coper4
member
Reged: 03/12/09
Posts: 25
Loc: Walterboro,SC
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Had my CGEM for about a month and a half. First time out it worked great all night long. Took it out last night, set it up and all was working fine for about half the night then all of a sudden the hand controller froze up. Turned off the power and waited a couple of minutes then turned it back on and had a blank readout. Next time it showed all square blocks. The mount moves fine when the buttons are pushed just no read out. Now it is blank again. The red backround light comes on when the power switch is turned on but that is all. Anyone else have this problem?
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neptun2
sage
Reged: 03/04/07
Posts: 277
Loc: Bulgaria
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It looks like damaged firmware from your description. Maybe you should try to update the firmware if possible.
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Skywatcher Explorer 200P 8" f5 newtonian reflector
HEQ5 Pro Synscan Equatorial mount
Nikon Action 12x50 , Nikon D5000
Nagler type 6 11mm , Pentax XW 7mm , Televue 2x barlow 1.25"
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4593
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Quote:
It looks like damaged firmware from your description. Maybe you should try to update the firmware if possible.
Maybe. I'd also check the HC cable and connectors _carefully_ with a multimeter and clear/replace as required.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 8683
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.22 X 90....
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This is the third CGEM hiccup this week. I think maybe Skynet has actually taken over. 
David
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Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research..."
A. Einstein
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BCB
Undercover Saboteur
Reged: 11/24/03
Posts: 5197
Loc: Look over your shoulder
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Yep, third HC failure listed here. There may be more coming.. I'm wondering if there's component failure in the HC or on the board in the mount..
Debugging stuff like this is a hassle, ESPECIALLY when it's brand new..
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Mark
Lost in thought. Please send search party!!!
Astro-Tech 111EDT
Orion 8" F5 Newt w/Moonlight CR-2 focuser
SVP mount w/Meade 497 Autostar GOTO mod
Treeline Observatory
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Blixx
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/07
Posts: 509
Loc: CO. Aurora, USA
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Coper,
So you don't get any kind of error codes? My HC will start out blank then after about 1 minute I get no response 17.
Dan
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Celestron C6R ( The Yard Cannon)
Celestron Nexstar 130 SLT
Orion 100mm SkyView Pro
Celestron C80ED
Mead Telstar 60mm
Orion Starshot 2 Color
Mead DSI Color
Celestron NexImage
Orion 2x Shorty Barlow
Various EP's
CGEM Mount (At last!!!)
CG5-ASGT Mount
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coper4
member
Reged: 03/12/09
Posts: 25
Loc: Walterboro,SC
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Thanks for the info guys. The HC works just fine as far as doing the alignment procedure and slewing to an object, there is just nothing in the readout window at all. I doubt that is coming from the mount but there is always the chance. Will be calling Celestron this AM. Again, thanks for the input.
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Celestron CGEM 1100
William Optics dual speed focuser
2" OPT quartz Dielectric Diagonal
Meade 8" Starfinder reflector
Celestron 127MM Powerseeker
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4593
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Quote:
Thanks for the info guys. The HC works just fine as far as doing the alignment procedure and slewing to an object, there is just nothing in the readout window at all. I doubt that is coming from the mount but there is always the chance. Will be calling Celestron this AM. Again, thanks for the input.
If that's the case, it is probably the ribbon cable that connects to the display. Since this scope is under warranty "call Celestron" is probably the best idea.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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coper4
member
Reged: 03/12/09
Posts: 25
Loc: Walterboro,SC
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Called and a new HC is on the way. That was rather painless. Thanks for all the help.
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cmahar
member
Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 27
Loc: Peoria, AZ
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I'm having the same problem with my CG5 hand controller, blank screen on startup. But when I push the enter button a few times the scope slews to wherever it thinks calibration stars are, then, after a few slews, starts tracking just fine. Never so much as a dot on the LCD screen, which is nicely backlit in red. Problem is this mount is years old and out of warranty. It's also not upgradable. Hmmmmm.
cmahar
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Peoria, AZ
ETX-90
Orion Skyview Deluxe 8 EQ
Celestron Neximage
Meade DSIpro
and Celestron C8 serial #85
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BlueGrass
member
Reged: 07/25/09
Posts: 85
Loc: Wasatch Front, UT
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I would suggest the RJ12 plug at the end of the cable may be the problem. If it's out of warranty, you might just try crimping a new plug on the cable. If you can try ohming the cable from inside the HC to the plug, check for intermittent / faulty connections. Don't know if the newer HC will work with your CG5, but Astronomics lists one here:
http://www.astronomics.com/main/printer2.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/L2ULVVE22SH98MX3H9RHB4H877/product_id/COMPCGE/Page/
I'd give them a call and see what they say... was actually thing about buying a spare just in case....
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Celestron 8" SCT
Orion EON 80 APO
Celestron CGEM/CG5-Adv
Orion ST80 SSAG
Canon 1000D / SBIG ST8300C on order
Edited by BlueGrass (10/09/09 12:41 AM)
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Richard Turner
member
Reged: 01/25/09
Posts: 58
Loc: NC
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Same thing happened to my CGEM hand control. Orange back light, but no text displayed. I sent it to Celestron and the turn around time was three weeks. My new hand controller has worked just fine so far.
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Richard Barton Turner
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4593
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Quote:
I would suggest the RJ12 plug at the end of the cable may be the problem. If it's out of warranty, you might just try crimping a new plug on the cable. If you can try ohming the cable from inside the HC to the plug, check for intermittent / faulty connections. Don't know if the newer HC will work with your CG5, but Astronomics lists one here:
http://www.astronomics.com/main/printer2.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/L2ULVVE22SH98MX3H9RHB4H877/product_id/COMPCGE/Page/
I'd give them a call and see what they say... was actually thing about buying a spare just in case....
Quite possibly. Also likely: the ribbon cable inside the unit isn't firmly seated.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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wsuriano
member
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 79
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I had the same problem. Sent it back and got a new one that works.
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Meade 8" LX90 GPS w/wedge
Meade 5000 80mm APO
Vixen 5" Newtonian
Orion 120mm f/8.3
Orion ST 80mm
Meade ETX90 PE
CGEM
CG-5 ASGT
iOptron MT
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DrBuck
sage
Reged: 12/10/08
Posts: 275
Loc: Susanville, No. Calif.
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I bought my CGE about 9 months ago. I think the HC is the same as the CGEM its version is 4.16. Anyway, my HC would just stop working. None of the buttons worked. Turn it off and back on and the word initializing would come on for a second and then go blank except for the backlight. Celestron replaced he HC last spring but after a couple of viewing sessions it would lock up again exactly as before. Celestron had it for 50 days during the summer and could not get it to malfunction, so they sent it back to me-------sure enough, last thursday it froze on me exactly as before. So now celestron has the electronics pier and HC again with promises to replace the guts of the electronics pier. -------------we'll see. I think they need to extend my warranty for several months to make up for the down time. 
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DrBuck
Roll off Roof Observatory,
CGE on concrete and steel pier
Takahashi FS 152 Fluorite apo refractor
Televue 85MM Apochromatic refractor
12 inch LX 200 gps smt uhtc
Nikon D-90 with 18-200mm AF VR lens
Canon 15x50 IS Binoculars
http://www.flickr.com/photos/697650grr/?saved=1
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