|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Aligning a Celestron
Hi!
I have an entry-level Celestron telescope with an electronic controller. I believe that it is their '60' model. I took it out to take a gander at Mars during this time, and while I was setting it up, I started to tinker about with it's 'auto-alignment' funcitonality. I can not get auto-align to work worth a darn. Essentially, I point it north and level, and then I get asked a bunch of questions, date, time, city, state, etc. So I do this, and it is supposed to point to a 'bright star' - one visible by the naked eye. Not a chance. Even when I think I get it aligned right, I'll try my luck by using the keypad to select Polaris or the moon or some other star that is blindingly obvious. Well, when the thing stops moving, it may be pointing at my intended target if it was on some other planet, but on planet earth, it's pointing somewhere that is not even close to where it should be. It's obviously operator error. The question is what is the error? My idea of North (I live in New England) is either use a compass and grab magnetic north, or point the thing at the North star. Level - well I eyeball it and make sure that the tripod is pretty close, but I'm not out there with a bubble level or anything fancy like that. As far as plugging in the 'location', I've tried both city and state, as well as long and lat from a gps receiver. The scope itself is a long tube type - I've tried the collaring the scope both at the midsection, as well as at the hilt - directly in front of the viewing assembly. I'd really like some insight - if anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. -a. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Al Gartner" wrote in
link.net: Hi! I have an entry-level Celestron telescope with an electronic controller. I believe that it is their '60' model. I took it out to take a gander at Mars during this time, and while I was setting it up, I started to tinker about with it's 'auto-alignment' funcitonality. I can not get auto-align to work worth a darn. Essentially, I point it north and level, and then I get asked a bunch of questions, date, time, city, state, etc. So I do this, and it is supposed to point to a 'bright star' - one visible by the naked eye. Not a chance. Even when I think I get it aligned right, I'll try my luck by using the keypad to select Polaris or the moon or some other star that is blindingly obvious. Well, when the thing stops moving, it may be pointing at my intended target if it was on some other planet, but on planet earth, it's pointing somewhere that is not even close to where it should be. It's obviously operator error. The question is what is the error? My idea of North (I live in New England) is either use a compass and grab magnetic north, or point the thing at the North star. Level - well I eyeball it and make sure that the tripod is pretty close, but I'm not out there with a bubble level or anything fancy like that. As far as plugging in the 'location', I've tried both city and state, as well as long and lat from a gps receiver. The scope itself is a long tube type - I've tried the collaring the scope both at the midsection, as well as at the hilt - directly in front of the viewing assembly. I'd really like some insight - if anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. -a. The time you are entering could be the problem. Is your state still on Daylight savings time? The scope might be working off the local standard time. L. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Ends up that there is a 'bug' with the Celestron 60 series controllers that
were manufactured before 2001, I think. I found a fix at 'nexstarsite.com'. Essentially, when you first setup the software, it asks you what kind of scope you have. Well the settings for the 60 are way off base. This site had some funky code that you entered in - once done, the auto-align worked well. Just took a little research that's all. I was distressed to see that this was not mentioned anywhere on the official celestron site. "Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th" wrote in message 7.6... "Al Gartner" wrote in link.net: Hi! I have an entry-level Celestron telescope with an electronic controller. I believe that it is their '60' model. I took it out to take a gander at Mars during this time, and while I was setting it up, I started to tinker about with it's 'auto-alignment' funcitonality. I can not get auto-align to work worth a darn. Essentially, I point it north and level, and then I get asked a bunch of questions, date, time, city, state, etc. So I do this, and it is supposed to point to a 'bright star' - one visible by the naked eye. Not a chance. Even when I think I get it aligned right, I'll try my luck by using the keypad to select Polaris or the moon or some other star that is blindingly obvious. Well, when the thing stops moving, it may be pointing at my intended target if it was on some other planet, but on planet earth, it's pointing somewhere that is not even close to where it should be. It's obviously operator error. The question is what is the error? My idea of North (I live in New England) is either use a compass and grab magnetic north, or point the thing at the North star. Level - well I eyeball it and make sure that the tripod is pretty close, but I'm not out there with a bubble level or anything fancy like that. As far as plugging in the 'location', I've tried both city and state, as well as long and lat from a gps receiver. The scope itself is a long tube type - I've tried the collaring the scope both at the midsection, as well as at the hilt - directly in front of the viewing assembly. I'd really like some insight - if anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. -a. The time you are entering could be the problem. Is your state still on Daylight savings time? The scope might be working off the local standard time. L. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Celestron settles with Meade | Edward | Amateur Astronomy | 24 | July 14th 04 08:48 PM |
Has anyone done a comparison of the Photon Instruments 127mm refractor with the Celestron and Meade 6" refractors? | Clayton E. Cramer | Amateur Astronomy | 12 | December 20th 03 07:02 AM |
Has anyone done a comparison of the Photon Instruments 127mm refractor with the Celestron and Meade 6" refractors? | Bob Midiri | Amateur Astronomy | 0 | December 6th 03 06:13 PM |
Review: Celestron 10-30x50 Zoom Binoculars "UpClose Series" | HandyAndy | Amateur Astronomy | 0 | October 28th 03 03:58 PM |