is adjust the date and time, dont worry dont panic. I used a 12volt adapter the other night as the power pack was down and the scope went mad so its really important to have the correct power supply and that the dec lead is the correct way in. I think I've covered it all but please get back to us if you still have probs.

If you still have have probs I'll give you my tele number and I'll go through it with you as I do mine. I had probs with mine at first and it was only by the great folks on this site that I got it right so I do know what your feeling like. Sorry for the spelling mistakes I dont have time to check, the wifes on at me to complete the decorating.

Dave

[arad85]

By the way... for the two star align method to be any good, you MUST ADD CALIBRATION STARS. Basically, keep adding calibration stars until you try slewing to a new calibration star and it is in the field of view of the eyepiece. Without that, the mount hasn't fully worked out where it is.