Meade AstroStar Question

I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as best
I could then I tried to use the quick alignment where the Auto chooses two
stars to get its orientation. Well I center the star like the instructions
say, but when I'm done with the second star and error message scrolls by
saying alignment failed. Any ideas why I was unsuccessful? I'm new to having
a high tech scope so my ignorance is probably to blame.

Thanks for any help is advance.

John

John Evans wrote:
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as best

Hi John, dont worry, seems everyone has these problems the first couple
of times. First, try doing a "One Star" alignment. This makes things a
little easier. Next, make sure when you are aligning that you use the
hand paddle, and dont just swing the scope. I know it's obvious, but I
catch myself forgetting, and swinging the scope manually. Next, make
sure the scope isnt close to hitting the mount and that the scope is
well balanced. If it's out of balance or gets stuck, you'll get a motor
failure error and the alignment will fail also (but I did notice that
you didnt get any error like that).

Check out www.lxd55.com. There is an active message board (which you
can search) for answers to this question. This will help you figure out
if it's the scope or just beginner's luck. I had the same experience a
bunch of times when I first bought my scope, but it was just my learning
period.

Tom

John Evans wrote:
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as best

Hi John, dont worry, seems everyone has these problems the first couple
of times. First, try doing a "One Star" alignment. This makes things a
little easier. Next, make sure when you are aligning that you use the
hand paddle, and dont just swing the scope. I know it's obvious, but I
catch myself forgetting, and swinging the scope manually. Next, make
sure the scope isnt close to hitting the mount and that the scope is
well balanced. If it's out of balance or gets stuck, you'll get a motor
failure error and the alignment will fail also (but I did notice that
you didnt get any error like that).

Check out www.lxd55.com. There is an active message board (which you
can search) for answers to this question. This will help you figure out
if it's the scope or just beginner's luck. I had the same experience a
bunch of times when I first bought my scope, but it was just my learning
period.

Tom

If this is the very first time you've used the Autostar:

- Make sure it knows you're in polar (equatorial) mode (not altazimuth).

- Make sure it knows what model of telescope you're using. This is actually
a software setting.

There are also some other initializations that you should do, where you
train it to compensate for the backlash and other mechanical characteristics
of your drive.

If it's finding the 2 stars initially -- that is, it goes to within a couple
of degrees of each one, and then they really are the stars that it says they
are -- then you location, date, time, and polar alignment are good enough.

But if there's any chance you're mis-identifying the stars, investigate that
possibility too.

--
Clear skies,

Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope

If this is the very first time you've used the Autostar:

- Make sure it knows you're in polar (equatorial) mode (not altazimuth).

- Make sure it knows what model of telescope you're using. This is actually
a software setting.

There are also some other initializations that you should do, where you
train it to compensate for the backlash and other mechanical characteristics
of your drive.

If it's finding the 2 stars initially -- that is, it goes to within a couple
of degrees of each one, and then they really are the stars that it says they
are -- then you location, date, time, and polar alignment are good enough.

But if there's any chance you're mis-identifying the stars, investigate that
possibility too.

--
Clear skies,

Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope

How certain are you of the accuracy of the polar alignment?

Visit Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX Site http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html
Although it's advertised as a site for the Meade ETX scopes, he deals with
other Meade GOTO scopes including the LXD55.

Search his site for tips -- send him an e-mail, wait a couple of days, and
he will post a reply.

--

----
Joe S.

"John Evans" wrote in message
m...
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the
first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as
best
I could then I tried to use the quick alignment where the Auto chooses two
stars to get its orientation. Well I center the star like the instructions
say, but when I'm done with the second star and error message scrolls by
saying alignment failed. Any ideas why I was unsuccessful? I'm new to
having
a high tech scope so my ignorance is probably to blame.

Thanks for any help is advance.

John

How certain are you of the accuracy of the polar alignment?

Visit Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX Site http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html
Although it's advertised as a site for the Meade ETX scopes, he deals with
other Meade GOTO scopes including the LXD55.

Search his site for tips -- send him an e-mail, wait a couple of days, and
he will post a reply.

--

----
Joe S.

"John Evans" wrote in message
m...
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the
first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as
best
I could then I tried to use the quick alignment where the Auto chooses two
stars to get its orientation. Well I center the star like the instructions
say, but when I'm done with the second star and error message scrolls by
saying alignment failed. Any ideas why I was unsuccessful? I'm new to
having
a high tech scope so my ignorance is probably to blame.

Thanks for any help is advance.

John

And one other thing that is not documented in the manuals is that when you
set up to polar align, the finderscope is on the bottom.
In other words, to base panel is on the north side of the tripod and the
scope is level and facing south. Now rotate the OTA up and over.


"John Evans" wrote in message
m...
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the
first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as
best
I could then I tried to use the quick alignment where the Auto chooses two
stars to get its orientation. Well I center the star like the instructions
say, but when I'm done with the second star and error message scrolls by
saying alignment failed. Any ideas why I was unsuccessful? I'm new to
having
a high tech scope so my ignorance is probably to blame.

Thanks for any help is advance.

John

And one other thing that is not documented in the manuals is that when you
set up to polar align, the finderscope is on the bottom.
In other words, to base panel is on the north side of the tripod and the
scope is level and facing south. Now rotate the OTA up and over.


"John Evans" wrote in message
m...
I just bought a LXD55 with the GOTO Autostar and I took it out for the
first
time last night, but I had a some problems. First I polar aligned it as
best
I could then I tried to use the quick alignment where the Auto chooses two
stars to get its orientation. Well I center the star like the instructions
say, but when I'm done with the second star and error message scrolls by
saying alignment failed. Any ideas why I was unsuccessful? I'm new to
having
a high tech scope so my ignorance is probably to blame.

Thanks for any help is advance.

John

"Ernest A. Martsching" wrote in message
...
And one other thing that is not documented in the manuals is that when you
set up to polar align, the finderscope is on the bottom.
In other words, to base panel is on the north side of the tripod and the
scope is level and facing south. Now rotate the OTA up and over.

HUH ??? Duh ...