Celestron Cge1100 Users Manual MASTER CGE

CGE800 to the manual bcfe7615-864a-f914-0de4-8a9ad447fddd

2015-02-02

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CGE800

● CGE925

●

CGE1100

●

CGE1400

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................................4
Warning ..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
ASSEMBLY ...........................................................................................................................................................................................6
Setting up the Tripod...........................................................................................................................................................................6
Attaching the Center Leg Brace ..........................................................................................................................................................7
Attaching the Electronics Pier.............................................................................................................................................................7
Attaching the Equatorial Mount ..........................................................................................................................................................8
Installing the Counterweight Bar ........................................................................................................................................................8
Installing the Counterweight ...............................................................................................................................................................8
Attaching the Optical Tube to the Mount............................................................................................................................................9
Attaching the Visual Back...................................................................................................................................................................9
Installing the Star Diagonal...............................................................................................................................................................10
Installing the Eyepiece ......................................................................................................................................................................10
Installing the Finderscope .................................................................................................................................................................11
Moving the Telescope Manually.......................................................................................................................................................12
Adjusting the Mount .........................................................................................................................................................................12
Balancing The Mount in R.A. ...........................................................................................................................................................13
Balancing The Mount in DEC...........................................................................................................................................................13
Attaching the Motor Cables ..............................................................................................................................................................14
Powering the Telescope ....................................................................................................................................................................14
Transporting the CGE .......................................................................................................................................................................14
HAND CONTROL...............................................................................................................................................................................16
Named Stars ......................................................................................................................................................................................17
Hand Control Operation ....................................................................................................................................................................17
Alignment Procedures.......................................................................................................................................................................18
Startup Procedure..............................................................................................................................................................................18
Auto Two-Star Align ........................................................................................................................................................................19
Auto One-Star Align .........................................................................................................................................................................19
Quick-Align ......................................................................................................................................................................................20
Last Alignment .................................................................................................................................................................................20
CGE Re-Alignment...........................................................................................................................................................................20
Object Catalog ..................................................................................................................................................................................21
Selecting an Object............................................................................................................................................................................21
Slewing to an Object .........................................................................................................................................................................21
Finding Planets..................................................................................................................................................................................21
Tour Mode.........................................................................................................................................................................................22
Constellation Tour.............................................................................................................................................................................22
Direction Buttons ..............................................................................................................................................................................22
Rate Button........................................................................................................................................................................................22
Setup Procedures...............................................................................................................................................................................23
Tracking Mode........................................................................................................................................................................23
Tracking Rate..........................................................................................................................................................................23
Date/Time ...............................................................................................................................................................................23
User Defined Objects ..............................................................................................................................................................24
Get RA/DEC ...........................................................................................................................................................................24
Goto R.A/Dec..........................................................................................................................................................................24
Identify....................................................................................................................................................................................24
Precise GoTo .....................................................................................................................................................................................25
Scope Setup Features.........................................................................................................................................................................25
Steup Time-Site.......................................................................................................................................................................25
Anti-backlash ..........................................................................................................................................................................25
Filter Limits ............................................................................................................................................................................26
Direction Buttons ....................................................................................................................................................................26
Goto Approach........................................................................................................................................................................26
Autoguide Rates......................................................................................................................................................................26
Mount Settings ........................................................................................................................................................................26
Utility Features ..................................................................................................................................................................................27
Calibrate Mount ......................................................................................................................................................................27
Move to Switch .......................................................................................................................................................................27
Home Position.........................................................................................................................................................................27
Polar Align ..............................................................................................................................................................................27
Periodic Error Correction ........................................................................................................................................................28
Light Control...........................................................................................................................................................................28
Factory Settings.......................................................................................................................................................................28
Version....................................................................................................................................................................................28
Get Alt-Az...............................................................................................................................................................................28

Goto Alt-Az ............................................................................................................................................................................28
Hibernate.................................................................................................................................................................................28
Turn On/Off RTC....................................................................................................................................................................28
Turn On/Off GPS ....................................................................................................................................................................29
Image Orientation..............................................................................................................................................................................31
Focusing ............................................................................................................................................................................................32
Calculating Magnification .................................................................................................................................................................32
Determining Field of View................................................................................................................................................................32
General Observing Hints ...................................................................................................................................................................33
ASTRONOMY BASICS......................................................................................................................................................................34
The Celestial Coordinate System.......................................................................................................................................................34
Motion of the Stars ............................................................................................................................................................................35
Finding the North Celestial Pole........................................................................................................................................................37
Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment ...................................................................................................................................38
CELESTIAL OBSERVING................................................................................................................................................................39
Observing the Moon ..........................................................................................................................................................................39
Lunar Observing Hints ......................................................................................................................................................................39
Observing the Planets ........................................................................................................................................................................39
Observing the Sun .............................................................................................................................................................................40
Solar Observing Hints .......................................................................................................................................................................40
Observing Deep Sky Objects.............................................................................................................................................................40
Seeing Conditions..............................................................................................................................................................................40
Transparency .....................................................................................................................................................................................40
Sky Illumination ................................................................................................................................................................................40
Seeing................................................................................................................................................................................................41
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................................................................42
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography ........................................................................................................................................42
Eyepiece Projection ...........................................................................................................................................................................43
Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography.........................................................................................................................................44
Periodic Error Correction (PEC)........................................................................................................................................................45
Using Periodic Error Correction ........................................................................................................................................................46
Terrestrial Photography .....................................................................................................................................................................47
Metering ............................................................................................................................................................................................47
Reducing Vibration ...........................................................................................................................................................................47
CCD Imaging ....................................................................................................................................................................................47
Fastar F/2 Imaging............................................................................................................................................................................49
F/6.3 with Reducer/Corrector ............................................................................................................................................................50
Medium size to small galaxies –........................................................................................................................................................50
Planetary or Lunar-- ..........................................................................................................................................................................50
Auto Guiding.....................................................................................................................................................................................51
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................................................................................52
Care and Cleaning of the Optics ........................................................................................................................................................52
Collimation........................................................................................................................................................................................52
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES............................................................................................................................................................54
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................................................................................57
APPENDIX A – LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES........................................................................................................................59
APPENDIX B – RS-232 CONNECTION...........................................................................................................................................64
APPENDIX C – TIME ZONE MAP ..................................................................................................................................................66
SKY MAPS...........................................................................................................................................................................................68

Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron CGE telescope! The CGE ushers in the next generation of computer
automated telescopes. The Celestron CGE series continues in this proud tradition combining large aperture

optics with the sophistication and ease of use of our computerized GoTo mount.
If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to start off by using the CGE's built-in Sky Tour feature, which
commands the CGE to find the most interesting objects in the sky and automatically slews to each one. Or if you are
an experienced amateur, you will appreciate the comprehensive database of over 40,000 objects, including customized
lists of all the best deep-sky objects, bright double stars and variable stars. No matter at what level you are starting out,
the CGE will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders of the Universe.

Some of the many standard features of the CGE include:
•

Fully enclosed optical encoders for position location.

•

Ergonomically designed mount that disassembles into compact and portable pieces

•

Database filter limits for creating custom object lists.

•

Storage for programmable user defined objects; and

Many other high performance features!
The CGE’s deluxe features combine with Celestron’s legendary Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system to give amateur
astronomers the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available on the market today.
Take time to read through this manual before embarking on your journey through the Universe. It may take a few
observing sessions to become familiar with your CGE, so you should keep this manual handy until you have fully
mastered your telescope’s operation. The CGE hand control has built-in instructions to guide you through all the
alignment procedures needed to have the telescope up and running in minutes. Use this manual in conjunction with the
on-screen instructions provided by the hand control. The manual gives detailed information regarding each step as
well as needed reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your observing experience as simple and
pleasurable as possible.
Your CGE telescope is designed to give you years of fun and rewarding observations. However, there are a few things
to consider before using your telescope that will ensure your safety and protect your equipment.

Warning
Y

Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or with a telescope (unless you have
the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.

Y Never use your telescope to project an image of the sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the

telescope and any accessories attached to it.

Y Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these

devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.
Never leave the telescope unsupervised, either when children are present or adults who may not be familiar with the
correct operating procedures of your telescope.

Figure 2.1 - The CGE Telescope
(CGE 1400 Shown)

ASSE

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Schmidt Corrector Lens
Optical Tube
Finderscope
Eyepiece
Star Diagonal
Declination Clutch Lock
Latitude Adjustment Scale

A
B
C
D

CONTROL PANEL
Dec Motor Port
R.A. Motor Port
PC Interface Port
Auto Guider Port

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
E
F
G
H
5
I

Control Panel (see below)
Hand Control Holder / Strap
Hand Control
Tripod
Tripod Center Leg Brace
Counterweights
Counterweight Bar
R.A. Clutch Lock
12v Output Jack
On/Off Switch
Auxiliary Port 1
Auxiliary Port 2
Hand Control Port

This section covers the assembly instructions for your Celestron CGE telescope. The CGE telescope should be set up
indoors the first time so that it is easy to identify the various parts and familiarize yourself with the correct assembly
procedure before attempting it outdoors.
Eyepiece
Diagonal
Finderscope
Power Supply
Counterweight

CGE 800 (#11058)
25mm Plossl
Eyepiece - 1.25"
Star Diagonal - 1.25"
6x30 with Bracket
Car Battery Adapter
One - 11 lb.

CGE 925 (#11059)
25mm Plossl
Eyepiece - 1.25"
Star Diagonal - 1.25"
6x30 with Bracket
Car Battery Adapter
One - 25 lb.

CGE 1100 (#11061)
40mm Plossl
Eyepiece - 1.25"
Star Diagonal - 1.25"
9x50 with Bracket
Car Battery Adapter
One - 25 lb.

CGE 1400 (#11063)
40mm Eyepiece - 2"
Mirror Diagonal –2"
9x50 with Bracket
Car Battery Adapter
Two – 25 lb.

The Celestron CGE telescopes are shipped in four boxes (the CGE 1400 comes in five boxes). In separate boxes are the
following:
•
•
•
•

Optical Tube Assembly and Standard Accessories
Equatorial Mount, Electronic Pier, Hand Control and Counterweight Bar
Super HD Tripod
Counterweight(s)

Remove all the pieces from their respective boxes and place on a flat, clear work area. A large floor space is ideal. When
setting up your Celestron telescope you must start with the tripod and work up from there. These instructions are laid out in
the order each task must be performed.

Setting up the Tripod
The tripod legs attach to the electronics pier which together form the tripod to which the equatorial mount attaches. The
tripod comes with two leg support brackets; a collapsible one that is already attached to the lower legs and a removable one
that must be attached. To set up the tripod:
1.

Stand the tripod vertically on a level surface, with the feet facing down.

Grab the lower portion of two of the tripod legs and lift them slightly off the ground so that the tripod is resting on the third
leg.

Extend the tripod legs by pulling the tripod legs apart until the collapsible leg bracket is fully extended.
Before the tripod is ready to support the equatorial head and optical tube the center leg support brace must first be installed.

Electronincs
Pier

Tripod Leg

Hand Control
Holder

Center Leg
Brace
Figure 2-2

Attaching the Center Leg Brace
For maximum rigidity, the Super HD Tripod has a center leg brace that installs on to the threaded rod below the tripod head.
This brace fits snugly against the tripod legs, increasing stability while reducing vibration and flexure. To attach the center
leg brace:
1.

Unscrew the tension knob from the threaded rod beneath the tripod head.

Place the center leg brace onto the threaded rod so that the cup on the end of each bracket contours to the curve of
the tripod legs.

Rotate the tension knob back on the threaded rod until the brace is very snug against each tripod leg.

Attaching the Electronics Pier
Before the equatorial mount head can be installed, the electronics pier must be attached to the tripod. To attach the pier:
1.

Position the central column so that the electronics module is right side up (with the printing readable).

Place the lower end of the central column over the tripod head.

Rotate the column until the three holes line up with the threaded holes on the side of the tripod head. The electronics
console should be positioned directly between two of the tripod leg hinges to provide easy access to it even when the
counterweight bar and counterweight(s) are attached.

Insert the three 3/8-16 button head cap screws provided through the holes in the electronics pier and into the tripod
head.
7

Tighten the screws to hold the column securely in place.

Attaching the Equatorial Mount
After the tripod is set up, you are ready to attach the equatorial mount. The equatorial mount is the platform to which the
telescope attaches and allows you to move the telescope in right ascension and declination. To attach the equatorial mount to
the tripod:
1.

Insert the base of the equatorial mount into the top of the electronics pier.

Rotate the equatorial mount on the electronics pier until the holes in the mount line up with those in the pier and the dec
opening (where the counterweight shaft will go) is positioned directly over one of the tripod legs.

Insert the three remaining 3/8-16 cap screws and washers provided through the holes in the central pier and into the
equatorial mount.

Tighten the screws to hold the equatorial mount in place.

Installing the Counterweight Bar
To properly balance the telescope, the mount comes with a
counterweight bar and at least one counterweight (depending
on model). The counterweight bar is located in the same box
as the Equatorial Mount Head —in a cutout along the bottom
of the shipping box. To install the counterweight bar:
1.

Locate the opening in the equatorial mount on the DEC axis
It is opposite the telescope mounting platform.

Thread the counterweight bar into the opening until tight.

Dec Axis

Counterweight
Bar

Once the bar is securely in place you are ready to attach the
counterweight.

Figure 2-3

Since the fully assembled telescope is quite heavy, position the mount so that the tripod leg with the counterweight bar
over it is pointing towards north before the tube assembly and counterweights are attached. This will make the polar
alignment procedure much easier.

Installing the Counterweight
Depending on which CGE telescope you have, you will receive
either one or two counterweights. To install the counterweight(s):
1.

Orient the mount so that the counterweight bar points toward the
ground .

Remove the counterweight safety thumbscrew and washer on the
end of the counterweight bar (i.e., opposite the end that attaches to
the mount).

Loosen the locking screw on the side of the counterweight.

Slide the counterweight onto the shaft.

Counterweight
Locking Screw

Safety Screw
and Washer

Figure 2-4

Tighten the locking screw on the side of the weight to hold the counterweight in place.

Replace the counterweight safety thumbscrew and washer.

Attaching the Optical Tube to the Mount

Important!

The telescope attaches to the mount via a dovetail slide
bar which is mounted along the bottom of the telescope
tube. Before you attach the optical tube, make sure that
the declination and right ascension clutch knobs are
tight. This will ensure that the mount does not
move suddenly while attaching the telescope. To
mount the telescope tube:

Dovetail Slide
Bar

In order for the CGE mount to successfully locate
its declination switches, the mounting platform
must be positioned so that the dovetailed locking
knobs are on the east side of the mount when polar
aligned. In other words, when standing behind the
mount facing north, the dovetail locking knobs should
be on the right side of the mount.

Dovetail Locking
Knobs
Mounting
Platform

Figure 2-5

Loosen the locking knobs on the side of the telescope mounting platform. This allows you to slide the dovetail bar on the
telescope onto the mount.

Slide the dovetail bar on the telescope tube into the mounting platform of the mount. Slide the telescope so that the back of
the dovetail bar is almost flush with the back of the mounting platform.

Tighten the locking knobs on the side of the mounting platform to hold the telescope in place.
Now that the optical tube is securely in place, the visual accessories can now be attached to the telescope.

Attaching the Visual Back
The visual back is the accessory that allows you to attach all visual accessories to the telescope. The CGE 1400 comes with a
2" mirror diagonal that attaches directly to the optical tube without the use of a visual back. To attach the visual back:
1.

Remove the plastic cover on the rear cell.

Place the knurled slip ring on the visual back over the threads on the rear cell.

Hold the visual back with the set screw in a convenient position and rotate the knurled slip ring clockwise until tight.
Once this is done, you are ready to attach other accessories, such as eyepieces, diagonal prisms, etc.
If you want to remove the visual back, rotate the slip ring counterclockwise until it separates from the rear cell.

Installing the Star Diagonal
The star diagonal is a prism that diverts the light at a right angle to the light path of the telescope. This allows you to observe
in positions that are physically more comfortable than if you looked straight through. To attach the star diagonal onto a CGE
800, 925 or 1100:
1.

Turn the set screw on the visual back until its tip no longer extends into (i.e., obstructs) the inner diameter of the visual back.

Slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal into the visual back.

Tighten the set screw on the visual back to hold the star diagonal in place.
If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal, loosen the set screw on the visual back until the star diagonal
rotates freely. Rotate the diagonal to the desired position and tighten the set screw.
The CGE 1400 comes with a 2" mirror diagonal that attaches directly onto the rear threads of the 14" optical tube. See figure
2-6.
Eyepiece

2" Barrel
Eyepiece

Star Diagonal
Visual Back
2" thread-on
Mirror Diagonal

Figure 2-6

Figure 2-7

Installing the Eyepiece
The eyepiece, or ocular, is an optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits into either
the visual back directly, the star diagonal, or the 2" mirror diagonal. To install an eyepiece:
1.
Loosen the set screw on the star diagonal until the tip no longer extends into the inner diameter of the eyepiece end
of the diagonal.
2.

Slide the chrome portion of the eyepiece into the star diagonal.

Tighten the set screw on the star diagonal to hold the eyepiece in place.

To remove the eyepiece, loosen the set screw on the star diagonal and slide the eyepiece out. You can replace it with another
eyepiece (purchased separately).
NOTE: The 2" mirror diagonal has a 1 1/4" eyepiece adapter to use 1 1/4" eyepieces. You may remove the adapter to use 2"
eyepieces.
Eyepieces are commonly referred to by focal length and barrel diameter. The focal length of each eyepiece is printed on the
eyepiece barrel. The longer the focal length (i.e., the larger the number) the lower the eyepiece power and the shorter the
10

focal length (i.e., the smaller the number) the higher the magnification. Generally, you will use low-to-moderate power when
viewing. For more information on how to determine power, see the section on “Calculating Magnification.”

Installing the Finderscope
The CGE telescopes come with a 6x30 or 9x50 finderscope used to help you locate and center objects in the main field of
your telescope. To accomplish this, the finder has a built-in cross-hair reticle that shows the optical center of the finderscope.
Start by removing the finder and hardware from the plastic wrapper. Included are the following:
• Finderscope
• Finder Bracket
• Rubber O-ring
• Three Nylon Tipped Thumbscrews (10-24x1/2")
• Two Phillips Head Screws (8-32x1/2" or 10-24x1/2")
To install the finderscope:
1.

Attach the bracket to the optical tube. To do this, place the curved portion of the bracket with the slot over the
two holes in the rear cell. The bracket should be oriented so that the rings that hold the finder are over the
telescope tube, not the rear cell (see Figure 2-8). Start threading the screws in by hand and tighten fully with an
Allen wrench.
Finderscope

Partially thread-in the three nylon-tipped thumbscrews
that hold the finder in place inside the bracket. Tighten
the screws until the nylon heads are flush with the
inner diameter of the bracket ring. Do NOT thread
them in completely or they will interfere with the
placement of the finder. (Having the screws in place
when the finder is installed will be easier than trying to
insert the screws after the finder has been installed.)

Slide the rubber O-ring over the back of the finder (it
will NOT fit over the objective end of the finder). It
may need to be stretched a little. Once on the main
body of the finder, slide it up about one inch from the
end of the finder.

Nylon
Adjustment
Screw

Finder Bracket

Figure 2-8

Rotate the finder until one cross hair is parallel to the R.A. axis and the other is parallel to the DEC axis.

Slide the eyepiece end of the finder into the front of the bracket.

Slightly tighten the three nylon tipped thumbscrews on the front ring of the bracket to hold the finder in place.

Once on, push the finder back until the O-ring is snug inside the back ring of the finder bracket.

Hand tighten the three nylon tipped thumbscrews until snug.

Moving the Telescope Manually
In order to properly balance your telescope, you will need to move your telescope manually at various portions of the sky to
observe different objects. To make rough adjustments, loosen the R.A. and DEC clutch knobs slightly and move the
telescope in the desired direction.
Both the R.A. and DEC axis have two knobs to clutch down each axis of the telescope. To loosen the clutches on the
telescope, rotate the clutch knobs counterclockwise. Rotate the clutch knobs on each axis clockwise to lock the telescope in
place.

Adjusting the Mount
In order for the clock drive to track accurately, the telescope’s axis of rotation
must be parallel to the Earth’s axis of rotation, a process known as polar
alignment. Polar alignment is achieved NOT by moving the telescope in
R.A. or DEC, but by adjusting the mount vertically, which is called altitude,
and horizontally, which is called azimuth. This section simply covers the
correct movement of the telescope during the polar alignment process. The
actual process of polar alignment, that is making the telescope’s axis of
rotation parallel to the Earth’s, is described later in this manual in the section
on “Polar Alignment.”

DEC Clutch
Knob

R.A. Clutch
Knobs

Figure 2-9

To adjust the mount in altitude:
1.

Locate the altitude adjustment bolt just above the tripod column (see figure 2-10).

Using the 7/32" Allen wrench provided, turn the altitude adjustment bolt until the mount is at the right elevation.

The total altitude range is from 13° to 65°. With the 23 lb counterweight attached to the counterweight shaft, the equatorial
head can go as low as 20° without hitting the tripod leg.
To adjust the mount in azimuth:

Azimuth Lock
Knobs

Altitude Adjustment
Bolt

Locate the azimuth adjustment bolt on
the flat portion of the tripod column (see
figure 2-10).

Loosen the two azimuth lock knobs
located on the top of the tripod column.

Turn the azimuth adjustment bolt with
the 7/32" Allen wrench until the polar
axis is pointing in the right direction.

Tighten the azimuth lock knobs to hold
the mount in place. The mount can be
moved ± 7° in azimuth using these bolts.

Helpful Hint: Located on the side of the equatorial mount head is a hole that serves as a convenient storage place for the
polar alignment Allen wrench. This will help prevent you from misplacing the tool when polar aligning in the field.
Keep in mind that adjusting the mount is done during the polar alignment process only. Once polar aligned, the mount must
NOT be moved. Pointing the telescope is done by moving the mount in right ascension and declination, as described earlier
in this manual. Once the appropriate adjustments have been made and you are aligned on the celestial pole, turn the clock
drive on and the telescope will track.

Balancing The Mount in R.A.
To eliminate undue stress on the mount, the telescope should be properly balanced around the polar axis. Proper balancing is
crucial for accurate tracking. To balance the mount:
1.

Verify that the telescope securing knobs on the telescope mounting platform are tight.

Loosen the R.A. clutch knobs and position the telescope off to one side of the mount. The counterweight bar
will extend horizontally on the opposite side of the mount.

Release the telescope — GRADUALLY — to see which way the telescope “rolls.”

Loosen the set screws on the side of the counterweight so it can be moved the length of the counterweight bar.

Move the counterweight to a point where it balances the telescope (i.e., the telescope remains stationary when
the R.A. clutch knobs are loose).

Tighten the set screw on the counterweight to hold it in place.

While the above instructions describe a perfect balance arrangement, there should be a SLIGHT imbalance to ensure the best
possible tracking. When the scope is on the west side of the mount the counterweight should be slightly imbalanced to the
counterweight bar side. And when the tube is on the east side of the mount there should be a slight imbalance toward the
telescope side. This is done so that the worm gear is pushing against a slight load. The amount of the imbalance is very
slight. When taking astrophotographs, this balance process can be done for the specific area at which the telescope is
pointing to further optimize tracking accuracy.

Figure 2-11

Balancing The Mount in DEC
Although the telescope does not track in declination, the telescope should also be balanced in this axis to prevent any sudden
motions when the DEC clutch knob is loose. To balance the telescope in DEC:
1.

Loosen the R.A. clutch knobs and rotate the telescope so that it is on one side of the mount (i.e., as described in
the previous section on “Balancing the Mount in R.A.”).

Tighten the R.A. clutch knobs to hold the telescope in place.

Loosen the DEC clutch knobs and rotate the telescope until the tube is parallel to the ground.

Release the tube — GRADUALLY — to see which way it rotates around the declination axis. DO NOT LET
GO OF THE TELESCOPE TUBE COMPLETELY!

Slightly loosen the knobs that holds the telescope to the mounting platform and slide the telescope either
forward or backward until it remains stationary when the DEC clutch is loose. Do NOT let go of the telescope
tube while the knob on the mounting platform is loose.

Tighten the knobs on the telescope mounting platform to hold the telescope in place.

Once the telescope is balanced in declination, slide the dovetail bar safety clamp down the front of the telescope's slide bar
until it touches the mounting platform and tighten the locking bolt. This not only acts as a safety in case the mounting
platform knobs are loosened, but will also allow you to put the tube on the mount in the exact same position each time for
perfect balance.
Like R.A. balance, these are general balance instructions and will reduce undue stress on the mount. When taking
astrophotographs, this balance process should be done for the specific area at which the telescope is pointing.

Attaching the Motor Cables
The CGE mount comes with two power cables to connect each drive motor to the
electronics pier. To attach the motor cables:
1. Locate the Declination cable (the longer cable) and plug one end of the
cable into the port on the electronics pier labeled DEC Port and plug the
other end of the cable into the port located on the bottom of the
declination motor (see figure2-12).
2. Locate the R.A. cable (the shorter cable) and plug one end of the cable
into the port on the electronics pier labeled RA Port and plug the other
end of the cable into the port located on the bottom of the right ascension
motor (see figure2-12).

Cable to DEC
Motor

Cable to R.A.
Motor

Motor Ports

Powering the Telescope
The CGE can be powered by the supplied car battery adapter or optional 12v AC.
Use only the adapter supplied by Celestron. Using any other adapter may damage
the electronics and will void your manufacturer's warranty.

Figure 2-12

To power the CGE with the car battery adapter (or 12v AC adapter), simply plug the round post into the 12v outlet
on the electronic pier and plug the other end into your cars cigarette lighter outlet or portable power supply (see
Optional Accessories). Note: to prevent the power cord from being accidentally pulled out, wrap the power cord
around the strain relief located below the power switch.

Turn on the power to the CGE by flipping the switch, located in the center of the pier, to the "On" position.

Transporting the CGE
Because of the Celestron CGE telescope size and weight, you should ALWAYS remove the telescope from the mount when
moving the telescope. To do so:
1.

Take the telescope off of the mount and return it to its
shipping box.

Remove the counterweight from the counterweight bar.

Remove the counterweight bar from the mount.

Remove the finderscope from the optical tube.

Take the equatorial mount off of the central column.

On/Off Switch

12v DC Power

Power Cord
Strain Relief

14
Figure 2-13

Remove the center leg brace from the tripod.

Collapse the tripod legs inward, towards each other.

The telescope is now broken down into enough pieces to be easily transported.
Note: Before transporting the optical tube it is recommended that the two mirror locking screw located on the rear cell of the
tube be locked down. Before tightening the screws, the primary mirror must be moved towards the rear cell of the tube.
Rotate the focuser knob clockwise until you feel a slight resistance. The screws should now thread into the primary mirror
mounting plate.
When not in use, your CGE telescope can be left fully assembled and set up. However, all lens and eyepiece covers should
be put back in place. This will reduce the amount of dust build-up on all optical surfaces and reduce the number of times you
need to clean the instrument. You may want to return everything to its original shipping container and store it there. If this is
the case, all optical surfaces should still be covered to prevent dust accumulation.

The CGE has a hand controller designed to give you instant access to all the functions the CGE has to offer.
With automatic slewing to over 40,000 objects, and common sense menu descriptions, even a beginner can
master its variety of features in just a few observing sessions. Below is a brief description of the individual
components of the computerized hand controller:
1.
2.
3.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Window: Has a dual-line, 16 character display screen that is backlit
for comfortable viewing of telescope information and scrolling text.
Align: Instructs the CGE to use a selected star or object as an alignment position.
Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the CGE in any direction. Use the direction keys to move
the telescope to the initial alignment stars or for centering objects in the eyepiece.

2
8
3
9

4
10

6
12

Figure 3-1
The CGE Hand Control

Catalog Keys: The CGE has keys on the hand control to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in
its database. The CGE contains the following catalogs in its database:
Messier – Complete list of all Messier objects.
NGC – Complete list of all the deep-sky objects in the Revised New General Catalog.
Caldwell – A combination of the best NGC and IC objects.
Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Moon.
Stars – A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog.
List – For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects in the CGE database have been
broken down into lists based on their type and/or common name:
Named Stars
Named Objects
Double Stars
Variable Stars
Asterisms
CCD Objects
IC Objects
Abell Objects
Constellation

Common name listing of the brightest stars in the
sky.
Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular
deep sky objects.
Numeric-alphabetical listing of the most visually
stunning double, triple and quadruple stars in the
sky.
Select list of the brightest variable stars with the
shortest period of changing magnitude.
A unique list of some of the most recognizable star
patterns in the sky.
A custom list of many interesting galaxy pairs, trios
and clusters that are well suited for CCD imaging
with the CGE telescope.
A complete list of all the Index Catalog deep-sky
objects.
A custom list of the Abell Catalog deep-sky
galaxies.
A complete list of all 88 constellations.

5.
6.

Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about objects selected from the CGE database.
Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best objects for the current date and time, and
automatically slews the CGE to those objects.
7. Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to select any of the CGE functions and accept entered parameters.
8. Undo: Undo will take you out of the current menu and display the previous level of the menu path.
Press Undo repeatedly to get back to a main menu or use it to erase data entered by mistake.
9. Menu: Displays the many setup and utilities functions such as tracking rate and user defined objects
and many others.
10. Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the menu lists. A double-arrow will appear on
the right side of the LCD when there are sub-menus below the displayed menu. Using these keys will
scroll through those sub-menus.
11. Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the direction buttons are pressed.
12. RS-232 Jack: Allows you to interface with a computer and control the CGE remotely.
Hand Control Operation
This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed to operate the CGE. These procedures are
grouped into three categories: Alignment, Setup and Utilities. The alignment section deals with the initial
telescope alignment as well as finding objects in the sky; the setup section discusses changing parameters such
as tracking mode and tracking rate; finally, the last section reviews all of the utilities functions such as the
calibrating your mount, PEC and backlash compensation.

Alignment Procedures
In order for the CGE to accurately point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to two known positions
(stars) in the sky. With this information, the telescope can create a model of the sky, which it uses to locate any
object with known coordinates. There are many ways to align the CGE with the sky depending on what
information the user is able to provide: Auto Two Star Alignment allows the user to select two stars and uses
the entered time/location information to align the telescope; Auto One-Star Alignment involves the same
process as Two-Star Align, however only uses one star position to align the telescope mount. Quick-Align will
ask you to input all the same information as you would for the Auto Align procedure. However, instead of
slewing to two alignment stars for centering and alignment, the telescope bypasses this step and simply models
the sky based on the information given. Finally, Last Alignment restores your last saved star alignment and
switch position. Last Alignment also serves as a good safeguard in case the telescope should lose power.

Startup Procedure

Calibrating the CGE Mount

Before any of the described alignments are performed, the
CGE needs to first index its switch position so that each axis
has an equal amount of travel to move in either direction. It is a
good idea to calibrate your mounts switch position after a
successful alignment (see Calibrating the CGE Mount box on
this page). Once the switch position has been set, the hand
control will display the last entered date and time information
stored in the hand control. Once the CGE is powered on:
1. Press ENTER begin the alignment process.
2. Press ENTER again to set the telescopes switch
position. Press UNDO if you would like to manually
move the telescope to a different switch position. This
is useful if using your scope with additional
equipment attached and its range of motion is limited.
3. After the telescope moves to its switch position, the
hand control will display the last entered local time,
date, time zone, longitude and latitude.
• Use the Up/Down keys (10) to view the
current parameters.
• Press ENTER to accept the current
parameters.
• Press UNDO to enter current date and time
information into the hand control. The
following information will be displayed:
Time - Enter the current local time for your area.
You can enter either the local time (i.e. 08:00), or
you can enter military time (i.e. 20:00 ).
•
Select PM or AM. If military time was
entered, the hand control will bypass this
step.
•
Choose between Standard time or Daylight
Savings time. Use the Up and Down scroll
buttons (10) to toggle between options.
•
Select the time zone that you are observing
from. Again, use the Up and Down buttons

In order to improve the pointing accuracy of your
CGE telescope, the internal declination axis switch
needs to be properly calibrated. This improves the
pointing accuracy in two ways: First it measures and
records the offset error when the declination switch
is found at start-up. Second, it calculates and
compensates for "cone" error inherent in all German
equatorial mounts. Cone error is the inaccuracy that
results from the optical tube not being perpendicular
to the mounts declination axis. The mount should
always be calibrated the first time it is used and only
needs to be re-calibrated if the mount is used with a
different optical tube or the optical tube is subjected
to rough handling.
Calibrating the mount is a very easy process and
takes only a minute to do. To calibrate your CGE
mount:
•
First, you must complete an Auto Two-Star
Alignment as described in this section.
However, you must take special notice to
select two alignment stars that are on the same
side of the Meridian (i.e. both in the western
half of the sky or both in the eastern half of the
sky). See Figure 3-2.
•
Once you have completed a successful
alignment, slew to a known star that is on the
other side of the Meridian from your two original
alignment stars.
•
Press UNDO until CGE Ready is displayed.
Press the MENU button on the hand control and
select Calibrate Mount from the Utilities menu.
•
Scroll down to DEC Switch / Cone and press
ENTER to begin the calibration. When the
display asks you to center your calibration star,
carefully center the star in the eyepiece making
sure to use the Up and Right arrows keys to
remove any of the backlash in the gears. Press
ENTER to complete the calibration process.

This calibration offset will be stored and used to
improve the accuracy of future alignments.

•
•

(10) to scroll through the choices. Refer to Time Zone map in Appendix for more
information.
Date - Enter the month, day and year of your observing session.
Finally, you must enter the longitude and latitude of the location of your observing site.
Use the table in Appendix C to locate the closest longitude and latitude for your current
observing location and enter those numbers when asked in the hand control, pressing ENTER
after each entry. Remember to select "West" for longitudes in North America and "North" for
latitudes in the North Hemisphere. For international cities, the correct hemisphere is indicated
in the Appendix listings.

4. Select one of the four alignment methods as described below.

Auto Two-Star Align

Observing

Tip

Auto Two-Star Align allows the user to select two stars on which to align the telescope. To Auto Align your
telescope:
1. Select Auto Two-Star from the alignment choices given. Based on the date and time information
entered, the CGE will automatically select and display a bright star that is above the horizon.
•
Press ENTER to select this star as your first alignment star.
•
If for some reason the chosen star is not visible (perhaps behind a tree or building) press UNDO
to have the hand control automatically select the next brightest star.
•
Or you can use the Up/Down keys to browse the entire Named Star list and select any one of
over two hundred alignment stars.
2. Once the telescope is finished slewing to your first
alignment star, the display will ask you to use the arrow
buttons to align the selected star with the cross hairs in the
center of the finderscope. When centered in the finder, press
ENTER.
3. The display will then instruct you to center the star in the
field of view of the eyepiece. When the star is centered,
press ALIGN to accept this star as your first alignment star.
4. After the first alignment star has been entered the CGE will
automatically select a second alignment star and have you
repeat this procedure for that star. When the telescope has
been aligned on both stars the display will read
Alignment Successful, and you are now ready to
find your first object.
Figure 3-2
The Meridian is an imaginary line in the sky
For the best possible pointing accuracy, always center the alignment
that starts at the North celestial pole and
stars using the up arrow button and the right arrow button.
ends at the South celestial pole and passes
Approaching the star from this direction when looking through the
through the zenith. If you are facing South,
the meridian starts from your Southern
eyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash between the gears and
horizon and passes directly overhead to the
assure the most accurate alignment possible.
North celestial pole.

Auto One-Star Align
Auto One-Star Alignment works much the same way as Auto Two-Star Align but uses only a single star in the
sky for alignment. This method of alignment is not as accurate as the two-star alignment and is recommended
only for telescopes that are permanently and accurately polar aligned.

Quick-Align
Quick-Align uses all the date and time information entered at startup to align the telescope. However, instead of slewing to
two alignment stars for centering and alignment, the CGE bypasses this step and simply models the sky based on the
information given. This will allow you to roughly slew to the coordinates of bright objects like the moon and planets and
gives the CGE the information needed to track objects in altazimuth in any part of the sky. Quick-Align is not meant to be
used to accurately locate small or faint deep-sky objects or to track objects accurately for photography.
To use Quick-Align, simply select Quick Align from the alignment options and press ENTER. The CGE will automatically
use the entered date/time parameters to align itself with the sky and display Alignment Successful.

Note: Once a Quick-Align has been done, you can use the Re-alignment feature (see next page) to improve your
telescopes pointing accuracy.

Last Alignment
The CGE Last Alignment method will automatically recall the last saved mount switch positions, longitude and
latitude along with the current date and time given from the real time clock, to continue using the alignment that
was saved when the telescope was last powered down. This is a useful feature should your telescope
accidentally lose power or be powered down.
Note: Just like with Quick-Align, you can use the Re-alignment feature (see next page) to improve your
telescopes pointing accuracy after using the Last Alignment method. To maintain a more accurate alignment
over a series of observing sessions, use the Hibernate feature described later in this chapter.

CGE Re-Alignment
The CGE has a re-alignment feature which allows you to replace either of the two original alignment
stars with a new star or celestial object. This can be useful in several situations:
•

•

If you are observing over a period of a few hours, you may notice that your original two alignment
stars have drifted towards the west considerably. (Remember that the stars are moving at a rate of
15º every hour). Aligning on a new star that is in the eastern part of the sky will improve your
pointing accuracy, especially on objects in that part of the sky.
If you have aligned your telescope using the Quick-Align method, you can use re-align to align to
two actual objects in the sky. This will improve the pointing accuracy of your telescope without
having to re-enter addition information.

To replace an existing alignment star with a new alignment star:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Select the desired star (or object) from the database and slew to it.
Carefully center the object in the eyepiece.
Once centered, press the UNDO button until you are at the main menu.
With CGE Ready displayed, press the ALIGN key on the hand control.
The display will then ask you which alignment star you want to replace. Use the UP and Down scroll
keys to select the alignment star to be replaced. It is usually best to replace the star closest to the new
object. This will space out your alignment stars across the sky.
Press ALIGN to make the change.

Object Catalog
Selecting an Object
Now that the telescope is properly aligned, you can choose an object from any of the catalogs in the CGE's
extensive database. The hand control has a key (4) designated for each of the catalogs in its database. There are
two ways to select objects from the database: scrolling through the named object lists and entering object
numbers.

Helpful
Hint

Pressing the LIST key on the hand control will access all objects in the database that have common names
or types. Each list is broken down into the following categories: Named Stars, Named Object, Double
Stars, Variable Stars, Asterisms and CCD Objects. Selecting any one of these catalogs will display a
numeric-alphabetical listing of the objects under that list. Pressing the Up and Down keys (10) allows you
to scroll through the catalog to the desired object.
When scrolling through a long list of objects, holding down either the Up or Down key will allow you to scroll
through the catalog more rapidly by only displaying every fifth catalog object.
Pressing any of the other catalog keys (M, CALD, NGC, or STAR) will display a blinking cursor below the
name of the catalog chosen. Use the numeric key pad to enter the number of any object within these
standardized catalogs. For example, to find the Orion Nebula, press the "M" key and enter "042".
Slewing to an Object
Once the desired object is displayed on the hand control screen, choose from the following options:
•
•

Press the INFO Key. This will give you useful information about the selected object such as
R.A. and declination, magnitude size and text information for many of the most popular objects.
Press the ENTER Key. This will automatically slew the telescope to the coordinates of the
object.

Caution: Never slew the telescope when someone is looking into the eyepiece. The telescope can move at fast slew
speeds and may hit an observer in the eye.

Object information can be obtained without having to do a star alignment. After the telescope is powered on,
pressing any of the catalog keys allows you to scroll through object lists or enter catalog numbers and view the
information about the object as described above.
Finding Planets
The CGE can locate all 8 of our solar systems planets plus the Moon. However, the hand control will only
display the solar system objects that are above the horizon (or within its filter limits). To locate the planets,
press the PLANET key on the hand control. The hand control will display all solar system objects that are
above the horizon:
•
•
•

Use the Up and Down keys to select the planet that you wish to observe.
Press INFO to access information on the displayed planet.
Press ENTER to slew to the displayed planet.

Tour Mode
The CGE includes a tour feature which automatically allows the user to choose from a list of interesting objects
based on the date and time in which you are observing. The automatic tour will display only those objects that
are within your set filter limits (see Filter Limits in the Setup Procedures section of the manual). To activate
the Tour mode, press the TOUR key (6) on the hand control. The CGE will display the best objects to observe
that are currently in the sky.
•
•
•

To see information and data about the displayed object, press the INFO key.
To slew to the object displayed, press ENTER.
To see the next tour object, press the Up key.

Constellation Tour
In addition to the Tour Mode, the CGE telescope has a Constellation Tour that allows the user to take a tour of
all the best objects in each of the 88 constellations. Selecting Constellation from the LIST menu will display all
the constellation names that are above the user defined horizon (filter limits). Once a constellation is selected,
you can choose from any of the database object catalogs to produce a list of all the available objects in that
constellation.
•
•
•

To see information and data about the displayed object, press the INFO key.
To slew to the object displayed, press ENTER.
To see the next tour object, press the Up key.

Direction Buttons
The CGE has four direction buttons (3) in the center of the hand control which control the telescope's motion in
altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right). The telescope can be controlled at nine different speed
rates.

Rate Button
Pressing the RATE key (11) allows you to instantly change the speed rate of the motors from high speed slew
rate to precise guiding rate or anywhere in between. Each rate corresponds to a number on the hand controller
key pad. The number 9 is the fastest rate (4º per second, depending on power source) and is used for slewing
between objects and locating alignment stars. The number 1 on the hand control is the slowest rate (.5x
sidereal) and can be used for accurate centering of objects in the eyepiece and photographic guiding. To
change the speed rate of the motors:
•
•

Press the RATE key on the hand control. The LCD will display the current speed rate.
Press the number on the hand control that corresponds to the desired speed. The number
will appear in the upper-right corner of the LCD display to indicate that the rate has been
changed.

The hand control has a "double button" feature that allows you to instantly speed up the motors without having
to choose a speed rate. To use this feature, simply press the arrow button that corresponds to the direction that
you want to move the telescope. While holding that button down, press the opposite directional button. This
will increase the slew rate to the maximum slew rate.
When pressing the Up and Down arrow buttons in the slower slew rates (6 and lower) the motors will move the
telescope in the opposite direction than the faster slew rates (7 thru 9). This is done so that an object will move
in the appropriate direction when looking into the eyepiece (i.e. pressing the Up arrow button will move the star

up in the field of view of the eyepiece). However, if any of the slower slew rates (rate 6 and below) are used to
center an object in the finderscope, you may need to press the opposite directional button to make the telescope
move in the correct direction.

1
2
3
4
5

=
=
=
=
=

.5x
1x (sidereal)
4x
8x
16x

6
7
8
9

= 64x
= .5º / sec
= 2º / sec
= 4º / sec

Nine available slew speeds

Setup Procedures
The CGE contains many user defined setup functions designed to give the user control over the telescope's
many advanced features. All of the setup and utility features can be accessed by pressing the MENU key and
scrolling through the options:

Tracking Mode This allows you to change the way the telescope tracks depending on the type of
mount being used to support the telescope. The CGE has three different tracking
modes:
EQ North

Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned in the
Northern Hemisphere.

EQ South

Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar in the Southern
Hemisphere.
When using the telescope for terrestrial (land) observation, the
tracking can be turned off so that the telescope never moves.

Off

Tracking Rate

In addition to being able to move the telescope with the hand control buttons, the
CGE will continually track a celestial object as it moves across the night sky. The
tracking rate can be changed depending on what type of object is being observed:
Sidereal

This rate compensates for the rotation of the Earth by moving the
telescope at the same rate as the rotation of the Earth, but in the
opposite direction. When the telescope is polar aligned, this can
be accomplished by moving the telescope in right ascension only.
When mounted in Alt-Az mode, the telescope must make
corrections in both R.A. and declination.

Lunar

Used for tracking the moon when observing the lunar landscape.

Solar

Used for tracking the Sun when solar observing.

View Time-Site - Displays the current time and longitude/latitude downloaded from the optional CN-16 GPS
receiver. It will also display other relevant time-site information like time zone, daylight saving and local

sidereal time. Local sidereal time (LST) is useful for knowing the right ascension of celestial objects that are
located on the meridian at that time. View Time-Site will always display the last saved time and location entered
while it is linking with the GPS. Once current information has been received, it will update the displayed
information. If GPS is switched off, the hand control will only display the last saved time and location.

User Defined Objects

- The CGE can store up to 400 different user defined objects in its memory. The
objects can be daytime land objects or an interesting celestial object that you
discover that is not included in the regular database. There are several ways to save
an object to memory depending on what type of object it is:

GoTo Object:

To go to any of the user defined objects stored in the database, scroll down to either
GoTo Sky Obj or Goto Land Obj and enter the number of the object you
wish to select and press ENTER. CGE will automatically retrieve and display the
coordinates before slewing to the object.

Save Sky Object:

The CGE stores celestial objects to its database by saving its right ascension and
declination in the sky. This way the same object can be found each time the
telescope is aligned. Once a desired object is centered in the eyepiece, simply scroll
to the "Save Sky Obj" command and press ENTER. The display will ask you to
enter a number between 1-200 to identify the object. Press ENTER again to save
this object to the database.

Enter R.A. - Dec:

You can also store a specific set of coordinates for an object just by entering the
R.A. and declination for that object. Scroll to the "Enter RA-DEC " command
and press ENTER. The display will then ask you to enter first the R.A. and then the
declination of the desired object.

Save Land Object:

The CGE can also be used as a spotting scope on terrestrial objects. Fixed land
objects can be stored by saving their altitude and azimuth relative to the location of
the telescope at the time of observing. Since these objects are relative to the
location of the telescope, they are only valid for that exact location. To save land
objects, once again center the desired object in the eyepiece. Scroll down to the
"Save Land Obj" command and press ENTER. The display will ask you to
enter a number between 1-200 to identify the object. Press ENTER again to save
this object to the database.

To replace the contents of any of the user defined objects, simply save a new object using one of the existing
identification numbers; CGE will replace the previous user defined object with the current one.

Get RA/DEC - Displays the right ascension and declination for the current position of the telescope.
Goto R.A/ Dec - Allows you to input a specific R.A. and declination and slew to it.
Helpful
Hint

To store a set of coordinates (R.A./Dec) permanently into the CGE database, save it as a User Defined Object
as described above.

Identify
Identify Mode will search any of the CGE database catalogs or lists and display the name and offset distances to
the nearest matching objects. This feature can serve two purposes. First, it can be used to identify an unknown
object in the field of view of your eyepiece. Additionally, Identify Mode can be used to find other celestial
objects that are close to the objects you are currently observing. For example, if your telescope is pointed at the
brightest star in the constellation Lyra, choosing Identify and then searching the Named Star catalog will no
doubt return the star Vega as the star you are observing. However, by selecting Identify and searching by the

Named Object or Messier catalogs, the hand control will let you know that the Ring Nebula (M57) is
approximately 6° from your current position. Searching the Double Star catalog will reveal that Epsilon Lyrae
is only 1° away from Vega. To use the Identify feature:
•
•
•

Press the Menu button and select the Identify option.
Use the Up/Down scroll keys to select the catalog that you would like to search.
Press ENTER to begin the search.

Note: Some of the databases contain thousands of objects, and can therefore take a minute or two to return the
closest object.

Precise GoTo
The CGE has a precise goto function that can assist in finding extremely faint objects and centering objects
closer to the center of the field of view for astrophotography and CCD imaging. Precise Goto automatically
searches out the closest bright star to the desired object and asks the user to carefully center it in the eyepiece.
The hand control then calculates the small difference between its goto position and its centered position. Using
this offset, the telescope will then slew to the desired object with enhanced accuracy. To use Precise Goto:
1.
•
•

2.
3.
4.

Press the MENU button and use the Up/Down keys to select Precise Goto.
Choose Database to select the object that you want to observe from any of the
database catalogs listed
Choose RA/DEC to enter a set of celestial coordinates that you wish to slew to.
Once the desired object is selected, the hand control will search out and display
the closest bright star to your desired object. Press ENTER to slew to the bright
alignment star.
Use the direction buttons to carefully center the alignment star in the eyepiece.
Press ENTER to slew to the desired object.

SCOPE SETUP
SETUP TIME-SITE
ANTI-BACKLASH
AZM POSITIVE
AZM NEGATIVE
ALT POSITIVE
ALT NEGATIVE
FILTER LIMITS
ALTMAX IN LIST
ALTMIN IN LIST
DIRECTION BUTTONS

Scope Setup Features

Setup Time-Site - Allows the user to customize the CGE display by changing time and
location parameters (such as time zone and daylight savings).

Anti-backlash – – All mechanical gears have a certain amount of backlash or play

AZM BUTTONS
ALT BUTTONS
GOTO APPROACH
AZM APPROACH

ALT APPROACH
between the gears. This play is evident by how long it takes for a star to move in the
AUTOGUIDE RATES
eyepiece when the hand control arrow buttons are pressed (especially when changing
directions). The CGE's anti-backlash features allows the user to compensate for backlash
AZM RATE
by inputting a value which quickly rewinds the motors just enough to eliminate the play
ALT RATE
between gears. The amount of compensation needed depends on the slewing rate
MOUNT SETTINGS
selected; the slower the slewing rate the longer it will take for the star to appear to move
CONE VALUE
in the eyepiece. There are two values for each axis, positive and negative. Positive is the
DEC SWITCH
amount of compensation applied when you press the button, in order to get the gears
RA SWITCH
moving quickly without a long pause. Negative is the amount of compensation applied
when you release the button, winding the motors back in the other direction to resume tracking. You will need
to experiment with different values (from 0-99); a value between 20 and 50 is usually best for most visual
observing, whereas a higher value may be necessary for photographic guiding.

To set the anti-backlash value, scroll down to the anti-backlash option and press ENTER. While viewing an
object in the eyepiece, observe the responsiveness of each of the four arrow buttons. Note which directions you
see a pause in the star movement after the button has been pressed. Working one axis at a time, adjust the
backlash settings high enough to cause immediate movement without resulting in a pronounced jump when
pressing or releasing the button. Now, enter the same values for both positive and negative directions. If you
notice a jump when releasing the button, but setting the values lower results in a pause when pressing the

button, go with the higher value for positive, but use a lower value for negative. CGE will remember these
values and use them each time it is turned on until they are changed.

Filter Limits – When an alignment is complete, the CGE automatically knows which celestial objects are
above the horizon. As a result, when scrolling through the database lists (or selecting the Tour function), the
CGE hand control will display only those objects that are known to be above the horizon when you are
observing. You can customize the object database by selecting altitude limits that are appropriate for your
location and situation. For example, if you are observing from a mountainous location where the horizon is
partially obscured, you can set your minimum altitude limit to read +20º. This will make sure that the hand
control only displays objects that are higher in altitude than 20º.

Observing
Tip!

If you want to explore the entire object database, set the maximum altitude limit to 90º and the minimum limit to
–90º. This will display every object in the database lists regardless of whether it is visible in the sky from your
location.

Direction Buttons –The direction a star appears to move in the eyepiece changes depending on which side of
the Meridian the telescope tube is on. This can create confusion especially when guiding on a star when doing
astrophotography. To compensate for this, the direction of the drive control keys can be changed. To reverse
the button logic of the hand control, press the MENU button and select Direction Buttons from the Utilities
menu. Use the Up/Down arrow keys (10) to select either the azimuth (right ascension) or altitude (declination)
button direction and press ENTER. Select either positive or negative for both axes and press ENTER to save.
Setting the azimuth button direction to positive will move the telescope in the same direction that the telescope
tracks (i.e. towards the west). Setting the altitude buttons to positive will move the telescope counterclockwise
along the DEC axis. Direction Buttons will only change the eyepiece rates (rate 1-6) and will not affect the slew
rates (rate 7-9).
Goto Approach - lets the user define the direction that the telescope will approach when slewing to an object.
This allows the user the ability to minimize the affects of backlash when slewing from object to object. Just
like with Direction Buttons, setting GoTo Approach to positive will make the telescope approach an object from
the same direction as tracking (west) for azimuth and counterclockwise in declination. Declination Goto
approach will only apply while the telescope tube is on one side of the Meridian. Once the tube passes over to
the other side of the Meridian, the Goto approach will need to be reversed.
Helpful
Hint!

To change the Goto approach direction, simply choose Goto Approach from the Scope Setup menu, select either
Altitude or Azimuth approach, choose positive or negative and press ENTER.
In order to minimize the affect of gear backlash on pointing accuracy, the settings for Button Direction should
ideally match the settings for GoTo Approach. By default, using the up and right direction buttons to center
alignment stars will automatically eliminate much of the backlash in the gears. If you change the Goto
approach of your telescope it is not necessary to change the Button Direction as well. Simply take notice of the
direction the telescope moves when completing it final goto approach. If the telescope approaches its alignment
star from the west (negative azimuth) and clockwise (negative altitude) than make sure that the buttons used to
center the alignment stars also move the telescope in the same directions.

Autoguide Rate – Allows the user to set an autoguide rate as a percentage of sidereal rate. This is helpful
when calibrating your telescope to a CCD autoguider for long exposure photography.
Mount Settings- Once the mount setting have been calibrated (see Utilities section below) the values are
stored and displayed in the hand control. It is not recommended that the calibration values be changed, however
each setting can be changed if necessary to improve the performance of the telescope.
•

Cone Value – This is the cone error value set when Utilities / Calibrate Mount / DEC Switch Cone is carried out.

•
•

DEC Switch - This is the declination switch error value set when Utilities / Calibrate Mount /
DEC Switch - Cone is carried out.
RA Switch - This is the R.A. switch error value set when Utilities / Calibrate Mount / R.A.
Switch is carried out.

Utility Features
Scrolling through the MENU (9) options will also provide access to several advanced utility functions within
the CGE such as; Mount Calibration, Periodic Error Correction, Hibernate as well as many others.

Calibrate Mount - In order to optimize the performance and pointing accuracy of
the CGE mount, the CGE has built-in calibration routines allowing it to compensate
for mechanical variation inherent in every German equatorial mount. Each
calibration is completely automatic and in most cases only needs to be performed
once. It is highly recommended that you take a few minutes to go through the mount
calibration procedures.
•

•

Dec Switch / Cone Calibration – this procedure simultaneously
records the offset error when the declination switch is found at start-up
and compensates for "cone" error due to slight misalignments of the
optical tube and declination axis. For more information on calibrating
the Dec switch and cone error, see the box called "Calibrating the
CGE Mount" in the Startup Procedure section earlier in this chapter.
R.A. Switch Calibration - this procedure records the offset error when
the right ascension switch is found at start-up. Calibrating the R.A.
switch will improve the accuracy of your initial star alignments when
aligning the telescope.
GoTo Calibration – Goto Calibration is a useful tool when attaching
heavy visual or photographic accessories to the telescope. Goto
Calibration calculates the amount of distance and time it takes for the
mount to complete its final slow goto when slewing to an object.
Changing the balance of the telescope can prolong the time it takes to
complete the final slew. Goto Calibration takes into account any slight
imbalances and changes the final goto distance to compensate.

Move to Switch – Slews the telescope to locate either its R.A. or declination

UTILITIES
CALIBRATE MOUNT
DEC SWITCH / CONE
R.A. SWITCH
GOTO
MOVE TO SWITCH
R.A. TO SWITCH
DEC TO SWITCH
HOME POSTION
GOTO
SET
POLAR ALIGN
PEC
PLAYBACK
RECORD
LIGHT CONTROL
FACTORY SETTING
PRESS UNDO
PRESS "0"
VERSION
GET ALT-AZ
GOTO ATL-AZ
HIBERNATE
TURN ON/OFF RTC
TURN ON/OFF GPS

switches.

Home Position – The telescopes "home" position is a user-definable position that is used to store the telescope
when not in use. The home position is useful when storing the CGE telescope in a permanent observatory
facility and especially when using the Hibernate feature to maintain a star align over many observing sessions.

Polar Align- The CGE has a polar alignment function that will help you polar align your telescope for
increased tracking precision and astrophotography. After performing an Auto Two-Star Alignment, the
telescope will slew to where Polaris should be. By using the equatorial head to center Polaris in the eyepiece,
the mount will then be pointed towards the actual North Celestial Pole. Once Polar Align is complete, you must
re-align your telescope again using any of the alignment methods described earlier. To polar align the CGE
mount in the Northern Hemisphere:

With the telescope set up and roughly positioned towards Polaris, align the mount using the AutoTwoStar Alignment method.

Select Polar Align from the Utilities menu and press Enter.

Based on your current alignment, the CGE will slew to where it thinks Polaris should be. Use the equatorial
head latitude and azimuth adjustments to place Polaris in the center of the eyepiece. Do not use the direction
buttons to position Polaris. Once Polaris is centered in the eyepiece press ENTER; the polar axis should then be
pointed towards the North Celestial Pole.

Periodic Error Correction (PEC) - PEC is designed to improve photographic quality by reducing the
amplitude of the worm gear errors and improving the tracking accuracy of the drive. This feature is for
advanced astrophotography and is used when your telescope is accurately polar aligned. For more information
on using PEC, see the section on “Celestial Photography”.

Light Control – This feature allows you to turn off both the red key pad light and LCD display for daytime use
to conserve power and to help preserve your night vision.
Factory Setting – Returns the CGE hand control to its original factory setting. Parameters such as backlash
compensation values, initial date and time, longitude/latitude along with slew and filter limits will be reset.
However, stored parameters such as PEC and user defined objects will remain saved even when Factory
Settings is selected. The hand control will ask you to press the "0" key before returning to the factory default
setting.

Version - Selecting this option will allow you to see the current version number of the hand control, motor
control and GPS software (if using optional CN-16 GPS accessory). The first set of numbers indicate the hand
control software version. For the motor control, the hand control will display two sets of numbers; the first
numbers are for azimuth and the second set are for altitude. On the second line of the LCD, the GPS and serial
bus versions are displayed.
Get Alt-Az - Displays the relative altitude and azimuth for the current position of the telescope.
Goto Alt-Az - Allows you to enter a specific altitude and azimuth position and slew to it.

Helpful
Hint

Hibernate - Hibernate allows the CGE to be completely powered down and still retain its alignment when
turned back on. This not only saves power, but is ideal for those that have their telescopes permanently
mounted or leave their telescope in one location for long periods of time. To place your telescope in Hibernate
mode:
1. Select Hibernate from the Utility Menu.
2. Move the telescope to a desire position and press ENTER.
3. Power off the telescope. Remember to never move your telescope manually while in Hibernate mode.
Once the telescope is powered on again the display will read Wake Up. After pressing Enter you have the
option of scrolling through the time/site information to confirm the current setting. Press ENTER to wake up
the telescope.
Pressing UNDO at the Wake Up screen allows you to explore many of the features of the hand control without
waking the telescope up from hibernate mode. To wake up the telescope after UNDO has been pressed, select
Hibernate from the Utility menu and press ENTER. Do not use the direction buttons to move the telescope
while in hibernate mode.

Turn On/Off RTC - Allows you to turn off the telescopes internal real time clock. When aligning the
telescope using AutoAlign, the CGE still receives time information from the RTC. If you want to use the CGE
database to find the coordinates of a celestial object for a future or past dates you would need to turn the RTC
off in order to manually enter a time other than the present.

Turn On/Off GPS - If using your CGE telescope with the optional CN-16 GPS accessory (see Optional
Accessories section of the manual), you will need to turn the GPS on the first time you use the accessory.
Additionally, just like with the real time clock you will need to turn the GPS module off in order to enter dates
and location other than the current information downloaded by the GPS.

CGE Ready
MENU
TRACKING
MODE
EQ NORTH
EQ SOUTH
OFF
RATE
SIDEREAL
SOLAR
LUNAR
VIEW TIME-SITE
SCOPE SETUP
SETUP TIME-SITE
ANTI-BACKLASH
FILTER LIMITS
DIRECTION BUTTONS
GOTO APPROACH
AUTOGUIDE RATE
MOUNT SETTINGS
UTILITIES

ALIGNMENT

LIST

START-UP PROCUDURE
SET SWITCH POSITION
ENTER TIME
DLS/ST
TIME ZONE
ENTER DATE- MM/DD/YY
ENTER LONG/LAT
AUTO TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT
SELECT STAR 1
CENTER STAR 1
SELECT STAR 2

NAMED STAR
NAMED OBJECT
ASTERISM
TOUR
VARIABLE STAR
DOUBLE STAR
CCD OBJECTS
ABELL
IC CATALOG
CALDWELL
MESSIER
NGC
SAO
SOLAR SYSTEM
CONSTELLATION

CENTER STAR 2

AUTO ONE-STAR ALIGNMENT
SELECT STAR 1
CENTER STAR 1

QUICK-ALIGN
LAST ALIGNMENT

CALIBRATE MOUNT
MOVE TO SWITCH
HOME POSITION
POLAR ALIGN
PEC
LIGHT CONTROL
FACTORY SETTING
VERSION
GET ALT-AZ
GOTO ALT-AZ
HIBERNATE
TURN ON/OFF RTC
TURN ON/OFF GPS
USER OBJECTS
GOTO SKY OBJ
SAVE SKY OBJ
ENTER RA & DEC
SAVE LAND OBJ
GOTO LAND OBJ
GET RA-DEC
GOTO RA-DEC
IDENTIFY
SELECT CATALOG
PRECISE GOTO
GOTO TYPE

CGE Menu Tree:
The following figure is a menu tree showing the sub-menus associated with the primary
command functions
30

A telescope is an instrument that collects and focuses light. The nature of the optical design determines how the light is focused.
Some telescopes, known as refractors, use lenses. Other telescopes, known as reflectors, use mirrors. The Schmidt-Cassegrain
optical system (or Schmidt-Cass for short) uses a combination of mirrors and lenses and is referred to as a compound or
catadioptric telescope. This unique design offers large-diameter optics while maintaining very short tube lengths, making them
extremely portable. The Schmidt-Cassegrain system consists of a zero power corrector plate, a spherical primary mirror, and a
secondary mirror. Once light rays enter the optical system, they travel the length of the optical tube three times.
The optics of the CGE have Starbright coatings - enhanced multi-layer coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors for
increased reflectivity and a fully coated corrector for the finest anti-reflection characteristics.
Inside the optical tube, a black tube extends out from the center hole in the primary mirror. This is the primary baffle tube and it
prevents stray light from passing through to the eyepiece or camera.

Figure 4-1
A cutaway view of the light path of the Schmidt-Cassegrain optical design
Image Orientation
The image orientation changes depending on how the eyepiece is inserted into the telescope. When using the star diagonal, the
image is right-side-up, but reversed from left-to-right (i.e., mirror image). If inserting the eyepiece directly into the visual back
(i.e., without the star diagonal), the image is upside-down and reversed from left-to-right (i.e., inverted). This is normal for the
Schmidt-Cassegrain design.

Actual image orientation as seen
with the unaided eye

Reversed from left to right, as
viewed with a Star Diagonal
Figure 4-2

Inverted image, as viewed with
the eyepiece directly in telescope

Focusing
The CGE's focusing mechanism controls the primary mirror which is mounted on a ring that
slides back and forth on the primary baffle tube. The focusing knob, which moves the
primary mirror, is on the rear cell of the telescope just below the star diagonal and eyepiece.
Turn the focusing knob until the image is sharp. If the knob will not turn, it has reached the
end of its travel on the focusing mechanism. Turn the knob in the opposite direction until
the image is sharp. Once an image is in focus, turn the knob clockwise to focus on a closer
object and counterclockwise for a more distant object. A single turn of the focusing knob
moves the primary mirror only slightly. Therefore, it will take many turns (about 30) to go
from close focus (approximately 60 feet) to infinity.
For astronomical viewing, out of focus star images are very diffuse, making them difficult to
see. If you turn the focus knob too quickly, you can go right through focus without seeing
the image. To avoid this problem, your first astronomical target should be a bright object
(like the Moon or a planet) so that the image is visible even when out of focus. Critical
focusing is best accomplished when the focusing knob is turned in such a manner that the
mirror moves against the pull of gravity. In doing so, any mirror shift is minimized. For
astronomical observing, both visually and photographically, this is done by turning the focus
knob counterclockwise.

Figure 4-3
The emblem on the end of
the focus knob shows the
correct rotational direction
for focusing the CGE.

NOTE: Before turning the focus knob, remember to lossen to two mirror locking knobs located on the rear cell of the
telescope. These knobs connect a screw to the primary mirror mounting plate and prevent the mirror from moving when
locked down. These screws should be locked down when transporting the telescope.

Calculating Magnification
You can change the power of your telescope just by changing the eyepiece (ocular). To determine the magnification of your
telescope, simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece used. In equation format, the
formula looks like this:
Focal Length of Telescope (mm)
Magnification =

Focal Length of Eyepiece (mm)
Let’s say, for example, you are using the 40mm Plossl eyepiece. To determine the magnification you simply divide the focal
length of your telescope (the CGE1100 for example has a focal length of 2800mm) by the focal length of the eyepiece, 40mm.
Dividing 2800 by 40 yields a magnification of 70 power.
Although the power is variable, each instrument under average skies has a limit to the highest useful magnification. The general
rule is that 60 power can be used for every inch of aperture. For example, the CGE1100 is 11 inches in diameter. Multiplying 11
by 60 gives a maximum useful magnification of 660 power. Although this is the maximum useful magnification, most observing
is done in the range of 20 to 35 power for every inch of aperture which is 220 to 385 times for the CGE1100 telescope.

Determining Field of View
Determining the field of view is important if you want to get an idea of the angular size of the object you are observing. To
calculate the actual field of view, divide the apparent field of the eyepiece (supplied by the eyepiece manufacturer) by the
magnification. In equation format, the formula looks like this:
Apparent Field of Eyepiece
True Field = 
Magnification
As you can see, before determining the field of view, you must calculate the magnification. Using the example in the previous
section, we can determine the field of view using the same 40mm eyepiece. The 40mm Plossl eyepiece has an apparent field of
view of 46°. Divide the 46° by the magnification, which is 70 power. This yields an actual field of .66°, or two-thirds of a full
degree.

To convert degrees to feet at 1,000 yards, which is more useful for terrestrial observing, simply multiply by 52.5. Continuing
with our example, multiply the angular field .66° by 52.5. This produces a linear field width of 34.7 feet at a distance of
one thousand yards. The apparent field of each eyepiece that Celestron manufactures is found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog
(#93685).

General Observing Hints
When working with any optical instrument, there are a few things to remember to ensure you get the best possible image.

•
•
•
•

Never look through window glass. Glass found in household windows is optically imperfect, and as a result, may vary in
thickness from one part of a window to the next. This inconsistency can and will affect the ability to focus your telescope.
In most cases you will not be able to achieve a truly sharp image, while in some cases, you may actually see a double image.
Never look across or over objects that are producing heat waves. This includes asphalt parking lots on hot summer days or
building rooftops.
Hazy skies, fog, and mist can also make it difficult to focus when viewing terrestrially. The amount of detail seen under
these conditions is greatly reduced. Also, when photographing under these conditions, the processed film may come out a
little grainier than normal with lower contrast and underexposed.
If you wear corrective lenses (specifically glasses), you may want to remove them when observing with an eyepiece
attached to the telescope. When using a camera, however, you should always wear corrective lenses to ensure the sharpest
possible focus. If you have astigmatism, corrective lenses must be worn at all times.

Up to this point, this manual covered the assembly and basic operation of your CGE telescope. However, to understand
your telescope more thoroughly, you need to know a little about the night sky. This section deals with observational
astronomy in general and includes information on the night sky and polar alignment.

The Celestial Coordinate System
To help find objects in the sky, astronomers use a celestial coordinate system that is similar to our geographical coordinate
system here on Earth. The celestial coordinate system has poles, lines of longitude and latitude, and an equator. For the
most part, these remain fixed against the background stars.
The celestial equator runs 360 degrees around the Earth and separates the northern celestial hemisphere from the southern.
Like the Earth's equator, it bears a reading of zero degrees. On Earth this would be latitude. However, in the sky this is
referred to as declination, or DEC for short. Lines of declination are named for their angular distance above and below the
celestial equator. The lines are broken down into degrees, minutes of arc, and seconds of arc. Declination readings south of
the equator carry a minus sign (-) in front of the coordinate and those north of the celestial equator are either blank (i.e., no
designation) or preceded by a plus sign (+).
The celestial equivalent of longitude is called Right Ascension, or R.A. for short. Like the Earth's lines of longitude, they
run from pole to pole and are evenly spaced 15 degrees apart. Although the longitude lines are separated by an angular
distance, they are also a measure of time. Each line of longitude is one hour apart from the next. Since the Earth rotates
once every 24 hours, there are 24 lines total. As a result, the R.A. coordinates are marked off in units of time. It begins with
an arbitrary point in the constellation of Pisces designated as 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds. All other points are designated
by how far (i.e., how long) they lag behind this coordinate after it passes overhead moving toward the west.

Figure 5-1
The celestial sphere seen from the outside showing R.A. and DEC.

Motion of the Stars
The daily motion of the Sun across the sky is familiar to even the most casual observer. This daily trek is not the Sun
moving as early astronomers thought, but the result of the Earth's rotation. The Earth's rotation also causes the stars to do
the same, scribing out a large circle as the Earth completes one rotation. The size of the circular path a star follows depends
on where it is in the sky. Stars near the celestial equator form the largest circles rising in the east and setting in the west.
Moving toward the north celestial pole, the point around which the stars in the northern hemisphere appear to rotate, these
circles become smaller. Stars in the mid-celestial latitudes rise in the northeast and set in the northwest. Stars at high
celestial latitudes are always above the horizon, and are said to be circumpolar because they never rise and never set. You
will never see the stars complete one circle because the sunlight during the day washes out the starlight. However, part of
this circular motion of stars in this region of the sky can be seen by setting up a camera on a tripod and opening the shutter
for a couple hours. The processed film will reveal semicircles that revolve around the pole. (This description of stellar
motions also applies to the southern hemisphere except all stars south of the celestial equator move around the south
celestial pole.)

Figure 5-2
All stars appear to rotate around the celestial poles. However, the appearance of this motion
varies depending on where you are looking in the sky. Near the north celestial pole the stars
scribe out recognizable circles centered on the pole (1). Stars near the celestial equator also
follow circular paths around the pole. But, the complete path is interrupted by the horizon.
These appear to rise in the east and set in the west (2). Looking toward the opposite pole, stars
curve or arc in the opposite direction scribing a circle around the opposite pole (3).

Latitude Scales
The easiest way to polar align a telescope is with a latitude scale. Unlike other methods that require you to find
the celestial pole by identifying certain stars near it, this method works off of a known constant to determine
how high the polar axis should be pointed. The Celestron CGE1100 mount can be adjusted from 13 to 65
degrees (see figure 5-3).
The constant, mentioned above, is a relationship
between your latitude and the angular distance the
celestial pole is above the northern (or southern)
horizon; The angular distance from the northern
horizon to the north celestial pole is always equal to
your latitude. To illustrate this, imagine that you are
standing on the north pole, latitude +90°. The north
celestial pole, which has a declination of +90°, would
be directly overhead (i.e., 90 above the horizon).
Now, let’s say that you move one degree south —
your latitude is now +89° and the celestial pole is no
longer directly overhead. It has moved one degree
closer

Latitude
Scale

Figure 5-3

toward the northern horizon. This means the pole is now 89° above the northern horizon. If you move one
degree further south, the same thing happens again. You would have to travel 70 miles north or south to change
your latitude by one degree. As you can see from this example, the distance from the northern horizon to the
celestial pole is always equal to your latitude.
If you are observing from Los Angeles, which has a latitude of 34°, then the celestial pole is 34° above the
northern horizon. All a latitude scale does then is to point the polar axis of the telescope at the right elevation
above the northern (or southern) horizon. To align your telescope:
1.

Make sure the polar axis of the mount is pointing due north. Use a landmark that you know faces north.

Level the tripod. There is a bubble level built into the mount for this purpose.
NOTE: Leveling the tripod is only necessary if using this method of polar alignment. Perfect polar alignment
is still possible using other methods described later in this manual without leveling the tripod.

Adjust the mount in altitude until the latitude indicator points to your latitude. Moving the mount affects the
angle the polar axis is pointing. For specific information on adjusting the equatorial mount, please see the
section “Adjusting the Mount.”
This method can be done in daylight, thus eliminating the need to fumble around in the dark. Although this
method does NOT put you directly on the pole, it will limit the number of corrections you will make when
tracking an object. It will also be accurate enough for short exposure prime focus planetary photography (a
couple of seconds) and short exposure piggyback astrophotography (a couple of minutes).
Pointing at Polaris
This method utilizes Polaris as a guidepost to the celestial pole. Since Polaris is less than a degree from the
celestial pole, you can simply point the polar axis of your telescope at Polaris. Although this is by no means
perfect alignment, it does get you within one degree. Unlike the previous method, this must be done in the dark
when Polaris is visible.

Set the telescope up so that the polar axis is pointing north.

Loosen the DEC clutch knob and move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis. When this is
done, the declination setting circle will read +90°. If the declination setting circle is not aligned, move the
telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis.

Adjust the mount in altitude and/or azimuth until Polaris is in the field of view of the finder.

Center Polaris in the field of the telescope using the fine adjustment controls on the mount.
Remember, while Polar aligning, do NOT move the telescope in R.A. or DEC. You do not want to move
the telescope itself, but the polar axis. The telescope is used simply to see where the polar axis is pointing.
Like the previous method, this gets you close to the pole but not directly on it. The following methods help
improve your accuracy for more serious observations and photography.
Finding the North Celestial Pole
In each hemisphere, there is a point in the sky around which all the other stars appear to rotate. These points are called the
celestial poles and are named for the hemisphere in which they reside. For example, in the northern hemisphere all stars
move around the north celestial pole. When the telescope's polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole, it is parallel to the
Earth's rotational axis.

Definition

Many methods of polar alignment require that you know how to find the celestial pole by
identifying stars in the area. For those in the northern hemisphere, finding the celestial pole is
not too difficult. Fortunately, we have a naked eye star less than a degree away. This star,
Polaris, is the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Since the Little Dipper (technically
called Ursa Minor) is not one of the brightest constellations in the sky, it may be difficult to
locate from urban areas. If this is the case, use the two end stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper
(the pointer stars). Draw an imaginary line through them toward the Little Dipper. They point
to Polaris (see Figure 5-5). The position of the Big Dipper changes during the year and
throughout the course of the night (see Figure 5-4). When the Big Dipper is low in the sky
(i.e., near the horizon), it may be difficult to locate. During these times, look for Cassiopeia
(see Figure 5-5). Observers in the southern hemisphere are not as fortunate as those in the
northern hemisphere. The stars around the south celestial pole are not nearly as bright as those
around the north. The closest star that is relatively bright is Sigma Octantis. This star is just
within naked eye limit (magnitude 5.5) and lies about 59 arc minutes from the pole.

The north celestial pole is the point in the northern hemisphere around which all
stars appear to rotate. The counterpart in the southern hemisphere is referred to as
the south celestial pole.

Figure 5-5
The two stars in the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris which is less
than one degree from the true (north) celestial pole. Cassiopeia, the “W” shaped
constellation, is on the opposite side of the pole from the Big Dipper. The North
Celestial Pole (N.C.P.) is marked by the “+” sign.

Figure 5-4 The position of the
Big Dipper changes
throughout the year and the
night.

Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment
This method of polar alignment allows you to get the most accurate alignment on the celestial pole and is
required if you want to do long exposure deep-sky astrophotography through the telescope. The
declination drift method requires that you monitor the drift of selected stars. The drift of each star tells you
how far away the polar axis is pointing from the true celestial pole and in what direction. Although
declination drift is simple and straight-forward, it requires a great deal of time and patience to complete
when first attempted. The declination drift method should be done after any one of the previously
mentioned methods has been completed.
To perform the declination drift method you need to choose two bright stars. One should be near the
eastern horizon and one due south near the meridian. Both stars should be near the celestial equator (i.e., 0°
declination). You will monitor the drift of each star one at a time and in declination only. While
monitoring a star on the meridian, any misalignment in the east-west direction is revealed. While
monitoring a star near the east/west horizon, any misalignment in the north-south direction is revealed. It is
helpful to have an illuminated reticle eyepiece to help you recognize any drift. For very close alignment, a
Barlow lens is also recommended since it increases the magnification and reveals any drift faster. When
looking due south, insert the diagonal so the eyepiece points straight up. Insert the cross hair eyepiece and
align the cross hairs so that one is parallel to the declination axis and the other is parallel to the right
ascension axis. Move your telescope manually in R.A. and DEC to check parallelism.
First, choose your star near where the celestial equator and the meridian meet. The star should be
approximately within 1/2 an hour of the meridian and within five degrees of the celestial equator. Center
the star in the field of your telescope and monitor the drift in declination.
•

If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too far east.

•

If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too far west.

Make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Once you have eliminated all the
drift, move to the star near the eastern horizon. The star should be 20 degrees above the horizon and within
five degrees of the celestial equator.
•

If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too low.

•

If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too high.

Again, make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Unfortunately, the latter
adjustments interact with the prior adjustments ever so slightly. So, repeat the process again to improve the
accuracy checking both axes for minimal drift. Once the drift has been eliminated, the telescope is very
accurately aligned. You can now do prime focus deep-sky astrophotography for long periods.
NOTE: If the eastern horizon is blocked, you may choose a star near the western horizon, but you must
reverse the polar high/low error directions. Also, if using this method in the southern hemisphere,
the direction of drift is reversed for both R.A. and DEC.

With your telescope set up, you are ready to use it for observing. This section covers visual observing hints for both
solar system and deep sky objects as well as general observing conditions which will affect your ability to observe.

Observing the Moon
Often, it is tempting to look at the Moon when it is full. At this time,
the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be overpowering.
In addition, little or no contrast can be seen during this phase.
One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases
(around the time of first or third quarter). Long shadows reveal a great
amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will be able to
see most of the lunar disk at one time. The optional Reducer/Corrector
lens allows for breath-taking views of the entire lunar disk when used
with a low power eyepiece. Change to higher power (magnification) to
focus in on a smaller area. Choose the lunar tracking rate from the
CGE's MENU tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the
eyepiece even at high magnifications.

Lunar Observing Hints
To increase contrast and bring out detail on the lunar surface, use filters. A yellow filter works well at improving
contrast while a neutral density or polarizing filter will reduce overall surface brightness and glare.

Observing the Planets
Other fascinating targets include the five naked eye planets. You can
see Venus go through its lunar-like phases. Mars can reveal a host of
surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar caps. You will be able to
see the cloud belts of Jupiter and the great Red Spot (if it is visible at
the time you are observing). In addition, you will also be able to see the
moons of Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful
rings, is easily visible at moderate power.

Planetary Observing Hints
•

•

Remember that atmospheric conditions are usually the
limiting factor on how much planetary detail will be visible.
So, avoid observing the planets when they are low on the
horizon or when they are directly over a source of radiating
heat, such as a rooftop or chimney. See the "Seeing Conditions" section later in this section.
To increase contrast and bring out detail on the planetary surface, try using Celestron eyepiece filters.

Observing the Sun
Although overlooked by many amateur astronomers, solar observation is both rewarding and fun. However, because
the Sun is so bright, special precautions must be taken when observing our star so as not to damage your eyes or your
telescope.
Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope. Because of the folded optical design, tremendous heat buildup will result inside the optical tube. This can damage the telescope and/or any accessories attached to the telescope.
For safe solar viewing, use a solar filter that reduces the intensity of the Sun's light, making it safe to view. With a
filter you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and faculae, which are bright patches seen near the Sun's
edge.

Solar Observing Hints
•

The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cooler.

•

To center the Sun without looking into the eyepiece, watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a
circular shadow.

•

To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select the solar tracking rate.

Observing Deep Sky Objects
Deep-sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system. They include star clusters,
planetary nebulae, diffuse nebulae, double stars and other galaxies outside our own Milky Way. Most deep-sky objects
have a large angular size. Therefore, low-to-moderate power is all you need to see them. Visually, they are too faint to
reveal any of the color seen in long exposure photographs. Instead, they appear black and white. And, because of their
low surface brightness, they should be observed from a dark-sky location. Light pollution around large urban areas
washes out most nebulae making them difficult, if not impossible, to observe. Light Pollution Reduction filters help
reduce the background sky brightness, thus increasing contrast.

Seeing Conditions
Viewing conditions affect what you can see through your telescope during an observing session. Conditions include
transparency, sky illumination, and seeing. Understanding viewing conditions and the effect they have on observing
will help you get the most out of your telescope.

Transparency
Transparency is the clarity of the atmosphere which is affected by clouds, moisture, and other airborne particles. Thick
cumulus clouds are completely opaque while cirrus can be thin, allowing the light from the brightest stars through.
Hazy skies absorb more light than clear skies making fainter objects harder to see and reducing contrast on brighter
objects. Aerosols ejected into the upper atmosphere from volcanic eruptions also affect transparency. Ideal conditions
are when the night sky is inky black.

Sky Illumination
General sky brightening caused by the Moon, aurorae, natural airglow, and light pollution greatly affect transparency.
While not a problem for the brighter stars and planets, bright skies reduce the contrast of extended nebulae making
them difficult, if not impossible, to see. To maximize your observing, limit deep sky viewing to moonless nights far
from the light polluted skies found around major urban areas. LPR filters enhance deep sky viewing from light
polluted areas by blocking unwanted light while transmitting light from certain deep sky objects. You can, on the other
hand, observe planets and stars from light polluted areas or when the Moon is out.

Seeing
Seeing conditions refers to the stability of the atmosphere and directly affects the amount of fine detail seen in extended
objects. The air in our atmosphere acts as a lens which bends and distorts incoming light rays. The amount of bending
depends on air density. Varying temperature layers have different densities and, therefore, bend light differently. Light
rays from the same object arrive slightly displaced creating an imperfect or smeared image. These atmospheric
disturbances vary from time-to-time and place-to-place. The size of the air parcels compared to your aperture
determines the "seeing" quality. Under good seeing conditions, fine detail is visible on the brighter planets like Jupiter
and Mars, and stars are pinpoint images. Under poor seeing conditions, images are blurred and stars appear as blobs.
The conditions described here apply to both visual and photographic observations.

Figure 6-1
Seeing conditions directly affect image quality. These drawings represent a
point source (i.e., star) under bad seeing conditions (left) to excellent conditions
(right). Most often, seeing conditions produce images that lie some where
between these two extremes.

After looking at the night sky for a while you may want to try photographing it. Several forms of celestial
photography are possible with your telescope, including short exposure prime focus, eyepiece projection,
long exposure deep sky, terrestrial and even CCD imaging. Each of these is discussed in moderate detail
with enough information to get you started. Topics include the accessories required and some simple
techniques. More information is available in some of the publications listed at the end of this manual.
In addition to the specific accessories required for each type of celestial photography, there is the need for a camera but not just any camera. The camera does not have to have many of the features offered on today's state-of-the-art
equipment. For example, you don't need auto focus capability or mirror lock up. Here are the mandatory features a
camera needs for celestial photography. First, a “B” setting which allows for time exposures. This excludes point and
shoot cameras and limits the selection to SLR cameras, the most common type of 35mm camera on the market today.
Second, the “B” or manual setting should NOT run off the battery. Many new electronic cameras use the battery to
keep the shutter open during time exposures. Once the batteries are drained, usually after a few minutes, the shutter
closes, whether you were finished with the exposure or not. Look for a camera that has a manual shutter when
operating in the time exposure mode. Olympus, Nikon, Minolta, Pentax, Canon and others have made such camera
bodies.
The camera must have interchangeable lenses so you can attach it to the telescope and so you can use a variety of
lenses for piggyback photography. If you can't find a new camera, you can purchase a used camera body that is not
100-percent functional. The light meter, for example, does not have to be operational since you will be determining the
exposure length manually.
You also need a cable release with a locking function to hold the shutter open while you do other things. Mechanical
and air release models are available.

Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography
Short exposure prime focus photography is the best way to begin recording celestial objects. It is done with the camera
attached to the telescope without an eyepiece or camera lens in place. To attach your camera you need the Celestron TAdapter (#93633-A) and a T-Ring for your specific camera (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.). The T-Ring replaces
the 35mm SLR camera's normal lens. Prime focus photography allows you to capture the majority of the lunar disk or
solar disk. To attach your camera to your telescope.
1.

Remove all visual accessories.

Thread the T-Ring onto the T-Adapter.

Mount your camera body onto the T-Ring the same as you would any other lens.

Thread the T-Adapter onto the back of the telescope while holding the camera in the desired orientation (either
vertical or horizontal).

With your camera attached to the telescope, you are ready for prime focus photography. Start with an easy object like
the Moon. Here's how to do it:
1.

Load your camera with film that has a moderate-to-fast speed (i.e., ISO rating). Faster films are more desirable
when the Moon is a crescent. When the Moon is near full, and at its brightest, slower films are more desirable.
Here are some film recommendations:

•

T-Max 100

•
•
•

•

T-Max 400
Any 100 to 400 ISO color slide film
Fuji Super HG 400
Ektar 25 or 100

Center the Moon in the field of your CGE telescope.

Focus the telescope by turning the focus knob until the image is sharp.

Set the shutter speed to the appropriate setting (see table below).

Trip the shutter using a cable release.

Advance the film and repeat the process.
Lunar Phase
Crescent
Quarter
Full

ISO 50
1/2
1/15
1/30

ISO 100
1/4
1/30
1/60

ISO 200
1/8
1/60
1/125

ISO 400
1/15
1/125
1/250

Table 7-1
Above is a listing of recommended exposure times when photographing the Moon at the
prime focus of your CGE telescope.

The exposure times listed in table 7-1 should be used as a starting point. Always make exposures that are longer and
shorter than the recommended time. Also, take a few photos at each shutter speed. This will ensure that you will get a
good photo.
•

If using black and white film, try a yellow filter to reduce the light intensity and to increase contrast.

•

Keep accurate records of your exposures. This information is useful if you want to repeat your results or
if you want to submit some of your photos to various astronomy magazines for possible publication!

•

This technique is also used for photographing the Sun with the proper solar filter.

Eyepiece Projection
This form of celestial photography is designed for objects with small angular sizes, primarily the Moon and planets.
Planets, although physically quite large, appear small in angular size because of their great distances. Moderate to high
magnification is, therefore, required to make the image large enough to see any detail. Unfortunately, the
camera/telescope combination alone does not provide enough magnification to produce a usable image size on film. In
order to get the image large enough, you must attach your camera to the telescope with the eyepiece in place. To do so,
you need two additional accessories; a deluxe tele-extender (#93643), which attaches to the visual back, and a T-ring
for your particular camera make (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.).
Because of the high magnifications during eyepiece projection, the field of view
is quite small which makes it difficult to find and center objects. To make the
job a little easier, align the finder as accurately as possible. This allows you to
get the object in the telescope's field based on the finder's view alone.
Another problem introduced by the high magnification is vibration. Simply
tripping the shutter  even with a cable release  produces enough vibration to
smear the image. To get around this, use the camera's self-timer if the exposure
time is less than one second  a common occurrence when photographing the
Moon. For exposures over one second, use the "hat trick." This technique
incorporates a hand-held black card placed over the aperture of the telescope to
Figure 7-1 - Accessories for
Projection Photography

act as a shutter. The card prevents light from entering the telescope while the shutter is released. Once the shutter has
been released and the vibration has diminished (a few seconds), move the black card out of the way to expose the film.
After the exposure is complete, place the card over the front of the telescope and close the shutter. Advance the film
and you're ready for your next shot. Keep in mind that the card should be held a few inches in front of the telescope,
and not touching it. It is easier if you use two people for this process; one to release the camera shutter and one to hold
the card. Here's the process for making the exposure.
1.

Find and center the desired target in the viewfinder of your camera.

Turn the focus knob until the image is as sharp as possible.

Place the black card over the front of the telescope.

Release the shutter using a cable release.

Wait for the vibration caused by releasing the shutter to diminish. Also, wait for a moment of good seeing.

Remove the black card from in front of the telescope for the duration of the exposure (see accompanying table).

Replace the black card over the front of the telescope.

Close the camera's shutter.

Advance the film and you are ready for your next exposure. Don't forget to take photos of varying duration and keep
accurate records of what you have done. Record the date, telescope, exposure duration, eyepiece, f/ratio, film, and
some comments on the seeing conditions.
The following table lists exposures for eyepiece projection with a 10mm eyepiece. All exposure times are listed in
seconds or fractions of a second.
Planet
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

ISO 50
4
16
1/2
16
8
16

ISO 100
2
8
1/4
8
4
8

ISO 200
1
4
1/8
4
2
4

ISO 400
1/2
2
1/15
2
1
2

Table 7-2
Recommended exposure time for photographing planets.

The exposure times listed here should be used as a starting point. Always make exposures that are longer and shorter
than the recommended time. Also, take a few photos at each shutter speed. This will ensure that you get a good photo.
It is not uncommon to go through an entire roll of 36 exposures and have only one good shot.
NOTE: Don't expect to record more detail than you can see visually in the eyepiece at the time you are photographing.
Once you have mastered the technique, experiment with different films, different focal length eyepieces, and even
different filters.

Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography
This is the last form of celestial photography to be attempted after others have been mastered. It is intended primarily
for deep sky objects, that is objects outside our solar system which includes star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. While
it may seem that high magnification is required for these objects, just the opposite is true. Most of these objects cover
large angular areas and fit nicely into the prime focus field of your telescope. The brightness of these objects, however,
requires long exposure times and, as a result, are rather difficult.

There are several techniques for this type of photography, and the one chosen will determine the standard accessories
needed. The best method for long exposure deep sky astrophotography is with an off-axis guider. This device allows
you to photograph and guide through the telescope simultaneously. Celestron offers a very special and advanced offaxis guider, called the Radial Guider (#94176). In addition, you will need a T-Ring to attach your camera to the Radial
Guider.
Other equipment needs include a guiding eyepiece. Unlike other forms of astrophotography which allows for fairly
loose guiding, prime focus requires meticulous guiding for long periods. To accomplish this you need a guiding ocular
with an illuminated reticle to monitor your guide star. For this purpose, Celestron offers the Micro Guide Eyepiece
(#94171) Here is a brief summary of the technique.
1.

Polar align the telescope. For more information on polar aligning, see the Polar Alignment section earlier in the
manual.

Remove all visual accessories.

Thread the Radial Guider onto your telescope.

Thread the T-Ring onto the Radial Guider.

Mount your camera body onto the T-Ring the same as you would any other lens.

Set the shutter speed to the "B" setting.

Focus the telescope on a star.

Center your subject in the field of your camera.

Find a suitable guide star in the telescope field. This can be the most time consuming process.

10. Open the shutter using a cable release.
11. Monitor your guide star for the duration of the exposure using the buttons on the hand controller to make the
needed corrections.

12. Close the camera's shutter.
Periodic Error Correction (PEC)
PEC for short, is a system that improves the tracking accuracy of the drive by reducing the number of user
corrections needed to keep a guide star centered in the eyepiece. PEC is designed to improve photographic
quality by reducing the amplitude of the worm errors. Using the PEC function is a three-step process.
First, the CGE needs to know the current position of its worm gear so that it has a reference when playing
back the recorded error. Next, you must guide for at least 8 minutes during which time the system records
the correction you make. (It takes the worm gear 8 minutes to make one complete revolution, hence the
need to guide for 8 minutes). This “teaches” the PEC chip the characteristics of the worm. The periodic
error of the worm gear drive will be stored in the PEC chip and used to correct periodic error. The last step
is to play back the corrections you made during the recording phase. Keep in mind, this feature is for
advanced astrophotography and still requires careful guiding since all telescope drives have some periodic
error.

Using Periodic Error Correction
Once the telescope has been properly polar aligned, select PEC from the Utilities menu and press ENTER
to begin recording your periodic error. Here’s how to use the PEC function.
1.

Find a bright star relatively close to the object you want to photograph.

Insert a high power eyepiece with illuminated cross hairs into your telescope. Orient the guiding
eyepiece cross hairs so that one is parallel to the declination while the other is parallel to the R.A.
axis.

Center the guide star on the illuminated cross hairs, focus the telescope, and study the periodic
movement.

Before actually recording the periodic error, take a few minutes to practice guiding. Set the hand
control slew rate to an appropriate guide rate (rate 1 = .5x, rate 2 = 1x) and practice centering the
guide star in the cross hairs for several minutes. This will help you familiarize yourself with the
periodic error of the drive and the operation of the hand control. Remember to ignore declination
drift when programming the PEC.

Note: When recording PEC only the photo guide rates (rates 1 and 2) will be operational. This eliminates
the possibility of moving the telescope suddenly while recording.
5.

Helpful
Hint

To begin recording the drive's periodic error, press the MENU button and select PEC from the
Utilities menu. Use the Up/Down scroll buttons to display the Record option and press ENTER.
You will have 5 seconds before the system starts to record. The first time each observing session
that PEC record or play is selected, the worm gear must rotate in order to mark its starting
position. If the rotation of the worm gear moves your guide star outside the field of view of the
eyepiece, it will have to be re-centered before the recording begins.

Once the worm gear is indexed, it will not need to be positioned again until the telescope is turned-off. So, to give
yourself more time to prepare for guiding, it is best to restart PEC recording after the worm gear has found its index.

After 8 minutes PEC will automatically stop recording.

Point the telescope at the object you want to photograph and center the guide star on the
illuminated cross hairs and you are ready to play back the periodic error correction.

Once the drive's periodic error has been recorded, use the Playback function to begin playing back
the correction for future photographic guiding. If you want to re-record the periodic error, select
Record and repeat the recording processes again. The previously recorded information will be
replaced with the current information. Repeat steps 7 and 8 to playback the PEC corrections for
your next object.

Does the PEC function make unguided astrophotography possible? Yes and no. For solar (filtered), lunar,
and piggyback (up to 200mm), the answer is yes. However, even with PEC, off-axis guiding is still
mandatory for long exposure, deep sky astrophotography. The optional Reducer/Corrector lens reduces
exposure times making the task of guiding a little easier.
When getting started, use fast films to record as much detail in the shortest possible time.
recommendations:
•

Ektar 1000 (color print)

Here are proven

•
•
•
•
•
•

Konica 3200 (color print)
Fujichrome 1600D (color slide)
3M 1000 (color slide)
Scotchchrome 400
T-Max 3200 (black and white print)
T-Max 400 (black and white print)

As you perfect your technique, try specialized films, that is films that are designed or specially treated for celestial
photography. Here are some popular choices:
•
•
•
•

Ektar 125 (color print)
Fujichrome 100D (color slide)
Tech Pan, gas hypered (black and white print)
T-Max 400 (black and white print)

There is no exposure determination table to help you get started. The best way to determine exposure length is look at
previously published photos to see what film/exposure combinations were used. Or take unguided sample photos of
various parts of the sky while the drive is running. Always take exposures of various lengths to determine the best
exposure time.

Terrestrial Photography
Your CGE makes an excellent telephoto lens for terrestrial (land) photography. Terrestrial photography is best done
will the telescope in Alt-Az configuration and the tracking drive turned off. To turn the tracking drive off, press the
MENU (9) button on the hand control and scroll down to the Tracking Mode sub menu. Use the Up and Down scroll
keys (10) to select the Off option and press ENTER. This will turn the tracking motors off, so that objects will remain
in your camera's field of view.

Metering
The CGE has a fixed aperture and, as a result, fixed f/ratios. To properly expose your subjects photographically, you
need to set your shutter speed accordingly. Most 35mm SLR cameras offer through-the-lens metering which lets you
know if your picture is under or overexposed. Adjustments for proper exposures are made by changing the shutter
speed. Consult your camera manual for specific information on metering and changing shutter speeds.

Reducing Vibration
Releasing the shutter manually can cause vibrations, producing blurred photos. To reduce vibration when tripping the
shutter, use a cable release. A cable release keeps your hands clear of the camera and lens, thus eliminating the
possibility of introducing vibration. Mechanical shutter releases can be used, though air-type releases are best.
Blurry pictures can also result from shutter speeds that are too slow. To prevent this, use films that produce shutter
speeds greater than 1/250 of a second when hand-holding the lens. If the lens is mounted on a tripod, the exposure
length is virtually unlimited.
Another way to reduce vibration is with the Vibration Suppression Pads. These pads rest between the ground and
tripod feet. They reduce the vibration amplitude and vibration time.

CCD Imaging
Fastar Lens Assembly Option – Using your CGE telescope at f/2 with optional Fastar Lens Assembly

The CGE800, CGE1100 and CGE1400 telescope are equipped with a removable secondary mirror that
allows you to convert your f/10 telescope into an f/2 imaging system capable of exposure times 25 times
shorter than those needed with a f/10 system! With the optional Fastar lens assembly you can easily
convert your Fastar compatible telescope to f/2 prime focus use in a matter of seconds. The Fastar

Secondary
Mirror
Secondary
Mirror
Retaining Ring
Corrector Plate
Secondary
Mirror Mount
Handle
Figure 7-2

The Fastar Compatible Optical System

compatible CGE telescope's versatility allows it to be used in many different f-number configurations for
CCD imaging. It can be used at f/2 (with optional Fastar Lens Assembly), f/6.3 (with the optional
Reducer/Corrector), f/10, and f/20 (with the optional 2x Barlow) making it the most versatile imaging
system available today. This makes the system ideal for imaging deep-sky objects as well as planetary
detail. Described below is the configuration of each F-number and the type of object best suited to that
kind of imaging.
The above figure shows how the secondary mirror is removed when using the optional CCD camera at f/2
and the Fastar Lens Assembly.
Warning: The secondary mirror should never be removed unless installing the optional Fastar Lens
Assembly. Adjustments to collimation can easily be made by turning the screws on the top of the
secondary mirror mount without ever having to remove the secondary mirror (see Telescope Maintenance
section of this manual).
The F/# stands for the ratio between the focal length and the diameter of the light gathering element. A
CGE1100 optical tube has a focal length of 110 inches and a diameter of 11 inches. This makes the system
an f/10, (focal length divided by diameter). The CGE 800 has a focal length of 80 inches and a diameter of
8 inches, also making it an f/10 optical system. However, the CGE 1400 optical tube has a 154 inch focal
length with a F-ratio of f/11. When the secondary is removed and the CCD camera is placed at the Fastar
position, the system becomes f/2, this is a unique feature to some Celestron telescopes (see figures below).

Fastar L ens Assem bl

CCD Camera

Figure 7-3

Figure 7-4

The key factors for good CCD imaging are; exposure time, field-of-view, image size, and pixel resolution.
As the F/# goes down (or gets faster), the exposure times needed decreases, the field-of-view-increases, but
the image scale of the object gets smaller. What is the difference between f/2 and f/10? F/2 has 1/5 the
focal length of f/10. That makes the exposure time needed about 25 times shorter than at f/10, the field of
view 5 times larger and the object size 1/5 compared to that of f/10. (see Table below)

Focal
Length &
Speed

Telescope
Model

Standard
Cassegrain f/10

With
Reducer/Corrector
f/6.3

With Fastar
Lens Accessory
f/2

CGE 800

80" (2032mm)

50.4" (1280mm)

16" (406.4mm)

CGE 1100

110" (2800mm)

69.5" (1764mm)

23.1 (587mm)

CGE 1400

154" (3910mm)

88.2" (2239mm)

29.4" (746mm)

40 x 30 (arc
min)
28 x 21 (arc
CGE 1100
9.2 x 7.0 (arc min)
min)
CGE 1400
22 x 17 (arc
4 x 3 (arc min)
7 x 5.5 (arc min)
min)
* Field of view calculated using SBIG ST 237 CCD camera with 4.7mm x 3.6mm
chip.
CGE 800

ST 237
F.O.V.*

8 x 6.1 (arc
min)
5.8 x 4.4 (arc
min)

12.6 x 9.7 (arc min)

Table 7-3
The following is a brief description of the advantages of imaging at each f-number configuration and the
proper equipment needed to use the telescope in any of its many settings
Fastar F/2 Imaging
As stated above, the exposure times are much shorter at f/2 than at f/6.3 or f/10. The field-of-view is wider,
so it is easier to find and center objects. Also with a wider field-of-view you can fit larger objects (such as
M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy) in the frame. Typical exposure times can be 20-30 seconds for many objects.
Under dark skies you can get an excellent image of the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) with only a few 30 second
exposures (see figure 8-5 below). The spiral arms of the Whirlpool galaxy (Figure 8-6) can be captured

with a 30 second exposure and can be improved upon dramatically if several 30-60 second exposures are
added together .
F/6.3 with Reducer/Corrector
When imaging some objects like planetary nebula (for example M57, the Ring Nebula) and small galaxies
(M104, the Sombrero Galaxy), larger image scale is needed to resolve finer detail. These objects are better
shot at f/6.3 or even f/10.
Medium size to small galaxies –
f/6.3 imaging gives you finer resolution then at f/2, but the slower f-number will usually require you to guide the
image while you are taking longer exposures. Guiding can be accomplished by using an optional Radial Guider or a
piggyback guide scope. The exposure times are about 10 times longer but the results can be worth the extra effort.
There are some objects that are small enough and bright enough that they work great at f/6.3. M104 (the Sombrero
Galaxy) can be imaged under dark skies with a series of short exposures using Track and Accumulate. Ten exposures
at 15 seconds each will yield a nice image and is short enough that you may not need to guide the exposure at all. For
f/6.3 imaging the optional Reducer/Corrector is needed. (See Optional Accessory section at the end of this manual).
Lunar or small planetary nebulae--

f/10 imaging is more challenging for long exposure, deep-sky imaging. Guiding needs to be very accurate
and the exposure times need to be much longer, about 25 times longer than f/2. There are only a select few
objects that work well at f/10. The moon images fine because it is so bright, but planets are still a bit small
and should be shot at f/20. The Ring nebula is a good candidate because it is small and bright. The Ring
Nebula (M57) can be imaged in about 30-50 seconds at f/10. The longer the exposure the better.
Planetary or Lunar-f/20 is a great way to image the planets and features on the moon. When imaging the planets, very short
exposures are needed. The exposure lengths range from .03 to .1 seconds on planetary images. Focus is
critical as is good atmospheric conditions. Generally you will take one image after another until one looks
good. This is due to the atmospheric “seeing” conditions. For every 10 exposures you might save 1. To
image at f/20 you need to purchase a 2x Barlow and a T-adapter or Radial Guider.

Figure 7-5 M27 -- The Dumbbell

Figure 7-6 M51 -- The Whirlpool Nebula
9 exposures of 60 seconds each.

Nebula 4 exposures of 30 seconds each!

Auto Guiding
The CGE telescope has a designated auto guiding port for use with a CCD autoguider. The diagram below
may be useful when connecting the CCD camera cable to the CGE and calibrating the autoguider. Note that
the four outputs are active-low, with internal pull-ups and are capable of sinking 25 mA DC.

While your CGE telescope requires little maintenance, there are a few things to remember that will ensure your telescope
performs at its best.

Care and Cleaning of the Optics
Occasionally, dust and/or moisture may build up on the corrector plate of your telescope. Special care should be taken when
cleaning any instrument so as not to damage the optics.
If dust has built up on the corrector plate, remove it with a brush (made of camel’s hair) or a can of pressurized air. Spray at an
angle to the lens for approximately two to four seconds. Then, use an optical cleaning solution and white tissue paper to remove
any remaining debris. Apply the solution to the tissue and then apply the tissue paper to the lens. Low pressure strokes should
go from the center of the corrector to the outer portion. Do NOT rub in circles!
You can use a commercially made lens cleaner or mix your own. A good cleaning solution is isopropyl alcohol mixed with
distilled water. The solution should be 60% isopropyl alcohol and 40% distilled water. Or, liquid dish soap diluted with water (a
couple of drops per one quart of water) can be used.
Occasionally, you may experience dew build-up on the corrector plate of your telescope during an observing session. If you want
to continue observing, the dew must be removed, either with a hair dryer (on low setting) or by pointing the telescope at the
ground until the dew has evaporated.
If moisture condenses on the inside of the corrector, remove the accessories from the rear cell of the telescope. Place the
telescope in a dust-free environment and point it down. This will remove the moisture from the telescope tube.
To minimize the need to clean your telescope, replace all lens covers once you have finished using it. Since the rear cell is NOT
sealed, the cover should be placed over the opening when not in use. This will prevent contaminants from entering the optical
tube.
Internal adjustments and cleaning should be done only by the Celestron repair department. If your telescope is in need of internal
cleaning, please call the factory for a return authorization number and price quote.

Collimation
The optical performance of your CGE telescope is directly related to its collimation, that is the alignment of its optical system.
Your CGE was collimated at the factory after it was completely assembled. However,
if the telescope is dropped or jarred severely during transport, it may have to be
collimated. The only optical element that may need to be adjusted, or is possible, is
the tilt of the secondary mirror.
To check the collimation of your telescope you will need a light source. A bright star
near the zenith is ideal since there is a minimal amount of atmospheric distortion.
Make sure that tracking is on so that you won’t have to manually track the star. Or, if
you do not want to power up your telescope, you can use Polaris. Its position relative
to the celestial pole means that it moves very little thus eliminating the need to
manually track it.
Before you begin the collimation process, be sure that your telescope is in thermal
equilibrium with the surroundings. Allow 45 minutes for the telescope to reach
equilibrium if you move it between large temperature extremes.
Figure 8-1

Rotate the collimation screw cover to
access the three collimation screw.

To verify collimation, view a star near the zenith. Use a medium to high power ocular
— 12mm to 6mm focal length. It is important to center a star in the center of the field
to judge collimation. Slowly cross in and out of focus and judge the symmetry of the
star. If you see a systematic skewing of the star to one side, then re-collimation is
needed.

Figure 8-2 -- Even though the star pattern appears the same on both sides of focus, they are asymmetric. The
dark obstruction is skewed off to the left side of the diffraction pattern indicating poor collimation.

To accomplish this, you need to tighten the secondary collimation screw(s) that move the star across the field toward the
direction of the skewed light. These screws are located in the secondary mirror holder (see figure 8-1). To access the collimation
screws you will need to rotate the collimation screw cover clockwise to expose the three collimation screws underneath. Make
only small 1/6 to 1/8 adjustments to the collimation screws and re-center the star by moving the scope before making any
improvements or before making further adjustments.
To make collimation a simple procedure, follow these easy steps:
1.

While looking through a medium to high power eyepiece, de-focus a bright star until a ring pattern with a dark shadow
appears (see figure 8-2). Center the de-focused star and notice in which direction the central shadow is skewed.

Place your finger along the edge of the front cell of the telescope (be careful not to touch the corrector plate), pointing
towards the collimation screws. The shadow of your finger should be visible when looking into the eyepiece. Rotate
your finger around the tube edge until its shadow is seen closest to the narrowest portion of the rings (i.e. the same
direction in which the central shadow is skewed).

Locate the collimation screw closest to where your finger is positioned. This will be the collimation screw you will
need to adjust first. (If your finger is positioned exactly between two of the collimation screws, then you will need to
adjust the screw opposite where your finger is located).

Use the hand control buttons to move the de-focused star image to the edge of the field of view, in the same direction
that the central obstruction of the star image is skewed.

While looking through the eyepiece, use an Allen wrench to turn the collimation screw you located in step 2 and 3.
Usually a tenth of a turn is enough to notice a change in collimation. If the star image moves out of the field of view in
the direction that the central shadow is skewed, than you are turning the
collimation screw the wrong way. Turn the screw in the opposite direction, so that
the star image is moving towards the center of the field of view.

Figure 8-3
A collimated telescope
should appear
symmetrical with the
central obstruction
centered in the star's
diffraction pattern.

If while turning you notice that the screws get very loose, then simply tighten the
other two screws by the same amount. Conversely, if the collimation screw gets
too tight, then loosen the other two screws by the same amount.

Once the star image is in the center of the field of view, check to see if the rings are
concentric. If the central obstruction is still skewed in the same direction, then
continue turning the screw(s) in the same direction. If you find that the ring pattern
is skewed in a different direction, than simply repeat steps 2 through 6 as described
above for the new direction.

Perfect collimation will yield a star image very symmetrical just inside and outside of focus.
In addition, perfect collimation delivers the optimal optical performance specifications that
your telescope is built to achieve.

If seeing (i.e., air steadiness) is turbulent, collimation is difficult to judge. Wait until a better night if it is turbulent or aim to a
steadier part of the sky. A steadier part of the sky is judged by steady versus twinkling stars.

You will find that additional accessories enhance your viewing pleasure and expand the usefulness of your
telescope. For ease of reference, all the accessories are listed in alphabetical order.
Adapter AC (#18773) - Allow DC (battery powered) telescopes to be converted for use with 120 volt AC power.
Barlow Lens - A Barlow lens is a negative lens that increases the focal length of a telescope. Used with any eyepiece, it
doubles the magnification of that eyepiece. Celestron offers two Barlow lens in the 1-1/4" size for the CGE. The 2x Ultima
Barlow (#93506) is a compact triplet design that is fully multicoated for maximum light transmission and parfocal when
used with the Ultima eyepieces. Model #93326 is a compact achromatic Barlow lens that is under three inches long and
weighs only 4 oz. It works very well with all Celestron eyepieces.

CD-ROM (#93700) - Celestron and Software Bisque have joined together to
present this comprehensive CD-ROM called The Sky™ Level 1 - from Celestron. It
features a 10,000 object database, 75 color images, horizontal projection, custom sky
chart printing, zoom capability and more! A fun, useful and educational product.
PC format.
Erect Image Diagonal (#94112-A) - This accessory is an Amici prism arrangement
that allows you to look into the telescope at a 45° angle with images that are oriented
properly (upright and correct from left-to-right). It is useful for daytime, terrestrial
viewing.
Eyepieces - Like telescopes, eyepieces come in a variety of designs. Each design has its own advantages and
disadvantages. For the 1-1/4" barrel diameter there are four different eyepiece designs available.

•

OMNI Plössl - Plössl eyepieces have a 4-element lens designed for low-to-high power observing. The Plössls offer
razor sharp views across the entire field, even at the edges! In the 1-1/4" barrel diameter, they are available in the
following focal lengths: 4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 32mm and
40mm.

•

X-Cel - This 6 element design allows each X-Cel Eyepiece to have 20mm of eye relief, 55°
field of view and more than 25mm of lens aperture (even with the 2.3mm). In order to
maintain razor sharp, color corrected images across its 50° field of view, extra-low
dispersion glass is used for the most highly curved optical elements. The excellent refractive
properties of these high grade optical elements, make the X-Cel line especially well suited
for high magnification planetary viewing where sharp, color-free views are most
appreciated. X-Cel eyepiece come in the following focal lengths: 2.3mm, 5mm, 8mm,
10mm, 12.5mm, 18mm, 21mm, 25mm.

• Ultima - Ultima is our 5-element, wider field eyepiece design. In the 1-1/4" barrel
diameter, they are available in the following focal lengths: 5mm, 7.5mm, 12.5mm, 18mm,
30mm, 35mm, and 42mm. These eyepieces are all parfocal. The 35mm Ultima gives the
widest possible field of view with a 1-1/4" diagonal.
• Axiom – As an extension of the Ultima line, a new wide angle series is offered – called the Axiom series. All units are
seven element designs and feature a 70º extra wide field of view ( except the 50mm). All are fully multicoated and
contain all the feature of the Ultimas.

Fastar Lens Assembly – (#94180 – 8", #94179 – 11", #94181 - 14 ) - For the ultimate in deep-sky imaging, a
Fastar Lens Assembly can be combined with any of Celestron's Fastar compatible telescope to achieve amazing f/2 widefield images. Celestron offers the lens assembly complete with lens assembly, secondary holder and counterweight.
Filters, Eyepiece - To enhance your visual observations of solar system objects,
Celestron offers a wide range of colored filters that thread into the 1-1/4" oculars.
Available individually are: #12 deep yellow, #21 orange, #25 red, #58 green, #80A light
blue, #96 neutral density - 25%T, #96 neutral density - 13%T, and polarizing. These and
other filters are also sold in sets.
Flashlight, Night Vision - (#93588) - Celestron’s premium model for astronomy, using
two red LED's to preserve night vision better than red filters or other devices. Brightness is adjustable. Operates on a single
9 volt battery (included).
Flashlight, Red Astro Lite – (#93590) – An economical squeeze-type flashlight fitted with a red cap to help preserve your
night vision. Remove the red cap for normal flashlight operation. Very compact size and handy key chain.
CN16 GPS Accessory (#93963) - Plug in this 16-channel GPS module into your telescopes drive base port to link up
and automatically download information from one of many global positioning satellites. Controlled with the computerized
hand control, the CN-16 will greatly improve the accuracy of your star alignments.
CN16 GPS Bracket (#93964) – Support your CN-16 GPS accessory with this bracket and strap combination that
securely wraps around any of the tripod legs and holds the GPS module in place .
Light Pollution Reduction (LPR) Filters - These filters are designed to enhance your views of deep sky astronomical
objects when viewed from urban areas. LPR Filters selectively reduce the transmission of certain wavelengths of light,
specifically those produced by artificial lights. This includes mercury and high and low pressure sodium vapor lights. In
addition, they also block unwanted natural light (sky glow) caused by neutral oxygen emission in our atmosphere. Celestron
offers a model for 1-1/4" eyepieces (#94126A) and a model that attaches to the rear cell ahead of the star diagonal and visual
back (#94127A).
Micro Guide Eyepiece (#94171) - This multipurpose 12.5mm illuminated reticle can be used for
guiding deep-sky astrophotos, measuring position angles, angular separations, and more. The
laser etched reticle provides razor sharp lines and the variable brightness illuminator is
completely cordless. The micro guide eyepiece produces 224 power when used with the CGE
11 at f/10 and 163 power with the CGE 8.
Moon Filter (#94119-A) - Celestron’s Moon Filter is an economical eyepiece filter for reducing
the brightness of the moon and improving contrast, so greater detail can be observed on the lunar
surface. The clear aperture is 21mm and the transmission is about 18%.

Polarizing Filter Set (#93608) - The polarizing filter set limits the transmission of light to a specific plane, thus increasing
contrast between various objects. This is used primarily for terrestrial, lunar and planetary observing.
Polar Axis Finderscope (#94220) – This useful accessory speeds accurate polar alignment by providing a means of
visually aligning your German equatorial mount with Polaris and true north. As a result, you can spend more time observing
and less time setting up. The finderscope has an easy to use cross hair reticle.
PowerTank (#18774) – 12v 7Amp hour rechargeable power supply. Comes with two
12v output cigarette outlets, built-in red flash light , Halogen emergency spotlight. AC
adapter and cigarette lighter adapter included.

Radial Guider (#94176) - The Celestron Radial Guider® is specifically designed for use in
prime focus, deep sky astrophotography and takes the place of the T-Adapter. This device
allows you to photograph and guide simultaneously through the optical tube assembly of
your telescope. This type of guiding produces the best results since what you see through
the guiding eyepiece is exactly reproduced on the processed film. The Radial Guider is a
“T”-shaped assembly that attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. As light from the
telescope enters the guider, most passes straight through to the camera. A small portion,
however, is diverted by a prism at an adjustable angle up to the guiding eyepiece. This
guider has two features not found on other off-axis guiders; first, the prism and eyepiece
housing rotate independently of the camera orientation making the acquisition of a guide
star quite easy. Second, the prism angle is tunable allowing you to look at guide stars on-axis. This accessory works
especially well with the Reducer/Corrector.
Reducer/Corrector (#94175) - This lens reduces the focal length of the telescope by 37%, making your CGE 11 a
1764mm f/6.3 instrument and the CGE 8 a 1280mm f/6.3 instrument. In addition,
this unique lens also corrects inherent aberrations to produce crisp images all the way
across the field when used visually. When used photographically, there is some
vignetting that produces a 26mm circular image on the processed film. It also increases
the field of view significantly and is ideal for wide-field, deep-space viewing. It is also
perfect for beginning prime focus, long-exposure astro photography when used with the
radial guider. It makes guiding easier and exposures much shorter.

RS-232 Cable (#93920) – Allows your CGE telescope to be controlled using a laptop
computer or PC. Once connected, the CGE can be controlled using popular astronomy
software programs.
Sky Maps (#93722) - Celestron Sky Maps are the ideal teaching guide for learning the night sky. You wouldn’t set off on a
road trip without a road map, and you don’t need to try to navigate the night sky without a map either. Even if you already
know your way around the major constellations, these maps can help you locate all kinds of fascinating objects.
Skylight Filter (#93621) - The Skylight Filter is used on the Celestron CGE telescope as a dust seal. The filter threads onto
the rear cell of your telescope. All other accessories, both visual and photographic (with the exception of Barlow lenses),
thread onto the skylight filter. The light loss caused by this filter is minimal.
Solar Filter - The AstroSolar® filter is a safe and durable filter that covers the front opening of the telescope. View
sunspots and other solar features using this double-sided metal coated filter for uniform density and good color balance
across the entire field. The Sun offers constant changes and will keep your observing interesting and fun. Celestron offers
filters for CGE GPS 8 (#94162).
T-Adapter (#93633-A) - T-Adapter (with additional T-Ring) allows you to attach your SLR camera to the rear cell of your
Celestron CGE. This turns your CGE into a high power telephoto lens perfect for terrestrial photography and short
exposure lunar and filtered solar photography.
T-Ring - The T-Ring couples your 35mm SLR camera body to the T-Adapter, radial guider, or tele-extender. This
accessory is mandatory if you want to do photography through the telescope. Each camera make (i.e., Minolta, Nikon,
Pentax, etc.) has its own unique mount and therefore, its own T-Ring. Celestron has 8 different models for 35mm cameras.
Tele-Extender, Deluxe (#93643) - The tele-extender is a hollow tube that allows you to attach a camera to the telescope
when the eyepiece is installed. This accessory is used for eyepiece projection photography which allows you to capture very
high power views of the Sun, Moon, and planets on film. The tele-extender fits over the eyepiece onto the visual back. This
tele-extender works with eyepieces that have large housings, like the Celestron Ultima series.
A full description of all Celestron accessories can be found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog (#93685).

CGE 925

CGE 800

Computerized Equatorial Mount
No
25mm Plossl - 1.25" (94x)
1.25"
Adjustable, Carbon Steel

6x30
Computerized Equatorial Mount
Carbon Fiber
Yes
25mm Ploss l- 1.25" (81x)
1.25"
Adjustable, Carbon Steel
Included

Finderscope

Mount

Optical Tube

Fastar Compatible

Eyepiece

Star Diagonal

Tripod

Car Battery Adapter

14
.68 arc seconds

Limiting Stellar Magnitude

Resolution: Rayleigh

28 ft.
Starbright Coating
3.35"
13%

.62º
32 ft.
Starbright Coating
2.7"
11%
34%

Field of View :standard eyepiece

Linear FOV (@1000 yds)

Optical Coatings

Secondary Mirror Obstruction

by Area

by Diameter

200 line/mm

42 lb

42 lb
5 lb
1 x 11 lb

Tripod and Pier

EQ Mount Weight

Counter Weight bar

Counter Weight

1 x 25 lb

5 lb

20 lbs
41.5 lb

12.5 lb
41.5 lb

Optical Tube Weight

22 inches

17 inches

Optical tube length

36%

.53º

1127x unaided eye

200 line/mm
843x unaided eye

Light Gathering Power

.49 arc seconds

.59 arc seconds

14.4

34x

555x

Included

Aluminum

Photographic Resolution

.57 arc seconds

29x

Dawes Limit

480x

Highest Useful Magnication

Lowest Useful Magnification

Technical Specs

6x30

2032mm F/10

Focal Length

2350mm F/10

8" Schmidt-Cassegrain

9.25" Schmidt-Cassegrain

11059

11058

Optical Design

Specifications:

CGE

Technical Specifications

1 x 25 lb

5 lb

42 lb

41.5 lb

27.5 lbs

24 inches

34%

12%

3.75"

Starbright Coating

38 ft.

.71º

1593x unaided eye

200 line/mm

.42 arc seconds

.50 arc seconds

14.7

40x

660x

Included

Adjustable, Carbon Steel

1.25"

40mm Plossl - 1.25" (70x)

Yes

Carbon Fiber

Computerized Equatorial Mount

9x50

2800mm F/10

11" Schmidt-Cassegrain

CGE 1100

11062

2 x 25 lb

5 lb

42 lb

41.5 lb

45 lbs

31 inches

32%

10%

4.5"

Starbright Coating

27 ft.

.51º

2581x unaided eye

165 line/mm

.33 arc seconds

.39 arc seconds

15.3

51x

840x

Included

Adjustable, Carbon Steel

2" with 1.25" adapter

40mm 2" (98x)

Yes

Aluminum

Computerized Equatorial Mount

9x50

3910mm F/11

14" Schmidt-Cassegrain

CGE 1400

11063

600mA
850mA (with 1A spikes)
Yes

600mA
850mA (with 1A spikes)
Yes
CN-16 GPS Accessory

Slew one axis

Slew both axes

Internal clock

GPS Compatible

CN-16 GPS Accessory

215mA

12 VDC 1.5A

40,000+ objects, 400 user defined
programmable objects.Enhanced
information on over 200 objects

40,000+ objects, 400 user defined
programmable objects.Enhanced
information on over 200 objects
12 VDC 1.5A

24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation

215mA

Idle Current

Power Requirements

Database

EQ North & EQ South

Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,
.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x
EQ North & EQ South

Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,
.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

EQ North & EQ South

Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,
.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

CN-16 GPS Accessory

Yes

850mA (with 1A spikes)

600mA

215mA

12 VDC 1.5A

40,000+ objects, 400 user defined
programmable objects.Enhanced
information on over 200 objects

24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation

CN-16 GPS Accessory

Yes

850mA (with 1A spikes)

600mA

215mA

12 VDC 1.5A

40,000+ objects, 400 user defined
programmable objects.Enhanced
information on over 200 objects

24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation

AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align, AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align, AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align, AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick
1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment, 1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment, 1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment, Align, 1-Star Align, Recall Last
3-Star Align
3-Star Align
3-Star Align
Alignment, 3-Star Align

EQ North & EQ South

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,
.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

Tracking Modes

Software Precision

CGE 1400

11063

Double line, 16 character Liquid
Double line, 16 character Liquid
Double line, 16 character Liquid
Double line, 16 character Liquid
Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic
LED buttons
LED buttons
LED buttons
backlit LED buttons

Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Alignment Procedures

CGE 1100

11062

DC Servo motors with encoders, both DC Servo motors with encoders, both DC Servo motors with encoders,
axes
axes
both axes

CGE 925

CGE 800

DC Servo motors with encoders,
both axes

11059

11058

Tracking Rates

Slew Speeds

Computer Hand Control

Motor Drive

CGE Mount Specifications

CGE

Technical Specifications

APPENDIX A
LONGITUDES AND
LATITUDES
LONGITUDE
degrees
min
ALABAMA
Anniston
Auburn
Birmingham
Centreville
Dothan
Fort Rucker
Gadsden
Huntsville
Maxwell AFB
Mobile
Mobile Aeros
Montgomery
Muscle Shoal
Selma
Troy
Tuscaloosa
ALASKA
Anchorage
Barrow
Fairbanks
Haines Hrbor
Homer
Juneau
Ketchikan
Kodiak
Nome
Sitka
Sitkinak
Skagway
Valdez
ARIZONA
Davis-M AFB
Deer Valley
Douglas
Falcon Fld
Flagstaff
Fort Huachuc
Gila Bend
Goodyear
GrandCanyon
Kingman
Luke
Page
Payson
Phoenix
Prescott
Safford Awrs
Scottsdale
Show Low
Tucson
Williams AFB
Winslow
Yuma
Yuma Mcas
Yuma Prv Gd
ARKANSAS
Blytheville
Camden
El Dorado
Fayetteville
Ft Smith
Harrison
Hot Springs
Jonesboro
Little Rock
Pine Bluff
Springdale
Texarkana
Walnut Ridge
CALIFORNIA
Alameda
Alturas
Arcata
Bakersfield
Beale AFB
Beaumont
Bicycle Lk
Big Bear
Bishop
Blue Canyon

LATITUDE
degrees

min

85
85
86
87
85
85
86
86
86
88
88
86
87
86
86
87

51
26.4
45
15
27
43.2
5.4
46.2
22.2
15
4.2
2.4
37.2
59.4
1.2
37.2

33
32
33
32
31
31
33
34
32
30
30
32
34
32
31
33

34.8
40.2
34.2
54
19.2
16.8
58.2
39
22.8
40.8
37.8
18
45
20.4
52.2
13.8

149
156
147
135
151
134
131
152
165
135
154
135
146

51
46.8
52.2
25.8
3
34.8
4.2
3
25.8
21
1.2
31.8
21

61
71
64
59
59
58
55
57
64
57
56
59
61

13.2
18
49.2
13.8
37.8
22.2
21
45
30
4.2
52.8
45
7.8

110
112
109
111
111
110
113
112
112
113
112
111
111
112
112
109
111
110
110
111
110
115
114
114

52.8
4.8
3.6
43.8
40.2
21
10.2
22.8
9
57
22.8
27
19.8
1.2
25.8
40.8
55.2
0
55.8
40.2
43.8
0
37.2
2.4

32
33
31
33
35
31
33
33
35
35
33
36
34
33
34
32
33
34
32
33
35
33
32
32

10.2
40.8
27
28.2
7.8
36
33
25.2
57
16.2
31.8
55.8
13.8
25.8
39
49.2
37.2
16.2
7.2
18
1.2
6
39
51

89
92
92
94
94
93
93
90
92
91
94
94
90

57
2.4
4.8
10.2
22.2
9
0.6
39
22.8
55.8
7.8
0
55.8

35
33
33
36
35
36
34
35
35
34
36
33
36

58.2
31.2
13.2
0
19.8
16.2
28.8
49.8
13.2
10.2
10.8
27
7.8

122
120
124
119
121
116
116
116
118
120

19.2
31.8
0.6
3
27
57
37.2
40.8
3.6
4.2

37
41
40
35
39
33
35
34
37
39

46.8
28.8
58.8
25.8
7.8
55.8
16.8
16.2
36
16.8

Blythe
Burbank
Campo
Carlsbad
Castle AFB
Chico
China Lake
Chino
Concord
Crescent Cty
Daggett
Edwards AFB
El Centro
El Monte
El Toro
Eureka
Fort Hunter
Fort Ord
Fresno
Fullerton
George AFB
Hawthorne
Hayward
Imperial
Imperial Bch
La Verne
Lake Tahoe
Lancaster
Livermore
Long Beach
Los Alamitos
Los Angeles
Mammoth
March AFB
Marysville
Mather AFB
Mcclellan
Merced
Miramar NAS
Modesto
Moffet
Mojave
Montague
Monterey
Mount Shasta
Mount Wilson
Napa
Needles
North Is
Norton AFB
Oakland
Ontario Intl
Oxnard
Palm Springs
Palmdale
Palo Alto
Paso Robles
Pillaro Pt
Point Mugu
Pt Arena
Pt Arguello
Pt Piedras
Red Bluff
Redding
Riverside
Sacramento
Salinas
San Carlos
San
Clemente
San Diego
San
Francisco
San Jose
San Luis Obi
San Mateo
San Miguel
Sandburg
Santa Ana
Santa Barb
Santa Maria
Santa Monica
Santa Rosa

LONGITUDE
degrees
114
118
116
117
120
121
117
117
122
124
116
117
115
118
117
124
121
121
119
117
117
118
122
115
117
117
120
118
121
118
118
118
118
117
121
121
121
120
117
120
122
118
122
121
122
118
122
114
117
117
122
117
119
116
118
122
120
122
119
124
121
121
122
122
117
121
121
122
117

min
43.2
22.2
28.2
16.8
34.2
51
40.8
37.8
3
13.8
46.8
52.8
40.8
1.8
43.8
16.8
19.2
46.2
43.2
58.2
22.8
19.8
7.2
34.2
7.2
46.8
0
13.2
49.2
9
3
2.4
55.2
16.2
34.2
1.8
2.4
31.2
9
57
3
9
31.8
51
19.2
4.2
16.8
37.2
1.2
13.8
13.2
37.2
1.2
3
7.8
7.2
37.8
49.8
7.2
13.2
7.2
16.8
15
1.8
27
3
3.6
15
37.2

117
122

7.8
22.8

32
37

49.2
37.2

121
120
117
120
118
117
119
120
118
122

55.2
39
34.8
2.4
43.8
52.8
49.8
27
27
49.2

37
35
33
34
34
33
34
34
34
38

22.2
13.8
22.8
1.8
45
40.2
25.8
54
1.2
31.2

LATITUDE
degrees
33
34
32
33
37
39
35
33
37
41
34
34
32
34
33
41
36
36
36
33
34
33
37
32
32
34
38
34
37
33
33
33
37
33
39
38
38
37
32
37
37
35
41
36
41
34
38
34
32
34
37
34
34
33
35
37
35
37
34
39
34
35
40
40
33
38
36
37
33

min
37.2
12
37.2
7.8
22.8
46.8
40.8
58.2
58.8
46.8
52.2
54
49.2
4.8
40.2
19.8
0
40.8
46.2
52.2
34.8
55.2
39
49.8
34.2
6
54
43.8
42
49.2
46.8
55.8
37.8
52.8
6
34.2
40.2
16.8
52.2
37.8
25.2
3
43.8
34.8
19.2
13.8
13.2
46.2
42
6
43.8
3
12
49.8
3
28.2
40.2
49.8
7.2
34.8
57
40.2
9
30
57
31.2
40.2
31.2
25.2

Shelter Cove
Siskiyou
Stockton
Superior Val
Susanville
Thermal
Torrance
Travis AFB
Tahoe
Tustin Mcas
Ukiah
Van Nuys
Vandenberg
Visalia
COLORADO
Air Force A
Akron
Alamosa
Aspen
Brmfield/Jef
Buckley
Colo Sprgs
Cortez
Craig-Moffat
Denver
Durango
Eagle
Englewood
Fort Carson
Fraser
Ft Col/Lovel
Ft Collins
Grand Jct
Greeley-Wld
Gunnison
La Junta
Lamar
Leadville
Limon
Montrose
Pueblo
Rifle
Salida
Trinidad
Winter Park

LONGITUDE
degrees
124
122
121
117
120
116
118
121
120
117
123
118
120
119

min
4.2
28.2
15
0.6
57
10.2
19.8
55.8
7.8
49.8
1.2
28.8
57
2.4

LATITUDE
degrees
40
41
37
35
40
33
33
38
39
33
39
34
35
36

105
103
105
106
105
104
104
108
107
104
107
106
104
104
105
105
105
108
104
106
103
102
106
103
107
104
107
106
104
105

21
13.2
52.2
52.2
7.2
45
43.2
37.8
31.8
52.2
45
55.2
49.8
46.2
3
1.2
4.8
31.8
37.8
55.8
31.2
3.6
1.8
4.2
52.8
31.2
4.8
3
19.8
52.2

39
40
37
39
39
39
38
37
40
39
37
39
39
38
39
40
40
39
40
38
38
38
39
39
38
38
39
38
37
40

31.2
10.2
27
13.2
54
43.2
49.2
18
30
45
9
39
34.2
40.8
34.2
27
34.8
7.2
25.8
33
3
7.2
15
10.8
30
16.8
31.8
31.8
15
0

73
73
72
72
72
72
72

7.8
28.8
3
39
40.2
4.8
40.8

41
41
41
41
41
41
41

10.2
22.2
19.8
43.8
13.2
18
55.8

75
75

28.2
3.6

39
39

7.8
40.2

27.6

85
81
81
80

1.8
34.2
33
33

29
29
28
28

43.8
7.2
4.8
28.2

81
86
83
81
86
86
82
81
80
81
82
80
86
81
81
81
82
85
81

52.8
31.2
0.6
3
31.2
31.8
46.2
52.2
9
52.2
16.2
22.8
40.8
40.8
45
57
31.2
10.8
25.2

30
30
29
29
30
30
27
26
26
26
29
25
30
30
24
28
27
30
30

13.2
46.8
37.2
10.8
39
28.8
36
34.8
4.2
39
40.8
28.8
25.8
13.8
33
1.8
51
50.4
24

min
1.8
46.8
54
19.8
37.8
37.8
48
16.2
19.2
42
7.8
13.2
12
19.2

CONNECTICUT

Bridgeport
Danbury
Groton
Hartford
New Haven
New London
Windsor Loc
DELAWARE
Dover
Wilmington
D.C. WASH
Washington
FLORIDA
Apalachicola
Astor NAS
Avon Park G
Cape
Canaveral
Cecil
Crestview
Cross City
Daytona Bch
Duke Fld
Eglin AFB
Egmont Key
Fort Myers
Ft Lauderdale
Ft Myers
Gainesville
Homestead
Hurlburt Fld
Jacksonville
Key West
Lakeland
Macdill AFB
Marianna
Mayport NAS

Melbourne
Miami
Naples
Nasa Shuttle
Orlando
Panama City
Patrick AFB
Pensacola
Ruskin
Saint Peters
Sanford
Sarasota
Tallahassee
Tampa Intl
Titusville
Tyndall AFB
Vero Beach
West Palm
Beach
Whiting Fld
GEORGIA
Albany
Alma
Athens
Atlanta
Augusta/Bush
Brunswick
Columbus
Dobbins AFB
Fort Benning
Ft Stewart
Hunter Aaf
La Grange
Macon/Lewis
Moody AFB
Robins AFB
Rome/Russell
Valdosta
Waycross
HAWAII
Barbers Pt
Barking San
Fr Frigate
Hilo
Honolulu Int
Kahului Maui
Kaneohe Mca
Kilauea Pt
Lanai-Lanai
Lihue-Kauai
Maui
Molokai
Upolo Pt Ln
WaimeaKoha
IDAHO
Boise
Burley
Challis
Coeur
d'Alene
Elk City
Gooding
Grangeville
Idaho Falls
Lewiston
Malad City
Malta
Mccall
Mullan
Pocatello
Salmon
Soda Springs
Sun Valley
Twin Falls
ILLINOIS
Alton
Aurora
Bistate Park
Bloomington
Bradford
Cairo
Carbondale
Centralia
Champaign
Chicago
Danville
DeKalb
Decatur
Du Page
Galesburg

LONGITUDE
degrees
80
80
81
80
81
85
80
87
82
82
81
82
84
82
80
85
80
80

min
37.8
16.8
4.8
40.8
19.2
40.8
3.6
19.2
3.6
40.8
15
33
22.2
31.8
4.8
34.8
25.2
7.2

LATITUDE
degrees
28
25
26
28
28
30
28
30
27
27
28
27
30
27
28
30
27
26

1.2

43.2

84
82
83
84
81
81
84
84
85
81
81
85
83
83
83
85
83
82

10.8
31.2
19.2
25.2
58.2
22.8
55.8
31.2
0
34.2
9
4.2
39
1.2
3.6
10.2
16.8
2.4

31
31
33
33
33
31
32
33
32
31
32
33
32
30
32
34
30
31

31.8
31.8
57
39
22.2
9
31.2
55.2
19.8
52.8
1.2
0.6
42
58.2
37.8
21
46.8
15

158
160
166
155
157
156
158
159
156
159
156
157
156
156

7.2
1.8
28.2
4.2
55.8
25.8
16.8
40.2
57
21
49.8
0.6
28.2
7.2

21
22
24
19
21
20
21
22
20
21
20
21
20
20

31.8
3
27
43.2
21
54
45
22.8
48
58.8
58.2
9
25.2
0

116
113
114
116

13.2
46.2
13.2
49.2

43
42
44
47

34.2
31.8
31.2
46.2

115
115
116
112
117
112
113
116
115
112
113
111
114
114

25.8
10.2
7.8
4.2
1.2
19.2
22.2
0.6
4.8
3.6
5.4
34.8
1.8
28.8

45
43
45
43
46
42
42
44
47
42
45
42
43
42

49.2
0
55.2
31.2
22.8
10.2
18
52.8
28.2
55.2
10.8
39
30
28.8

90
88
90
88
89
89
89
89
88
87
87
88
88
88
90

3
19.2
9
55.8
3.6
13.2
15
5.4
16.8
39
3.6
43.2
52.2
15
25.8

38
41
38
40
41
37
37
38
40
41
40
41
39
41
40

52.8
46.2
34.2
28.8
9.6
4.2
46.8
30.6
1.8
54
12
55.8
49.8
55.2
55.8

min
6
49.2
7.8
37.2
25.8
12
13.8
21
58.2
55.2
46.8
24
22.8
58.2
31.2
4.2
39
40.8

Glenview
NAS
Kankakee
Macomb
Marion
Marseilles
Mattoon
Moline/Quad
Mount
Vernon
Peoria
Quincy
Rockford
Salem
Scott AFB
Springfield
Sterling
Taylorville
Vandalia
INDIANA
Bakalar
Bloomington
Elkhart
Evansville
Fort Wayne
Gary
Grissom AFB
Indianapolis
Muncie
South Bend
Terre Haute
W Lafayette
IOWA
Burlington
Cedar Rapids
Des Moines
Dubuque
Estherville
Fort Dodge
Lamoni
Mason City
Ottumwa
Sioux City
Spencer
Waterloo Mun
KANSAS
Chanute
Col. J Jabar
Concordia
Dodge City
Elkhart
Emporia
Ft Leavnwrth
Ft Riley
Garden City
Goodland
Hays
Hill City
Hutchinson
Johnson Cnty
Liberal
Manhatten
Mcconnell Af
Medicine Ldg
Olathe
Russell
Salina
Topeka
Topeka/Forbe
Wichita
KENTUCKY
Bowling Gren
Ft Campbell
Ft Knox
Jackson
Lexington
London
Louisville
Owensboro
Paducah
Pikeville
LOUISIANA
Alexandria
Barksdale
Baton Rouge
Boothville
Cameron Heli
Claiborne R
England AFB
Eugene Is.
Fort Polk

LONGITUDE
degrees
min
87
49.2

LATITUDE
degrees
42

min
4.8

87
90
89
88
88
90
88

51
39.6
0
40.8
16.8
31.2
51.6

41
40
37
41
39
41
38

4.2
31.2
45
22.2
28.8
27
19.2

89
91
89
88
89
89
89
89
89

40.8
1.2
0.6
57.6
51
40.2
40.2
19.8
10.2

40
39
42
38
38
39
41
39
38

40.2
55.8
12
37.8
33
51
44.4
31.8
59.4

86
86
86
87
85
87
86
86
85
86
87
86

3
37.2
0
31.8
1.2
25.2
9
16.2
22.8
19.2
1.8
55.8

39
39
41
38
41
41
40
39
40
41
39
40

22.8
7.8
43.2
3
0
37.2
39
43.8
13.8
42
27
25.2

91
91
93
90
94
94
93
93
92
96
95
92

7.2
4.2
39
4.2
45
10.8
55.8
19.8
27
22.8
9
2.4

40
41
41
42
43
42
40
43
41
42
43
42

46.8
52.8
31.8
24
24
33
37.2
9
6
24
10.2
33

95
97
97
99
101
96
94
96
100
101
99
99
97
94
100
96
97
98
94
98
97
95
95
97

28.8
13.2
39
58.2
52.8
1.2
55.2
46.2
43.2
4.2
16.2
49.8
52.2
52.8
58.2
40.2
16.2
34.8
5.4
49.2
39
37.2
40.2
25.8

37
37
39
37
37
38
39
39
37
39
38
39
38
38
37
39
37
37
38
38
38
39
38
37

40.2
45
33
46.2
0
19.8
22.2
3
55.8
22.2
51
22.8
4.2
49.2
3
9
37.2
18
51
52.2
48
4.2
57
39

86
87
85
83
85
84
85
87
88
82

25.8
3
58.2
19.2
0
4.2
40.2
10.2
46.2
31.2

36
36
37
37
38
37
38
37
37
37

58.2
40.2
54
36
3
4.8
13.8
45
4.2
28.8

92
93
91
89
93
92
92
91
93

1.8
40.2
9
40.2
1.8
57
33
46.8
1.2

31
32
30
29
29
31
31
28
31

22.8
30
31.8
33
46.8
13.2
19.8
28.2
3

LONGITUDE
degrees
Grand Isle
90
High Island
94
Houma
90
Intercoastal
92
Lafayette
92
Lake Charles
93
Lk Palourde
91
Missippi Can
89
Monroe
92
Morgan City
91
New Iberia
91
New Orleans
90
S Marsh Isl
91
Shreveport
93
Slidel
89
MAINE
Augusta
69
Bangor
68
Bar Harbor
68
Brunswick
69
Caribou Mun
68
Greenville
69
Houlton
67
Loring AFB
67
Portland
70
Presque Isle
68
Rockland
69
Rumford
70
MARYLAND
Andrews AFB
76
Baltimore
76
Fort Meade
76
Hagerstown
77
Ocean City
75
Patuxent
76
Phillips
76
Salisbury
75
MASSACHUSETTS
Bedford
71
Beverly
70
Boston
71
Cape Cod
70
Chatham
69
Fort Devens
71
Hyannis
70
Lawrence
71
Marthas Vine
70
Nantucket
70
New Bedford
70
Norwood
71
Otis ANGB
70
Pittsfield
73
S Weymouth
70
Westfield
72
Westover
72
Worcester
71
MICHIGAN
Alpena
83
Ann Arbor
83
Battle Creek
85
Benton
86
Harbor
Chippewa
84
Coopersville
85
Copper Harb
87
Detroit
83
Escanaba
87
Flint/Bishop
83
Grand Rapids
85
Hancock
88
Harbor Beach
82
Houghton
84
Lake
Iron Mtn
88
Ironwood
90
Jackson
84
Kalamazoo
85
Lansing
84
Manistee
86
Marquette
87
Menominee
87
Muskegon
86
Pellston
84
Pontiac
83
Saginaw
84
Sault Ste M
84
Sawyer AFB
87
Selfridge
82
Seul Choix
85
Traverse Cty
85

min
4.2
2.4
39
7.2
0
13.2
0.6
3
3
1.2
52.8
15
58.8
45
49.2

LATITUDE
degrees
29
28
29
29
30
30
29
28
32
29
30
29
28
32
30

min
10.8
7.8
34.2
43.8
12
7.2
42
46.8
31.2
42
1.8
58.8
18
31.2
21

4.8
49.2
22.2
55.8
1.2
33
46.8
52.8
19.2
3
7.2
52.8

44
44
44
43
46
45
46
46
43
46
44
44

19.2
48
27
52.8
52.2
27
7.8
57
39
40.8
4.2
52.8

52.2
40.2
46.2
43.2
7.8
2.4
10.2
3

38
39
39
39
38
38
39
38

49.2
10.8
4.8
42
33
16.8
28.2
19.8

16.8
55.2
1.8
3
58.2
3.6
16.8
7.2
37.2
4.2
58.2
10.8
31.2
10.8
55.8
43.2
31.8
52.2

42
42
42
41
41
42
41
42
41
41
41
42
41
42
42
42
42
42

28.2
34.8
22.2
46.8
40.2
34.2
40.2
43.2
24
15
40.8
10.8
39
15.6
9
10.2
12
16.2

34.2
45
13.8
25.8

45
42
42
42

4.2
13.2
18
7.8

28.2
57
51
1.2
4.8
45
31.2
3
31.8
40.8

46
43
47
42
45
42
42
47
43
44

15
4.2
28.2
25.2
43.8
58.2
52.8
10.2
49.8
22.2

7.2
7.8
28.2
33
3.6
15
57
37.8
15
4.8
25.2
4.8
22.2
2.4
49.8
55.2
34.8

45
46
42
42
42
44
46
45
43
45
42
43
46
46
42
45
44

49.2
31.8
16.2
13.8
46.2
16.2
52.8
7.2
10.2
34.2
40.2
31.8
28.2
21
37.2
55.2
43.8

Wurtsmith
Ypsilanti
MINNESOTA
Albert Lea
Alexandria
Bemidji Muni
Brainerd-Crw
Detroit Laks
Duluth
Ely
Fairmont
Fergus Falls
Grand Rapids
Hibbing
Intl Falls
Litchfield
Mankato
Marshall Arpt
Minneapolis
Park Rapids
Pequot Lake
Rochester
Saint Paul
St Cloud
Thief River
Tofte
Warroad
Worthington
MISSISSIPPI
Columbus
AFB
Golden Trian
Greenville
Greenwood
Gulfport
Hattiesburg
Jackson
Keesler AFB
Laurel
Mccomb
Meridian NAS
Meridian/Key
Natchez
Oxford
Tupelo
MISSOURI
Columbia
Cape
Girardeau
Ft Leonard
Jefferson City
Joplin
Kansas City
Kirksville
Monett
Muskogee
Poplar Bluff
Richards-Geb
Spickard
Springfield
St Joseph
St Louis
Vichy/Rolla
West Plains
Whiteman
AFB
MONTANA
Billings
Bozeman
Broadus
Butte
Cut Bank
Dillon
Drummond
Glasgow
Glendive
Great Falls
Harlowton
Havre
Helena
Jordan
Kalispell
Lewiston
Livingston
Malmstrom
Miles City
Missoula
Monida
Sidney
W Yellowston

LONGITUDE
degrees
min
83
2.4
83
31.8

LATITUDE
degrees
44
42

min
27
13.8

93
95
94
94
95
92
91
94
96
93
92
93
94
93
95
93
95
94
92
93
94
96
90
95
95

22.2
22.8
55.8
7.8
52.8
10.8
49.2
25.2
4.2
31.2
51
22.8
31.2
55.2
49.2
28.2
4.2
19.2
3
3
4.2
10.8
49.8
21
34.8

43
45
47
46
46
46
47
43
46
47
47
48
45
44
44
44
46
46
43
44
45
48
47
48
43

40.8
52.2
30
24
49.2
49.8
54
39
18
13.2
22.8
34.2
7.8
13.2
27
49.8
54
36
55.2
55.8
33
4.2
34.8
55.8
39

88
90
90
89
89
90
88
89
90
88
88
91
89
88

34.8
58.8
4.8
4.2
19.8
4.8
55.2
10.2
28.2
34.2
45
15
32.4
46.2

33
33
33
30
31
32
30
31
31
32
32
31
34
34

27
28.8
30
24
28.2
19.2
25.2
40.2
10.8
33
19.8
37.2
23.4
16.2

92
89

13.2
34.8

38
37

49.2
13.8

92
92
94
94
92
94
95
90
94
93
93
95
90
91
92
93

7.8
10.2
3
43.2
33
21
21.6
28.2
33
43.2
22.8
31.8
22.2
46.2
25.2
33

37
38
37
39
40
37
35
36
38
40
37
40
38
38
37
38

45
36
10.2
19.2
6
19.8
39.6
46.2
51
15
13.8
16.8
45
7.8
13.2
43.8

108
111
105
112
112
112
113
106
104
111
109
109
112
106
114
109
110
111
105
114
112
104
111

31.8
9
40.2
3
22.2
33
9
37.2
4.8
22.2
49.8
46.2
0
55.8
16.2
27
25.8
10.8
52.2
4.8
19.2
10.8
0.6

45
45
45
45
48
45
46
48
47
47
46
48
46
47
48
47
45
47
46
46
44
47
44

48
46.8
40.2
57
36
15
40.2
13.2
7.8
28.8
25.8
33
36
19.8
18
3
42
30
25.8
55.2
34.2
43.2
39

LONGITUDE
degrees
NEBRASKA
Ainsworth
99
Alliance
102
Beatrice
96
Broken Bow
99
Burwell
99
Chadron
103
Columbus
97
Cozad
100
Falls City
95
Grand Island
98
Hastings
98
Imperial
101
Kearney
99
Lincoln Muni
96
Mccook
100
Mullen
101
Norfolk
97
North Omaha
96
North Platte
100
O'neill
98
Offutt AFB
95
Omaha
95
Ord/Sharp
98
Scottsbluff
103
Sidney Muni
102
Valentine
100
NEVADA
Austin
117
Battle Mtn
116
Caliente
114
Elko
115
Ely/Yelland
114
Eureka
115
Fallon NAS
118
Hawthorne
118
Ind Sprng Rn
115
Las Vegas
115
Lovelock
118
Mercury
116
Nellis AFB
115
Owyhee
116
Reno
119
Tonopah
117
Wildhorse
116
Winnemucca
117
Yucca Flat
116
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Berlin
71
Concord
71
Jaffrey
72
Keene
72
Laconia
71
Lebanon
72
Manchester
71
Mt Washingtn
71
Nashua
71
Pease AFB
70
Wolfeboro
71
NEW JERSEY
Atlantic CtIy
74
Barnegat Ls
74
Fairfield
74
Lakehurst
74
Mcguire AFB
74
Millville
75
Morristown
74
Newark Intl
74
Teterboro
74
Trenton
74
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
106
Cannon
103
Carlsbad
104
Clayton Arpt
103
Corona
105
Deming
107
Farmington
108
Gallup/Clark
108
Grants
107
Hobbs
103
Holloman
106
AFB
Las Cruces
106
Las Vegas
105
Los Alamos
106
Moriarity
106
Northrup Str
106
Raton
104
Roswell
104

min

LATITUDE
degrees

min

58.8
4.8
45
39
9
4.8
21
0
34.8
19.2
25.8
23.4
0
45
34.8
3
25.8
1.2
40.8
40.8
55.2
5.4
57
3.6
58.8
33

42
42
40
41
41
42
41
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
42
41
41
41
42
41
41
41
41
41
42

34.8
3
19.2
25.8
46.8
49.8
27
52.2
4.2
58.2
36
19.8
43.8
51
13.2
3
58.8
22.2
7.8
28.2
7.2
18
37.2
52.2
6
52.2

7.8
52.2
31.2
46.8
51
58.2
4.2
37.8
34.2
10.2
55.2
1.2
1.8
10.2
46.8
4.8
15
4.8
4.8

39
40
37
40
39
39
39
38
36
36
40
36
36
42
39
38
41
40
37

49.8
37.2
37.2
49.8
16.8
30
25.2
33
31.8
4.8
6
37.2
13.8
34.8
30
4.2
19.8
54
34.8

10.8
3
0
16.2
25.8
1.8
25.8
1.8
31.2
49.2
22.8

44
43
42
42
43
43
42
44
42
43
44

34.8
12
48
54
34.2
37.8
55.8
16.2
46.8
4.8
0

34.2
16.8
16.8
21
3.6
4.2
25.2
10.2
3
49.2

39
40
40
40
40
39
40
40
40
40

27
16.8
52.2
1.8
1.2
22.2
48
42
51
16.8

3.6
19.2
16.2
9
40.8
4.2
13.8
46.8
5.4
1.2
0.6

35
34
32
36
34
32
36
35
35
32
32

3
22.8
19.8
27
6
15
45
31.2
10.2
40.8
51

46.2
9
16.8
3
2.4
3
31.8

32
35
35
34
32
36
33

18
39
52.8
58.8
54
44.4
18

LONGITUDE
degrees
Santa Fe
106
Silver City
108
Socorro
106
Taos
105
Truth Or Con
107
Tucumcari
103
White Sands
106
NEW YORK
Albany
73
Ambrose
74
Binghamton
75
Buffalo
78
Dansville
78
Elmira
76
Farmingdale
73
Fort Drum
75
Glens Falls
73
Griffiss AFB
75
Islip
73
Ithaca
76
Jamestown
79
Massena
74
Monticello
74
New York
73
Newburgh
74
Niagara Fall
78
Ogdensburg
75
Oneonta
75
Plattsburgh
73
Rochester
77
Saranac Lk
74
Schenectady
73
Syracuse
76
Utica
75
Watertown
76
Westhampton
72
White Plains
73
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville
82
Cape Hattera
75
Charlotte
80
Cherry Point
76
Dare Co Gr
76
Diamond Sho
75
Elizabeth
76
Fayetteville
78
Fort Bragg
78
Greensboro
79
Hickory
81
Hot Springs
82
Jacksonville
77
Kinston
77
Mackall Aaf
79
Manteo Arpt
75
New Bern
77
New River
77
Pope AFB
79
Raleigh-Durh
78
Rocky Mt
77
Southern Pin
79
Wilmington
77
Winston80
Salem
NORTH DAKOTA
Bismarck
100
Devil's Lake
98
Dickenson
102
Fargo
96
Grand Forks
97
Jamestown
98
Lidgerwood
97
Minot
101
Roseglen
101
Williston
103
OHIO
Athens
82
Canton
81
Cincinnati
84
Cleveland
81
Columbus
82
Dayton
84
Findlay
83
Mansfield
82
Rickenbacker
82
Toledo
83
Willoughby
81
Youngstown
80
Zanesville
81

min
4.8
10.2
5.4
34.2
16.2
3.6
2.4

LATITUDE
degrees
35
32
34
36
33
35
32

min
37.2
37.8
4.2
25.2
13.8
10.8
37.8

4.8
22.2
58.8
43.8
1.2
5.4
25.8
43.8
37.2
2.4
0.6
28.2
15
51
4.8
58.8
0.6
57
2.4
7.2
28.2
40.2
1.2
55.8
7.2
22.8
1.2
37.8
43.2

42
40
42
42
42
42
40
44
43
43
40
42
42
44
41
40
41
43
44
42
44
43
44
42
43
43
44
40
41

45
45
13.2
55.8
58.2
10.2
43.8
3
21
13.8
46.8
28.8
9
55.8
42
46.2
30
6
40.8
52.2
39
7.2
22.8
51
7.2
9
0
51
4.2

33
33
55.8
52.8
3
3
10.8
52.8
55.8
57
22.8
49.2
37.2
37.8
3
40.8
3
25.8
1.2
46.8
52.8
23.4
55.2
13.8

35
35
35
34
36
35
36
35
35
36
35
35
34
35
35
35
35
34
35
35
35
35
34
36

25.8
16.2
13.2
54
7.8
15
16.2
0
7.8
4.8
45
54
49.2
19.2
1.8
55.2
4.8
42
10.2
52.2
51
14.4
16.2
7.8

45
5.4
4.8
4.8
10.8
40.8
9
16.8
49.8
37.8

46
48
46
46
47
46
46
48
47
48

46.2
7.2
46.8
54
57
55.2
6
16.2
45
10.8

13.8
25.8
40.2
40.8
52.8
1.2
40.2
31.2
55.8
4.8
2.4
40.2
5.4

39
40
39
41
40
39
41
40
39
41
41
41
39

12.6
55.2
3
31.2
0
54
1.2
49.2
49.2
36
37.8
16.2
57

LONGITUDE
degrees
OKLAHOMA
Altus AFB
99
Ardmore
97
Bartlesville
96
Clinton
99
Enid
97
Fort Sill
98
Gage
99
Hobart
99
Lawton
98
Mcalester
95
Norman
97
Oklahoma
97
Page
94
Ponca City
97
Stillwater
97
Tinker AFB
97
Tulsa
95
Vance AFB
97
OREGON
Astoria
123
Aurora
122
Baker
117
Brookings
124
Burns Arpt
118
Cape Blanco
124
Cascade
121
Corvallis
123
Eugene
123
Hillsboro
122
Klamath Fall
121
La Grande
118
Lake View
120
Meacham
118
Medford
122
Newport
124
North Bend
124
Ontario
117
Pendleton
118
Portland
122
Redmond
121
Roseburg
123
Salem
123
Sexton
123
The Dalles
121
Troutdale
122
PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown
75
Altoona
78
Beaver Falls
80
Blairsville
79
Bradford
78
Dubois
78
Erie
80
Franklin
79
Harrisburg
76
Johnstown
78
Lancaster
76
Latrobe
79
Middletown
76
Muir
76
Nth Philadel
75
Philadelphia
75
Philipsburg
78
Pittsburgh
79
Reading
75
Site R
77
State Colleg
77
Wilkes-Barre
75
Williamsport
76
Willow Grove
75
RHODE ISLAND
Block Island
71
Nth Kingston
71
Providence
71
SOUTH CAROLINA
Anderson
82
Beaufort
80
Charleston
80
Columbia
81
Florence
79
Greenville
82
Mcentire
80

min

LATITUDE
degrees

min

16.2
1.2
0
1.2
4.8
2.4
46.2
3
25.2
46.8
28.2
3.6
37.2
0.6
5.4
22.8
5.4
55.2

34
34
36
35
36
34
36
35
34
34
35
35
34
36
36
35
36
36

40.2
18
45
21
22.8
39
18
0
34.2
52.8
13.8
24
40.8
43.8
9.6
25.2
12
19.8

52.8
45
49.2
28.2
57
57
52.8
16.8
13.2
57
43.8
0
21
2.4
52.2
3
15
1.2
51
3.6
9
22.2
0
22.2
9
2.4

46
45
44
42
43
43
45
44
44
45
42
45
42
45
42
44
43
44
45
45
44
43
44
42
45
45

9
15
49.8
4.8
36
22.8
40.8
30
7.2
31.8
9
16.8
10.8
30
22.2
37.8
25.2
1.2
40.8
36
16.2
13.8
55.2
37.2
37.2
33

25.8
19.2
19.8
5.4
37.8
5.4
10.8
52.2
51
49.8
1.8
2.4
46.2
34.2
1.2
15
7.8
55.8
58.2
25.8
49.8
43.8
55.2
9

40
40
40
40
41
41
42
41
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
39
41
40
40
39
40
41
41
40

39
18
45
16.2
48
10.8
4.8
22.8
13.2
19.2
7.8
16.8
12
25.8
4.8
52.8
28.2
21
22.8
43.8
51
19.8
15
12

34.8
25.2
25.8

41
41
41

10.2
36
43.8

43.2
43.2
1.8
7.2
43.2
21
4.8

34
32
32
33
34
34
33

30
28.8
54
57
10.8
51
55.2

LONGITUDE
degrees
Myrtle Beach
78
Shaw AFB
80
Spartanburg
81
SOUTH DAKOTA
Aberdeen
98
Brookings
96
Chamberlain
99
Custer
103
Ellsworth
103
Huron
98
Lemmon
102
Mitchell
98
Mobridge
100
Philip
101
Pierre
100
Rapid City
103
Redig
103
Sioux Falls
96
Watertown
97
Yankton
97
TENNESSEE
Bristol
82
Chattanooga
85
Clarksville
87
Crossville
85
Dyersburg
89
Jackson
88
Knoxville
83
Memphis Intl
90
Monteagle
85
Nashville
86
Smyrna
86
TEXAS
Abilene
99
Alice
98
Amarillo
101
Austin
97
Bergstrom Af
97
Big Sky
101
Big Spring
101
Brownsville
97
Brownwood
98
Carswell AFB
97
Chase NAS
97
Childress
100
College Stn
96
Corpus Chrst
97
Cotulla
99
Dalhart
102
Dallas/FW
97
Del Rio
100
Dyess AFB
99
El Paso
106
Ellington Af
95
Fort Worth
97
Ft Hood Aaf
97
Galveston
94
Gray AFB
97
Greenville
96
Guadalupe
104
Harlingen
97
Hondo
99
Houston
95
Junction
99
Kelly AFB
98
Kerrville
99
Killeen
97
Kingsville
97
Laredo Intl
99
Laughlin AFB
100
Longview
94
Lubbock
101
Lufkin
94
Marfa
104
Mcallen
98
Midland
102
Mineral Wlls
98
Palacios
96
Paris/Cox
95
Plainview
101
Port Arthur
94
Reese AFB
102
Rockport
97

min
55.8
28.2
57.6

LATITUDE
degrees
33
33
34

min
40.8
58.2
55.2

25.8
4.8
19.2
3.6
0.6
13.2
10.2
1.8
25.8
3.6
16.8
4.2
19.2
43.8
9
22.8

45
44
43
43
44
44
45
43
45
44
44
44
45
43
44
42

27
18
48
46.2
9
22.8
55.8
46.2
31.8
3
22.8
3
9.6
34.8
55.2
55.2

2.4
1.2
25.2
4.8
2.4
55.2
58.8
0
30.6
40.8
3

36
35
36
35
36
35
35
35
35
36
36

28.8
1.8
37.2
57
1.2
36
49.2
3
9
7.2
0

40.8
1.8
4.2
4.2
40.8
28.8
27
25.8
57.6
25.8
40.2
16.8
22.2
3
13.2
33
1.8
55.2
51
2.4
10.2
21
43.2
52.2
49.8
4.2
4.8
40.2
10.2
21
46.2
34.8
4.8
40.8
49.2
28.2
46.8
43.2
49.2
45
1.2
13.8
10.8
4.2
15
27
42.6
1.2
3
1.8

32
27
35
30
30
32
32
25
31
32
28
34
30
27
28
36
32
29
32
31
29
32
31
29
31
33
31
26
29
29
30
29
29
31
27
27
29
32
33
31
30
26
31
32
28
33
34
30
33
28

25.2
43.8
13.8
18
12
23.4
18
54
47.4
46.8
22.2
25.8
34.8
46.2
27
1.2
54
22.2
25.8
48
37.2
49.2
9
16.2
4.2
4.2
49.8
13.8
21
58.2
30
22.8
58.8
4.8
30
31.8
22.2
22.8
39
13.8
22.2
10.8
57
46.8
43.2
37.8
10.2
34.8
36
4.8

LONGITUDE
degrees
San Angelo
100
San Antonio
98
Sanderson
102
South Brazos
95
Stephenville
98
Temple
97
Tyler/Pounds
95
Victoria
96
Wichita Flls
98
Wink
103
UTAH
Blanding
109
Bullfrog Mar
110
Cedar City
113
Delta
112
Eagle Range
113
Green River
110
Hanksville
110
Hill AFB
111
Logan
111
Milford
113
Moab
109
Ogden
112
Price/Carbon
110
Provo
111
Roosevelt
110
Saint George
113
Salt Lake Ct
111
Tooele
112
Vernal
109
Wendover
114
VERMONT
Burlington
73
Montpelier
72
Newport
72
Rutland
73
St Johnsbury
72
Wilmington
72
VIRGINIA
Charlottes
78
Chesapeake
76
Danville
79
Fort Belvoir
77
Fort Eustis
76
Hot Springs
79
Langley AFB
76
Lynchburg
79
Newport
76
News
Norfolk NAS
76
Norfolk Rgnl
76
Oceana NAS
76
Quantico Mca
77
Richmond
77
Roanoke
79
Muni
Staunton
78
Volens
78
Wallops Sta
75
WASHINGTON
Bellingham
122
Bremerton
122
Burlington
122
Colville
118
Ephrata
119
Everet/Paine
122
Fairchild
117
Fort Lewis
122
Hanford
119
Hoquiam
123
Mcchord AFB
122
Moses Lake
119
Oak Harbor
122
Olympia
122
Omak
119
Pasco
119
Port Angeles
123
Pullman
117
Quillayute
124
Renton
122
Seattle
122
Shelton
123
Spokane
117
Tacoma
122
Toledo
122

min
3
28.2
25.2
52.2
10.8
25.2
2.4
55.2
3
1.2

LATITUDE
degrees
31
29
30
28
32
31
32
28
33
31

min
22.2
31.8
10.2
1.8
13.2
9
22.2
51
58.8
46.8

46.8
4.2
0.6
34.8
4.2
9
43.2
58.2
51
1.8
45
1.2
45
43.2
37.8
3.6
58.2
1.2
31.2
3

38
37
37
39
41
39
38
41
41
38
38
41
39
40
40
37
40
40
40
41

1.8
30
42
19.8
3
0
22.2
7.2
46.8
43.2
46.2
10.8
37.2
13.2
30
4.8
46.8
10.2
27
13.2

9
34.2
19.8
57
1.2
52.8

44
44
45
43
44
42

28.2
12
33
31.8
25.2
52.8

27
1.2
19.8
10.8
37.2
49.2
22.2
1.2
3

38
37
36
38
37
37
37
37
37

7.8
30
34.2
43.2
7.8
57
4.8
19.8
7.8

16.8
1.2
1.8
1.8
19.8
58.2

36
36
36
38
37
37

55.8
54
49.2
30
30
19.2

51
58.8
28.8

38
36
37

16.2
57
51

31.8
46.2
19.8
28.2
31.2
16.8
39
34.8
3.6
58.2
28.8
19.2
40.8
5.4
31.8
7.2
3
7.2
33
13.2
1.8
9
31.8
34.8
4.8

48
47
48
48
47
47
47
47
46
46
47
47
48
46
48
46
48
46
47
47
47
47
47
47
46

48
28.8
30
52.8
19.2
55.2
37.2
4.8
34.2
58.2
9
12
15
58.2
25.2
16.2
7.2
45
57
30
27
15
37.8
16.2
28.8

LONGITUDE
LATITUDE
degrees
min degrees
Walla Walla
118
16.8
46
Wenatchee
120
1.2
47
Whidbey Is
122
39
48
Yakima
120
31.8
46
WEST VIRGINIA
Beckley
81
7.2
37
Bluefield
81
13.2
37
Charleston
81
3.6
38
Clarksburg
80
13.8
39
Elkins
79
51
38
Huntington
82
33
38
Lewisburg
80
2.4
37
Martinsburg
77
58.8
39
Morgantown
79
55.2
39
Parkersburg
81
25.8
39
Wheeling
80
39
40
Wh Sulphur
80
1.2
37

LONGITUDE
degrees
min

min
6
24
21
34.2

WISCONSIN
Appleton
Eau Claire
Green Bay
Janesville
La Crosse
Lone Rock
Madison
Manitowac
Milwaukee
Mosinee
Neenah
Oshkosh
Rhinelander
Rice Lake
Volk Fld
Wausau

46.8
18
22.2
16.8
52.8
22.2
52.2
24
39
21
10.8
27.6

88
91
88
89
91
90
89
87
87
89
88
88
89
91
90
89

31.2
28.8
7.8
1.8
15
10.8
19.8
40.2
5.4
40.2
31.8
34.2
27
43.2
16.2
37.2

LATITUDE
degrees
44
44
44
42
43
43
43
44
42
44
44
44
45
45
43
44

LONGITUDE
degrees
min

min
15
52.2
28.8
37.2
52.2
12
7.8
7.8
57
46.8
13.2
0
37.8
28.8
55.8
55.2

WYOMING
Big Piney
Casper
Cheyenne
Cody
Douglas
Evanston
Gillette
Jackson
Lander
Laramie
Moorcroft
Rawlins
Riverton
Rock Springs
Sheridan
Worland
Yellowstone

110
106
104
109
105
111
105
110
108
105
104
107
108
109
106
107
110

LATITUDE
degrees

0.6
28.2
49.2
1.2
22.8
0
31.8
43.8
43.8
40.8
48.6
1.2
27
4.2
58.2
58.2
25.2

CANADA
CITY
Calgary
Churchill
Coppermine
Edmonton
Frederickton
Ft Mcpherson
Goose Bay
Halifax
Hazelton
Kenora
Labrador City
Montreal
Mt. Logan
Nakina
Ottawa
Peace River
Pr. Edward Isl
Quebec
Regina
Saskatoon
St. Johns
Toronto
Vancouver
Victoria
Whitehorse
Winnipeg

PROVINCE
Alberta
Newfoundland
Northwest Terr.
Alberta
New Brunswick
Northwest Terr
Newfoundland
Nova Scotia
BC
Ontario
Labrador
Quebec
Yukon
Yukon
Ontario
Alberta
Nova Scotia
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Newfoundland
Ontario
BC
BC
Yukon
Manitoba

LONGITUDE
114
7
94
0
115
21
113
25
66
40
134
50
60
20
63
34
127
38
94
29
66
52
73
39
140
24
132
48
75
45
117
18
63
9
71
15
104
38
101
32
52
43
79
23
123
7
123
20
135
3
97
9

LATITUDE
51
14
58
45
67
49
53
34
45
57
67
29
53
15
44
39
55
15
49
47
52
56
45
32
60
34
59
12
45
18
56
15
46
14
46
50
50
30
52
10
47
34
43
39
49
16
48
26
60
43
49
53

CITY
Glasgow
Guatemala City
Guayaquil
Hamburg
Hammerfest
Havana
Helsinki
Hobart
Iquique
Irkutsk
Jakarta
Johannesburg
Kingston
La Paz
Leeds
Lima
Liverpool
London
Lyons
Madrid
Manchester
Manila
Marseilles
Mazatlán
Mecca
Melbourne
Mexico City
Milan
Montevideo
Moscow
Munich
Nagasaki
Nagoya
Nairobi
Nanjing
Naples
Newcastle
Odessa
Osaka
Oslo
Panama City
Paramaribo
Paris
Beijing
Perth
Plymouth
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
Salvador
Santiago
St. Petersburg
Sao Paulo
Shanghai
Sofia
Stockholm
Sydney
Tananarive
Teheran
Tokyo
Tripoli
Venice
Veracruz
Vienna
Warsaw
Wellington
Zürich

INTERNATIONAL
Aberdeen
Adelaide
Amsterdam
Ankara
Asunción
Athens
Auckland
Bangkok
Barcelona
Belém
Belfast
Belgrade
Berlin
Birmingham
Bombay
Bordeaux
Bremen
Brisbane
Bristol
Brussels
Bucharest
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cairo
Canton
Cape Town
Caracas
Chihuahua
Chongqing
Copenhagen
Córdoba
Darwin
Dublin
Durban
Edinburgh
Frankfurt
Georgetown

Scotland
Australia
Holland
Turkey
Paraguay
Greece
New Zealand
Thailand
Spain
Brazil
Northern Ireland
Yugoslavia
Germany
England
India
France
Germany
Australia
England
Belgium
Romania
Hungary
Argentina
Egypt
China
South Africa
Venezuela
Mexico
China
Denmark
Argentina
Australia
Ireland
South Africa
Scotland
Germany
Guyana

2
138
4
32
57
23
174
100
2
48
5
20
13
1
72
0
8
153
2
4
26
19
58
31
113
18
67
106
106
12
64
130
6
30
3
8
58

9w
36 e
53 e
55 e
40 w
43 e
45 e
30 e
9e
29 w
56 w
32 e
25 e
55 w
48 e
31 w
49 e
8e
35 w
22 e
7e
5e
22 w
21 e
15 e
22 e
2w
5w
34 e
34 e
10 w
51 e
15 w
53 e
10 w
41 e
15 w

57
34
52
39
25
37
36
13
41
1
54
44
52
52
19
44
53
27
51
50
44
47
34
30
23
33
10
28
29
55
31
12
53
29
55
50
6

9n
55 s
22 n
55 n
15 s
58 n
52 s
45 n
23 n
28 s
37 n
52 n
30 n
25 n
0n
50 n
5n
29 s
28 n
52 n
25 n
30 n
35 s
2n
7n
55 s
28 n
37 n
46 n
40 n
28 s
28 s
20 n
53 s
55 n
7n
45 n

COUNTRY
Scotland
Guatemala
Ecuador
Germany
Norway
Cuba
Finland
Tasmania
Chile
Russia
Indonesia
South Africa
Jamaica
Bolivia
England
Peru
England
England
France
Spain
England
Phillipines
France
Mexico
Saudi Arabia
Australia
Mexico
Italy
Uruguay
Russia
Germany
Japan
Japan
Kenya
China
Italy
England
Ukraine
Japan
Norway
Panama
Surinam
France
China
Australia
England
Brazil
Italy
Brazil
Chile
Russia
Brazil
China
Bulgaria
Sweden
Australia
Madagascar
Iran
Japan
Libya
Italy
Mexico
Austria
Poland
New Zealand
Switzerland

LONGITUDE
4
15 w
90
31 w
79
56 w
10
2e
23
38 e
82
23 w
25
0e
147
19 e
70
7w
104
20 e
106
48 e
28
4e
76
49 w
68
22 w
1
30 w
77
2w
3
0w
0
5w
4
50 e
3
42 w
2
15 w
120
57 e
5
20 e
106
25 w
39
45 e
144
58 e
99
7w
9
10 e
56
10 w
37
36 e
11
35 e
129
57 e
136
56 e
36
55 e
118
53 e
14
15 e
1
37 w
30
48 e
135
30 e
10
42 e
79
32 w
55
15 w
2
20 e
116
25 e
115
52 e
4
5w
43
12 w
12
27 e
38
27 w
70
45 w
30
18 e
46
31 w
121
28 e
23
20 e
18
3e
151
0e
47
33 e
51
45 e
139
45 e
13
12 e
12
20 e
96
10 w
16
20 e
21
0e
174
47 e
8
31 e

LATITUDE
55
50 n
14
37 n
2
10 s
53
33 n
70
38 n
23
8n
60
10 n
42
52 s
20
10 s
52
30 n
6
16 s
26
12 s
17
59 n
16
27 s
53
45 n
12
0s
53
25 n
51
32 n
45
45 n
40
26 n
53
30 n
14
35 n
43
20 n
23
12 n
21
29 n
37
47 s
19
26 n
45
27 n
34
53 s
55
45 n
48
8n
32
48 n
35
7n
1
25 s
32
3n
40
50 n
54
58 n
46
27 n
34
32 n
59
57 n
8
58 n
5
45 n
48
48 n
39
55 n
31
57 s
50
25 n
22
57 s
41
54 n
12
56 s
33
28 s
59
56 n
23
31 s
31
10 n
42
40 n
59
17 n
34
0s
18
50 s
35
45 n
35
40 n
32
57 n
45
26 n
19
10 n
48
14 n
52
14 n
41
17 s
47
21 n

42
42
41
44
42
41
44
43
42
41
44
41
43
41
44
43
44

min
34.2
55.2
9
31.2
45
19.8
21
36
49.2
19.2
21
48
3
36
46.2
58.2
33

Appendix B - RS-232 Connection
You can control your CGE telescope with a computer via the RS-232 port on the computerized hand control and using
an optional RS-232 cable (#93920). Once connected, the CGE can be controlled using popular astronomy software
programs.

Communication Protocol:
CGE-i communicates at 9600 bits/sec, No parity and a stop bit. All angles are communicated with 16 bit angle and
communicated using ASCII hexadecimal.
Description

PC Command ASCII

Hand Control Response

Echo
Goto Azm-Alt

Kx
B12AB, 4000

X#
#

Goto Ra-Dec

R34AB, 12CE

Get Azm-Alt

12AB, 4000#

Get RA-Dec
Cancel Goto
Is Goto in Progress

E
M
L

34AB, 12CE#
#
0# or 1#

Is Alignment Complete
Commands below
available on version 1.6
or later
HC version
Stop/Start Tracking

0# or 1#

32-bit goto RA-Dec
32-bit get RA-Dec

V
Tx
x = 0 (Tracking off)
x = 1 (Alt-Az on)
x = 2 (EQ-N)
x = 3 (EQ-S)
r34AB0500,12CE0500
e

#
34AB0500,12CE0500#

Commands below
available on version 2.2
or later
32-bit goto Azm-Alt
32-bit get Azm-Alt

b34AB0500,12CE0500
z

#
34AB0500,12CE0500#

The cable required to interface to the telescope
has an RS-232 male plug at one end and a 4-4
telephone jack at the other end. The wiring is
as follows:

Notes
Useful to check communication
10 characters sent. B=Command,
12AB=Azm, comma, 4000=Alt. If
command conflicts with slew limits,
there will be no action.
Scope must be aligned. If
command conflicts with slew limits,
there will be no action.
10 characters returned,
12AB=Azm, comma, 4000=Alt, #
Scope must be aligned
0=No, 1=Yes; "0" is ASCII
character zero
0=No, 1=Yes

Two bytes representing V2.2
Alt-Az tracking requires alignment

The last two characters will always
be zero.

Additional RS232 Commands
Send Any Track Rate Through RS232 To The Hand Control
1.
2.
3.

Multiply the desired tracking rate (arcseconds/second) by 4. Example: if the desired trackrate is 150
arcseconds/second, then TRACKRATE = 600
Separate TRACKRATE into two bytes, such that (TRACKRATE = TrackRateHigh*256 +
rackRateLow). Example: TrackRateHigh = 2 TrackRateLow = 88
To send a tracking rate, send the following 8 bytes:
a. Positive Azm tracking:
80, 3, 16, 6, TrackRateHigh, TrackRateLow, 0, 0
b. Negative Azm tracking:80, 3, 16, 7, TrackRateHigh, TrackRateLow, 0, 0
c. Positive Alt tracking:
80, 3, 17, 6, TrackRateHigh, TrackRateLow, 0, 0
d. Negative Alt tracking:
80, 3, 17, 7, TrackRateHigh, TrackRateLow, 0, 0
The number 35 is returned from the handcontrol

Send A Slow-Goto Command Through RS232 To The Hand Control
(note: Only valid for motorcontrol version 4.1 or greater)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Convert the angle position to a 24bit number. Example: if the desired position is 220°, then
POSITION_24BIT = (220/360)*224 = 10,252,743
Separate POSITION_24BIT into three bytes such that (POSITION_24BIT = PosHigh*65536 +
PosMed*256 + PosLow). Exampe: PosHigh = 156, PosMed = 113, PosLow = 199
Send the following 8 bytes:
a. Azm Slow Goto: 80, 4, 16, 23, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0
b. Alt Slow Goto: 80, 4, 17, 23, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0
The number 35 is returned from the handcontrol

Reset The Position Of Azm Or Alt
1. Convert the angle position to a 24bit number, same as Slow-Goto example.
2. Send the following 8 bytes:
a. Azm Set Position: 80, 4, 16, 4, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0
b. Alt Set Position: 80, 4, 17, 4, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0
3. The number 35 is returned from the handcontrol
4. Note: If using Motorcontrol version less than 4.1, then send:
a. Azm Set Position: 80, 3, 16, 4, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0
b. Alt Set Position: 80, 3, 17, 4, PosHigh, PosMed, PosLow, 0

APPENDIX C – MAPS OF TIME ZONES

CELESTRON TWO YEAR WARRANTY
A.

Celestron warrants this telescope to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years. Celestron will repair or
replace such product or part thereof which, upon inspection by Celestron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship.
As a condition to the obligation of Celestron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to Celestron
together with proof-of-purchase satisfactory to Celestron.

The Proper Return Authorization Number must be obtained from Celestron in advance of return. Call Celestron at (310) 3289560 to receive the number to be displayed on the outside of your shipping container.
All returns must be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the name, address, and daytime telephone number of the
owner, together with a brief description of any claimed defects. Parts or product for which replacement is made shall become
the property of Celestron.
The customer shall be responsible for all costs of transportation and insurance, both to and from the factory of
Celestron, and shall be required to prepay such costs.
Celestron shall use reasonable efforts to repair or replace any telescope covered by this warranty within thirty days of receipt. In
the event repair or replacement shall require more than thirty days, Celestron shall notify the customer accordingly. Celestron
reserves the right to replace any product which has been discontinued from its product line with a new product of comparable
value and function.
This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in the event a covered product has been modified in design or
function, or subjected to abuse, misuse, mishandling or unauthorized repair. Further, product malfunction or
deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this warranty.
CELESTRON DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER OF MERCHANTABILITY OF
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN.
THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF CELESTRON UNDER THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE TO REPAIR OR
REPLACE THE COVERED PRODUCT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS SET FORTH HEREIN. CELESTRON
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LOST PROFITS, GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
WHICH MAY RESULT FROM BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY, OR ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO
USE ANY CELESTRON PRODUCT. ANY WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPLIED AND WHICH CANNOT BE
DISCLAIMED SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO A TERM OF TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL
RETAIL PURCHASE.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or limitation on how long an implied
warranty lasts, so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
Celestron reserves the right to modify or discontinue, without prior notice to you, any model or style telescope.
If warranty problems arise, or if you need assistance in using your telescope contact:
Celestron
Customer Service Department
2835 Columbia Street
Torrance, CA 90503
Tel. (310) 328-9560
Fax. (310) 212-5835
Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM PST
This warranty supersedes all other product warranties.

NOTE: This warranty is valid to U.S.A. and Canadian customers who have purchased this product from an Authorized
Celestron Dealer in the U.S.A. or Canada. Warranty outside the U.S.A. and Canada is valid only to customers who purchased
from a Celestron Distributor or Authorized Celestron Dealer in the specific country and please contact them for any
warranty service.

Celestron
2835 Columbia Street
Torrance, CA 90503
Tel. (310) 328-9560
Fax. (310) 212-5835
Web site at http//www.celestron.com
Copyright 2003 Celestron
All rights reserved.
(Products or instructions may change
without notice or obligation.)
Item # 11063-INST
$10.00
03-03

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