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Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI So frustrated I'm near tears....       #5544725 - 11/28/12 10:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I just got back from looking at the most beautiful scope I have ever seen. A gorgeous CPC1100 XLT. Longstory short - local craigslist seller I had worked out a deal with. I listed all my stuff for sale, and most is int he process of being sold - so I'm without a scope. I get there and the scope is setup. Seller comes out to show me the scope... its beautiful. I ask him if we can go through the alignment, etc... SO I pull out my powertank and we hook it up. Power on and..... and.... "initializing..." 10 seconds 20 30 Check power cord.. No dice. Ohh no - check some things online - looks like a motherboard failure.. Plug into car AC No dice.. Adjust power plug "split" for good contact... No dice... Take scope inside... AC power. Nada.. "Initializing..." I walked away... The worst part? Its just over 1 year old... and he pitched the packaging.. I told him I really dont want to deal with the warranty, especially without original packaging. I will call celestron and see if they will sell a replacement motherboard... if so, he may take less to cover that cost.... but I think this deal is dead. I'm SSSSOOOOOOOOOOO upset... Man... I just dont really know what to do. I could buy the scope as-is for a song... but I dontwant to deal with shipping it. I am very technically capable in electronics - is it worth trying to see if celestron will sell me a motherboard? What should I do? I have $2000 and no scope... and I really wanted to get into serious AP... I was planning on getting this and a fastar.. But I have had to sell everything I own to get this far. man... nights like tonight I really just could cry... Post Extras:       okieav8r Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/01/09 Loc: Oklahoma! Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5544788 - 11/28/12 11:10 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   From having dealt with them in the past, I can tell you that Celestron is generally pretty reluctant to sell such parts for user installation and repair. But, it wouldn't hurt to contact them, tell them the situation, and about your electronics expertise. If they say no, then you'll at least know this probably isn't the telescope for you. Maybe others have had better luck with Celestron in such situations. Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: okieav8r]       #5544797 - 11/28/12 11:17 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   From what I have been reading online, its not looking very good- they seem to be scaling back on selling parts... Ohh well... too good to be true I suppose... man that bums me out. The search continues... Post Extras:       Midnight Dan Postmaster Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Hilton, NY, Yellow Zone (Bortl... Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: okieav8r]       #5544803 - 11/28/12 11:19 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   There are several simple things that could be the problem. Sometimes, a problem like can be fixed by just re-flashing the handset with the latest firmware. Sometimes it is just a loose connector inside the base of the mount and it just needs to be reseated. But there's no way to tell if it's a simple solution or a more complicated/costly one without actually getting in there and trying. There's a reasonable chance that it's something simple, but it's a risk to buy as is. How much of a gambler are you? -Dan Post Extras:       Tom and Beth Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/08/07 Loc: Tucson, AZ Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5544805 - 11/28/12 11:19 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Is "getting the scope for a song" cheap enough you can defork the tube, and get a German Equatorial Mount (GEM)?? Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Tom and Beth]       #5544824 - 11/28/12 11:35 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Not quite cheap enough to afford a CGEM as well -I told him the tube would be worth around $1200 with non-functional drive. I said we could possible do that and then If I can get the drive working I would pay him his total minus the repair costs... Which could work out pretty well... I may see about going down there and popping the covers, and reseating everything to see if that helps. Its worth a try anyways... Sorry for the pity party, but you knwo how it is - all pumped up and ready to try out a new scope and then .... bam... nothing. Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5544830 - 11/28/12 11:39 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   One thing I forgot to mention.. It HAD worked just before I arrived. He said he set it up, aligned it, and was slewing around looking at the moon and such. He turned it off shortly before I arrived... Maybe it is a condensation issue.. I just sent him an email to see if I can drop by and pop the covers to reseat all the internal cabling... and have another go at it... Maybe I'll get lucky. Post Extras:       RTLR 12 Post Laureate Reged: 12/04/08 Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5544980 - 11/29/12 05:09 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I don't think it is a mother board, as you call it, problem. I would almost guaranty that. There is a problem with the hand controller. What usually fixes this problem is to re-flash the hand controller. All it takes is the proper cables and the MC updater program from Celestron. As a side note the motor control board IS available from Celestron at $107. If you are thinking you need to replace the hand controller, they are available for $149.95, but like I said, this is a common and a simple problem to fix. Stan Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: RTLR 12]       #5545007 - 11/29/12 06:21 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have a nexstar serial cable, I assume that is what I need? Post Extras:       RTLR 12 Post Laureate Reged: 12/04/08 Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5545013 - 11/29/12 06:40 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You need these 2 cables or the equivalent to hook up to the bottom of the hand controller... http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/cable-nexstar-rs-232.html http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-cable-usb-to-rs-232-converter.html ...and this program; http://www.celestron.com/c3/support3/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=viewdownlo...,7 Stan Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: RTLR 12]       #5545143 - 11/29/12 09:13 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   WOOHOO!!!!! He updated the software and its working again!!! I'm making plans to go over this afternoon... Post Extras:       RTLR 12 Post Laureate Reged: 12/04/08 Loc: Capistrano Beach, Ca Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5545226 - 11/29/12 10:16 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   That's great news. Congratulations on your new scope! We need pictures.... Stan Post Extras:       rookie Good Night Nurse Reged: 01/14/06 Loc: St. Petersburg, FL Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: RTLR 12]       #5545945 - 11/29/12 06:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hope it goes well for you Christopher. Post Extras:       Gastrol scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/04/11 Loc: los angeles Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: rookie]       #5545968 - 11/29/12 06:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Right on! Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Gastrol]       #5546232 - 11/29/12 08:54 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   ... one word... AAAAAAAAAAMAZING!!!! Pics soon... Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5546255 - 11/29/12 09:08 PM Attachment (42 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Ok... So I only got one good pic - it was after sundown and I didnt have my tripod with me... Scope is awesome - most accurate goto I have used to date. I saw the Blue Snowball for the first time tonight. I'm selling everything that isnt nailed down to try and get a hyperstar for this beauty. She is mounted in the dome and I put her to bed a short while ago. I assume all is fine with keeping her out there in the winter months, correct? I always use a waterproof cover, and my dome doesnt leak so its just a CYA measure. Anything I should worry about. I just put it in hibernate mode and pulled the plug like I did with my CG5. Post Extras:       MikeBOKC Post Laureate Reged: 05/10/10 Loc: Oklahoma City, OK Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5546270 - 11/29/12 09:17 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It's just like bringing a new puppy home for the first night. About 2 .m. you will hear it whining "I want to see M42!" Which will look stunning in you 11 by the way. Congrats on the new scope. BTW, one of the best upgrades to my CPC1100 is the dual speed feathertouch focuser. Of course you will soon have it all tricked out in many ways. Post Extras:       Escher scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/30/07 Loc: Fenton, MI Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: MikeBOKC]       #5546316 - 11/29/12 09:46 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It was not even a good viewing night, but I did anyway - thin high clouds.. I tried some imaging at 30 seconds, better tracking than I have had in the past on my CG5.. But the clouds cause lots of flare and low resolution... I can't wait for M42!! I had an old Ultima 11 about two years ago, and that was something I had missed. I'm sure the XLT will be that much better... Edited by Escher (11/29/12 09:47 PM) Post Extras:       guangtou sage Reged: 03/27/10 Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: Escher]       #5546712 - 11/30/12 06:56 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Congratulations! Being able to leave your scope set up make all the difference- if my skies at my home were dark enough to warrant it my very first post-scope investment would be a dome. Post Extras:       dragonslayer1 sage Reged: 02/25/12 Loc: SLC, UT Re: So frustrated I'm near tears.... [Re: guangtou]       #5546977 - 11/30/12 11:04 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You Need to get the Celestron H/D Pro wedge. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

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