Need help aligning a Nexstar advanced gt mount with a c-8 tube.

[ChuckWalters]

Well, you wouldn't normally want to be stuck to the face of a grassy cliff but yes the mount is in the correct position.

Now that is funny!

[Telrad]

Reminds me of a batman episode or two! I love my iPhone but sometimes.........

[Telrad]

I'm afraid you have the older handset that cannot be upgraded... :-(

Now the next logical questions are- is it worth my time and money to upgrade the handset? What would be the benefit, if any, to an upgrade?

[ChuckWalters]

Actually, many of the newer CG5GT mounts have those alignment marks and they do serve one purpose for the beginner. When they are ligned up in DEC an RA they do mark home for the scope. What is odd about the mount pictured above is the RA marks are at 12 oclock and not at 3 oclock if you are facing the mount from the front. Someone may have altered the head. I have included a pic of how they are set on a new factroy mount. The counterweight rod is straight down and the scope dovetail is lined up with the mount axis. My scope is also set to 43 degrees for home. Pardon the crappy pic. Point and shoot cam is acting up.

[Telrad]

Actually, many of the newer CG5GT mounts have those alignment marks and they do serve one purpose for the beginner. When they are ligned up in DEC an RA they do mark home for the scope. What is odd about the mount pictured above is the RA marks are at 12 oclock and not at 3 oclock if you are facing the mount from the front. Someone may have altered the head. I have included a pic of how they are set on a new factroy mount. The counterweight rod is straight down and the scope dovetail is lined up with the mount axis. My scope is also set to 43 degrees for home. Pardon the crappy pic. Point and shoot cam is acting up.

Once I get a good alignment and work out some kinks I'll probably make a couple of marks with an engraver or at least a sharpy marker to make things easier. From what I understand though the initial position doesn't need to be perfect, just close to pointing at Polaris and the alignment process will take it from there.

[Telrad]

Well, I've spent about an hour so far using the new mount. The alignment process worked much better now. So far I've been able to track several Messier objects and some Caldwell's too. One thing I noticed was the mount tends to loose alignment after a few objects. I have to realign the scope quite often and it takes away from the viewing experience. It might be because the mount is in the lawn and not on solid concrete but I'm not so sure about that.

If the moon would just behave and go away.........

[fogfire]

As has been said the index marks are VERY Useful. But they also fall off really easy I had a new mount last winter than they were nearly falling off out of the box.
Those are not in the right position for the current firmware. You have up-to-date motor controllers as far as I can see.

With the current firmware. Putting the scope in index position, allows it to slew automatically to hear the first alignment star so if you don't k now a name you can figure it out.
[Though when it decides to slew to a spot between Castor and Pollux I have to look up which is which.. can't seem to get that one in my head.

Given you have recent Motor Controller.. you can plug a new HC right in... Also since Celestron just updated the hand controller electronics to version 5 (new ones have logo where "INFO" button) was. That means the used version 4 prices have dropped. I have seen them for around $50-$60 on Ebay. Or you can jump ahead of most of us and spend $150 on a new version 5. Which for now just has faster calculations, faster access to popular object lists and the promise of new stuff in the future on the logo button.

New Hand controller gives you All-Star Polar Alignment and updates star positions from static 2000 to calculated... Plus other features and fixes

http://www.nexstarsite.com/Firmware/ASGTFirmware.htm has info on all the updates.

[Telrad]

Hmmm..... 50 -60 bucks might be do able. $150 definitely not! I only paid $300 for the mount and i think that was on the priceyer side! I read that link and it was very helpful telling me the different firmware changes. I'll have to keep my eyes open on Craig's and eBay for nexstar stuff and I might get lucky.

So far tonight the mounts accuracy has improved but now ever time I send it to a new object it rotates 360 degrees, stretching the cable around the mount! It always goes in the same direction. What is happening and how do I make it stop?

[rtlrp12]

Now I'm confused...What axis goes 360º and stretches what cable? I thought you had a CG-5?

Stan

[fogfire]

Its an old controller, wondering if it does some odd thing that wraps the DEC motor cable around the head. That is the only cable I can thing of that would wrap.. short of a Dew strap etc.