CG5 GT - "No response 17"

[Uranium235]

Any idea what that means? Ive been getting it a few times recently

[arad85]

The hand controller can't talk to one of the motors. Sounds like a dodgy cable or failing hand controller

[Uranium235]

Thanks, ive a feeling it might be a cable, but I cant be sure as thats not the only wierd thing that it sometimes does - like continuing to slew past its target (slowly)until it tries to cause a mount collision (that happens while calibrating sometimes too).

Ive only had it 4 months so it cant be that much wear & tear. I hope to god its not the handset, that would be not cheap to replace.

[Iris]

Funnily enough I got that last night. I mistyped an NGC number and the scope slewed to somewhere near Argentina, realising my mistake I reset the code but foolishly didnt wait until it had stopped slewing - so it whirred and clanked to some new rubbish position and then paused and started again when I physically touched the OTA - I didn't connect the two at the time (silly boy) and then it stopped with the above error.

I sighed and reset the tube manually to the index positions and chose the last alignment option hoping to pick up where I left off but when it 'stopped' slewing to my chosen M35 the tube was still pointing more or less at the CNP

As it was near the end of my session I couldnt be bothered to re-align and decided to pack up for the night.

As I was doing so I realised first my second mistake - I had forgotten to re-tighten the RA clutch when I had manually reset it just a few moments before duh - no wonder it didnt go far lol

And then as I was dismantling - when I came to remove the DEC motor cable instead of having to faff around with the damn silly little tab the thing just fell away in my fingers - explaining the No Response error - sheesh my earlier mistake had been not checking it was plugged in properly from the start!

What can I say really - obviously I was taking stupid pills yesterday. Oh well at least I got a few nice views in before the idocy made itself known lol and there were no witnesses to my witlessness :)

[Uranium235]

Heh... better check my dec cable while setting up tonight then

Im just wondering if the same thing can be caused by a dodgy power cable, I gave it a wobble at the jack end once and the handset did some very strange things. I think im going to take the step of using masking tape to stick the power cable to the mount legs to stop it flapping about so much.

The more I think about the power cable, the more im sure thats the prob becuase sometimes the mount has reset itself while im polar aligning (and fumbling about looking for the alt/az knobs), must have caught the power cable i guess.

Heh, looking forward to tonights session tho, I popped out to tesco earlier and got a folding chair with a drinks holder in the armrest no more sitting on buckets or breeze blocks for me!

[argonaut]

When I had my CG5GT ages ago now. When I received the error message 17 it turned out to be a low voltage/current warning.

Glen.

[Uranium235]

Ahhh just as I thought, It must be the power cable then.

I was out last night and had no problems this time, probably because everything was taped up.

Still had problems in DEC with PHD :mad: I was at the verge losing my temper with it - the OTA was cam heavy (as told to), still the same sawtooth in DEC. It only started working properly in the last 5 min of the sessions when id already decided to pack away.

It seemed to work when I picked a better guide star nearer the centre of the screen, but its not like my scope and guidescope point at the same things (I cant adjust the guidescope) as its just bolted on top of the main OTA... hmmmm i think i need some proper guidescope rings at least then I will be able to pick better targets for guiding.