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I love manual mounts. Finding targets is half the fun, and occasional bulls-eye of a galaxy just with the red-dot makes you feel like a pro. At light polluted home however, especially when the Moon is out star-hopping can get as frustrating as it is fun under the dark skies. For such occasions and outreach I figured it is nice to have a GoTo.
After some researching I picked SkyWatcher Az-Gti mount. I had the first light a month ago and at that time I was prepared for a painful process akin setting a new VCR. Surprisingly, the first light went without a single hick-up. Within 10 min the mount was aligned and tracking and I was driving the scope from one Messier to another using SkySafary on my phone.
Month forward we got a break in the rain and clouds last Friday. The sky was iffy: trifecta of LP, full Moon and humidity, bad for star hopping - good for GoTo. At the very least I could catch a few doubles with my spanking new Az-Gti. Or so I thought.
It started harmless at first. I managed two star alignment, but the mount would not track for some reason. The phone app showed tracking on, but the stars would slide out of FOV. I tried more sophisticated alignment routine. 3 stars first, then North plus two stars. It was getting more ridiculous to the point when the scope was aligned and pointed to Polaris, Polaris was still slipping from the FOV.
I took a break and googled some things to try. The more I tried the worst it got. While sweating, googling and messing with the mount I kept thinking: man you could be splitting the doubles right now with any of your excellent manual mounts, take a pick! At the end the mount simply gave up and was swinging randomly. The last drop was when I ordered it go to the Moon it swung around and pointed intently at the patio floor.
I wish I could report armadillo like Bryan. Instead after two hours of stressing out I got nothing. GoTo - 1, Andrey - 0. Now I can't jsut give up (obviously). So back to googling and more time wasting trying to figure out next troubleshooting round. Don't you love technology?!
Andrey I have had nights just like this. And have thought the same things. Argh...I wish I had my cg4 out here. At least I could feel free to roam. But once I go down the GT route I am commited for that night for good or bad. I usually chalk it up to the fact that the technology is much smarter than I am.
I still like the star hop.
I like the technology too but I always feel a little bit at its mercy.
Did you figure out what went wrong?
Hahahaha! Yeah buddy! When it works, it works like a dream, but when it decides to fight you, it's like trying to pull tube socks onto a fighting rooster!
I've had a couple of doozies with the AVX that an eventual factory reset cured. The first time that happened it almost ended up over the fence with the sheep.
Bryan Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10 Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100
Thanks Mark and Bryan! I started to question my choice of SW over Celestron/Meade but I guess it happens to all of them.
I have a few options to try and for all I am getting opposite suggestions from forums: first thing you do after alignment is to activate encoders; what ever you don't activate encoders. Use 3 star alignment - it is the most accurate; 3-star alignment is bugged never use it. Use SynScan Pro, use SynScan and never use SynScan pro for AltAz, in fact remove it from your phone. The list goes on.
From what I gather everyone agree that the mount is well engineered and capable but half-baked firmware/phone app causes all the problems. But then community seems to split on whether to install the latest versions or stick to one out of the box.
When in doubt, check the power level and for tight connections first.
Try it with the HC instead of the app as well. A lot of times that is where the problem is.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 7:16 pm
When in doubt, check the power level and for tight connections first.
Try it with the HC instead of the app as well. A lot of times that is where the problem is.
This is a new generation GoTo. They don't come with HC. SynScan app emulate HC and on top of that you can control it from SkySafary.
In theory this mount can be used in three modes: AltAz right side, AltAz left side and EQ. Great flexibility when it works, nightmare when it does not. I suspect this was the issue second time, but I need more time to investigate.
Bigzmey wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 8:46 pm
This is a new generation GoTo. They don't come with HC. SynScan app emulate HC and on top of that you can control it from SkySafary.
Well there is the problem
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Bigzmey wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 8:46 pm
This is a new generation GoTo. They don't come with HC. SynScan app emulate HC and on top of that you can control it from SkySafary.
If it was me I would have probably pitched the pad as far as I could off a cliff
The mount would have followed rather quickly.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101) The only culture I have is from yogurt
I feel your pain Andre, I can have issues with my mount set up so it can be controlled with either the HC or the computer. With no wire connected to the mount you have little leverage to fling it very far!!!
Whenever I go to the dark site, there is a potentially long list of equipment that MAY go. The 25x100s ALWAYS go, it's first on the list. If I take a scope, I take a manual mount. I may also take a goto mount, even if I'm taking only one scope and one of the mounts sits unused, but I'm not making the trip to the dark site totally at the mercy of a goto. Last problem I had was simply because I forgot the hand control, the CG4 took over and NO PROBLEM.
Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 12:57 am
If it was me I would have probably pitched the pad as far as I could off a cliff
The mount would have followed rather quickly.
Trust me, folks, she speaketh from experience!
Bryan Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10 Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100
Yes if a Losmandy G-11 did not survive being stupid a Synta product would not stand a chance!
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Ozman wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 1:21 am
Whenever I go to the dark site, there is a potentially long list of equipment that MAY go. The 25x100s ALWAYS go, it's first on the list. If I take a scope, I take a manual mount. I may also take a goto mount, even if I'm taking only one scope and one of the mounts sits unused, but I'm not making the trip to the dark site totally at the mercy of a goto. Last problem I had was simply because I forgot the hand control, the CG4 took over and NO PROBLEM.
Smart! I never planed to go to the dark side without a manual mount and now it is even more certain.
In fact until GoTo learns how to play nicely it is not going to the dark site.
I must say that I never had an issue when going away with my C5 on the SLT mount , but I always take my binoculars 2 pairs 7x50 and 15x70 on a mount , I must get some 25x100 soon, as mentioned Binos are a must
Reflectors GSO 200 Dobs
Refractors None
SCT C5 on a SLT mount
Mak 150 Bosma on a EQ5
"The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center observe degree, priority, and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, office, and custom, in all line of order.”
Richard wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2019 3:31 pm
I must say that I never had an issue when going away with my C5 on the SLT mount , but I always take my binoculars 2 pairs 7x50 and 15x70 on a mount , I must get some 25x100 soon, as mentioned Binos are a must
My SLT has always done good by me as well Richard.
Thank you.
