Meade Starnavigator NG 114 with Audiostar goto not working properly.

[Dipping Grizzly]

Does anyone know how to properly initialize and align this scope?

Mine does slew manually in both alt and azimuth axis...But the vertical axis will not slew correctly

when using goto with computer.

the vertical axis will either just sit still...or slew wildly from below the horizon or slew past 90 degrees

vertical with the scope trying to go upside down...until it hits the mount and stops.

Is it me not properly aligning to begin with or something else?

[paul]

Hi,

I don't have experience with your mount but when a mount goes off in completely the wrong direction its normally because one of several things are incorrect:

• the mount doesn't have the correct co-ordinates for your observing location. 
• It doesn't know the correct time 
• the tripod is not pointing the correct direction
• it is not level
• or the telescope is not in the parked or in the home position when it is switched on.

Its a common problem (it happened to me on the weekend with some kit I was setting up).

 

Every movement of the mount is relative to its power on starting position until you correct it by supplying it updated information (Alignment).  It is important to make sure you go through the Alignment sequence recommended for your mount.  StarNavigator instruction manual_Canadain English (meade.com)

Page 18 looks to cover it.

 

Typically when you power it on a mount assumes it is in the "Home" or Parked position so it is up to you to make sure the mount and scope are roughly setup pointing the way the user manual recommends.

 

What you need to do then is tell the scope to point at something - it goes off and points to where it thinks the object is. Normally it is way-off. Then you use the hand controls to guide it to where the object actually is and press some button on your controller to force the mount to synchronise where it is pointing with the co-ordinates in its object database. Normally that is done through a process of called Star alignment. 1 or 2 star alignment is normally enough for visual astronomy.  (But it is even more important to get the mount level if you just do 1-star alignment.

 

Assuming you are in the northern hemisphere and not somewhere like Australia, the brightest star to the North East is Vega (it is very obvious in the evening sky at the moment) and it is a great first star for alignment.

 

You will find it easier on subsequent evenings if you park your scope before shutting down, particularly if you set up in the same location and mark the position of your tripod legs on the ground..

 

Have fun 🙂

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by paul