Observing
Astrophotography
- DSLR Photography
- Starscape Photography
- Star Trail Photography
- A Camera Security Device
- Getting Focus Right
- CCD Work
- Afocal Photography
- CCD Problems
- Webcam Work
- Webcam Hints
Amateur Telescope Making
- Deep Violet, an 18″ f/4.5 Truss Tube Dobsonian
- Primero, a 6″ f/5 Classic Newtonian
- Violet Haze, a 90mm APO Refractor
- Makaʻiki – A 6-inch Travel Telescope
- GPS Observing Clock
- An Audine CCD Camera
- Rebuilding a 12.5″ Truss Tube Dobsonian
- A Dew Heater Controller
- A Red LED Desk Lamp
- A Backyard Telescope Pier
- A Driveway Telescope
- Calculating Cage Ring or Tube Size in a Reflector
- A Secondary Mount
- A Sun Finder
- Improved Rocker Box Pads
- Better Elevation Bearings for an Orion XT8
- A USB to ST-4 Adapter
- Rewiring a Celestron NexStar Telescope
Astronomy Basics
- Finding Your Way in the Sky
- Light-years, Light-minutes and Light-seconds
- Degrees, Arc-Minutes and Arc-Seconds
- Magnitude
- Elongations, Conjunctions and Oppositions
- Seeing Planets in the Daytime Sky
- Lunar Apogee and Perigee
- Meteor Watching
- Tracking the Aurora Borealis
- Comet? Where?
- Lahina Noon
- A Brief Guide to Public Observing
Hi,
Thanks for the the great article on rewiring a Nexstar GPS…I am having an issue with mine and from the sounds of it, it is something that I need to do with mine..
I had the NS11 out last night among the stars. The GPS doesn’t work (No response 176) so I do a manual setup and the North Level Index..At sunset I use QUICKALIGN so I can view the moon and planets–takes too long to get dark to see alignment stars and I don’t have a clear area due to buildings and trees. In the past this has always worked well with target objects always in the finder. However If I enter Moon the scope will not slew correctly to/near it. I have to use the Hand controller to move it..then it tracks well. If I try a goto to another object, it never goes to it. In the past this always worked. When I move the scope with the handcontroller the RA & Dec display is almost spot on correct and it changes when I move the OTA. My Version is 2.2/ 4.5 / 4.5.
I guess I need to buy the colored wires and connectors…can you give me a list for what & how many connectors that I’d need and how many different colored wires and lengths required. I’d like to be prepared when I tackle this project..I don’t think it is a good idea to do so when I have it all disassembled.
Wally
Actually that does not sound like a wiring issue. If you can move the motors, the encoders return data (good RA and Dec), and it tracks well the wiring is probably fine. The GPS not working could be the backup battery. Of course the Moon is a bad reference object for testing, its motions are mathematically complex and the calculations in the NS hand controller are almost always off, never use it for a GOTO reference unless you intend to observe the Moon only. Fixed stars are really the best position references.
Somehow I was either deleted from your blog posts or you discontinued them.
I enjoyed your engineering and Keck related posts and your wonderful photography.
How do I get back on the list?