Celestron Cge1100 Users Manual MASTER CGE

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

2015-02-02

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INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................................4

g ..............................................................................................................................................................................................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.

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.

ASSE

1 Schmidt Corrector Lens 8 Control Panel (see below)

2 Optical Tube 9 Hand Control Holder / Strap

3 Finderscope 10 Hand Control

4 Eyepiece 11 Tripod

5 Star Diagonal 12 Tripod Center Leg Brace

6 Declination Clutch Lock 13 Counterweights

7 Latitude Adjustment Scale 14 Counterweight Bar

15 R.A. Clutch Lock

CONTROL PANEL E 12v Output Jack

A Dec Motor Port F On/Off Switch

B R.A. Motor Port G Auxiliary Port 1

C PC Interface Port H Auxiliary Port 2

D Auto Guider Port I Hand Control Port

Figure 2.1 - The CGE Telescope

(CGE 1400 Shown)

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.

CGE 800 (#11058) CGE 925 (#11059) CGE 1100 (#11061) CGE 1400 (#11063)

Eyepiece 25mm Plossl

Eyepiece - 1.25"

25mm Plossl

Eyepiece - 1.25"

40mm Plossl

Eyepiece - 1.25"

40mm Eyepiece - 2"

Diagonal Star Diagonal - 1.25" Star Diagonal - 1.25" Star Diagonal - 1.25" Mirror Diagonal –2"

Finderscope 6x30 with Bracket 6x30 with Bracket 9x50 with Bracket 9x50 with Bracket

Power Supply Car Battery Adapter Car Battery Adapter Car Battery Adapter Car Battery Adapter

Counterweight One - 11 lb. One - 25 lb. One - 25 lb. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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.

2. 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.

3. 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).

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

3. 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.

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

head.

Electronincs

Pier

Tripod Leg

Center Leg

Brace

Hand Contro

Holder

Figure 2-2

5. 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.

2. 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.

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

equatorial mount.

4. 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.

2. Thread the counterweight bar into the opening until tight.

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

counterweight.

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 .

2. Remove the counterweight safety thumbscrew and washer on the

end of the counterweight bar (i.e., opposite the end that attaches to

the mount).

3. Loosen the locking screw on the side of the counterweight.

4. Slide the counterweight onto the shaft.

Dec Axis

Counterweight

Bar

Safety Scre

and Washer

Counterweight

Locking Screw

Figure 2-3

Figure 2-4

Dovetail Slide

Bar

Dovetail Locking

Knobs

Mounting

Platform

Figure 2-5

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

6. Replace the counterweight safety thumbscrew and washer.

Attaching the Optical Tube to the Mount

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:

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.

1 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.

2 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.

3 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.

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

3. 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.

Important!

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.

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

3. 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.

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.

3. 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

Eyepiece

Star Dia

ona

Visual Bac

2" thread-on

Mirror Diagonal

2" Barrel

Eyepiece

Figure 2-6 Figure 2-7

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.

2. 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.)

3. 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.

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

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

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

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

8. Hand tighten the three nylon tipped thumbscrews until snug.

Finderscope

Nylon

Adjustment

Screw

Finder Bracket

Figure 2-8

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.”

To adjust the mount in altitude:

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

2. 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:

1. Locate the azimuth adjustment bolt on

the flat portion of the tripod column (see

figure 2-10).

2. Loosen the two azimuth lock knobs

located on the top of the tripod column.

3. Turn the azimuth adjustment bolt with

the 7/32" Allen wrench until the polar

axis is pointing in the right direction.

4. 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.

R.A. Clutch

Knobs

DEC Clutch

Knob

Altitude Adjustment

Bolt

Azimuth Lock

Knobs

Figure 2-9

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.

2. 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.

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

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

5. 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).

6. 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.

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.”).

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

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

4. Release the tube — GRADUALLY — to see which way it rotates around the declination axis. DO NOT LET

GO OF THE TELESCOPE TUBE COMPLETELY!

Figure 2-11

On/Off Switch

12v DC Powe

Power Cord

Strain Relief

5. 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.

6. 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).

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

2. Remove the counterweight from the counterweight bar.

3. Remove the counterweight bar from the mount.

4. Remove the finderscope from the optical tube.

5. Take the equatorial mount off of the central column.

Figure 2-13

Cable to DEC

Motor

Cable to R.A.

Motor

Motor Ports

Figure 2-12

6. Remove the center leg brace from the tripod.

7. 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. 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.

2. Align: Instructs the CGE to use a selected star or object as an alignment position.

3. 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.

Figure 3-1

The CGE Hand Control

4. 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 Common name listing of the brightest stars in the

sky.

Named Objects Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular

deep sky objects.

Double Stars Numeric-alphabetical listing of the most visually

stunning double, triple and quadruple stars in the

sky.

Variable Stars Select list of the brightest variable stars with the

shortest period of changing magnitude.

Asterisms A unique list of some of the most recognizable star

patterns in the sky.

CCD Objects A custom list of many interesting galaxy pairs, trios

and clusters that are well suited for CCD imaging

with the CGE telescope.

IC Objects A complete list of all the Index Catalog deep-sky

objects.

Abell Objects A custom list of the Abell Catalog deep-sky

galaxies.

Constellation A complete list of all 88 constellations.

5. Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about objects selected from the CGE database.

6. 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

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

Calibrating the CGE Mount

In order to improve the pointing accuracy of you

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 tha

results from the optical tube not being perpendicula

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-Sta

lignment 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

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.

For the best possible pointing accuracy, always center the alignment

stars using the up arrow button and the right arrow button.

Approaching the star from this direction when looking through the

eyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash between the gears and

assure the most accurate alignment possible.

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.

bserving

Tip Figure 3-2

The Meridian is an imaginary line in the sk

that starts at the North celestial pole and

ends at the South celestial pole and passes

through the zenith. If you are facing South,

the meridian starts from your Southern

horizon and passes directly overhead to the

North celestial pole.

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. Select the desired star (or object) from the database and slew to it.

2. Carefully center the object in the eyepiece.

3. Once centered, press the UNDO button until you are at the main menu.

4. With CGE Ready displayed, press the ALIGN key on the hand control.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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.

Hel

ful

Hint

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 = .5x 6 = 64x

2 = 1x (sidereal) 7 = .5º / sec

3 = 4x 8 = 2º / sec

4 = 8x 9 = 4º / sec

5 = 16x

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.

Off When using the telescope for terrestrial (land) observation, the

tracking can be turned off so that the telescope never moves.

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

ine available slew s

eeds

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.

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

Hel

ful

Hint

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. 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.

2. 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.

3. Use the direction buttons to carefully center the alignment star in the eyepiece.

4. Press ENTER to slew to the desired object.

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

between the gears. This play is evident by how long it takes for a star to move in the

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

by inputting a value which quickly rewinds the motors just enough to eliminate the play

between gears. The amount of compensation needed depends on the slewing rate

selected; the slower the slewing rate the longer it will take for the star to appear to move

in the eyepiece. There are two values for each axis, positive and negative. Positive is the

amount of compensation applied when you press the button, in order to get the gears

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

SETUP TIME-SITE

ZM POSITIV

ZM NEGATIV

LT POSITIV

LT NEGATIV

ANTI-BACKLASH

LTMAX IN LIST

LTMIN IN LIS

FILTER LIMITS

ZM BUTTONS

LT BUTTONS

DIRECTION BUTTONS

ZM APPROAC

LT APPROAC

GOTO APPROACH

ZM RATE

LT RATE

AUTOGUIDE RATES

CONE VALUE

DEC SWITCH

RA SWITCH

MOUNT SETTINGS

SCOPE SETUP

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.

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.

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.

Observing

Tip!

Helpful

Hint!

• 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

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:

DEC SWITCH / CONE

R.A. SWITCH

GOTO

CALIBRATE MOUNT

R.A. TO SWITCH

DEC TO SWITCH

MOVE TO SWITCH

GOTO

SET

HOME POSTION

POLAR ALIGN

PLAYBAC

RECORD

PEC

LIGHT CONTROL

PRESS UNDO

PRESS "0"

FACTORY SETTING

VERSION

GET ALT-AZ

GOTO ATL-AZ

HIBERNATE

TURN ON/OFF RTC

TURN ON/OFF GPS

UTILITIES

1. With the telescope set up and roughly positioned towards Polaris, align the mount using the AutoTwo-

Star Alignment method.

2. 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.

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 Menu Tree:

The following figure is a menu tree showing the sub-menus associated with the primary

command functions

EQ NORT

EQ SOUTH

MODE

SIDEREAL

SOLAR

LUNAR

RATE

TRACKING

IEW TIME-SITE

SETUP TIME-SITE

ANTI-BACKLASH

FILTER LIMITS

DIRECTION BUTTONS

GOTO APPROACH

UTOGUIDE RAT

MOUNT SETTINGS

SCOPE SETUP

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

UTILITIES

GOTO SKY OBJ

SAVE SKY OB

ENTER RA & DEC

SAVE LAND OBJ

GOTO LAND OB

USER OBJECTS

GET RA-DEC

GOTO RA-DEC

SELECT CATALOG

IDENTIFY

GOTO TYPE

PRECISE GOTO

SET SWITCH POSITION

ENTER TIM

DLS/ST

TIME ZONE

ENTER DATE- MM/DD/YY

CENTER STAR 1

SELECT STAR 1

CENTER STAR 2

SELECT STAR 2

AUTO TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT

CENTER STAR 1

SELECT STAR 1

AUTO ONE-STAR ALIGNMENT

QUICK-ALIGN

LAST ALIGNMENT

ENTER LONG/LAT

START-UP PROCUDURE

ALIGNMENT

NAMED STAR

NAMED OBJECT

ASTERISM

TOUR

VARIABLE STAR

DOUBLE STAR

CCD OBJECTS

BELL

IC CATALOG

CALDWELL

MESSIER

NGC

SAO

SOLAR SYSTEM

CONSTELLATION

LIST

CGE Ready

Figure 4-1

A c

e S

-C

n o

Actual image orientation as seen

with the unaided eye

Inverted image, as viewed with

the eyepiece directly in telescope

Reversed from left to right, as

viewed with a Star Diagonal

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.

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.

ure 4-2

Figure 4-3

The emblem on the end of

the focus knob shows the

correct rotational direction

for focusing the CGE.

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.

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

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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

Latitude

Scale

Figure 5-3

2. 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.

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

4. 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.

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.

Definition Figure 5-4 The position of the

Big Dipper changes

throughout the year and the

night.

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.

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 build-

up 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 T-

Adapter (#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.

2. Thread the T-Ring onto the T-Adapter.

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

4. 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

2. Center the Moon in the field of your CGE telescope.

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

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

5. Trip the shutter using a cable release.

6. Advance the film and repeat the process.

Lunar Phase ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400

Crescent 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15

Quarter 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125

Full 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250

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

Table 7-1

Above is a listing of recommended exposure times when photographing the Moon at the

rime focus of

our CGE telesco

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.

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

3. Place the black card over the front of the telescope.

4. Release the shutter using a cable release.

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

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

7. Replace the black card over the front of the telescope.

8. 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 ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400

Moon 4 2 1 1/2

Mercury 16 8 4 2

Venus 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15

Mars 16 8 4 2

Jupiter 8 4 2 1

Saturn 16 8 4 2

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.

Table 7-2

Recommended ex

osure time for

hoto

hin

lanets.

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 off-

axis 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.

2. Remove all visual accessories.

3. Thread the Radial Guider onto your telescope.

4. Thread the T-Ring onto the Radial Guider.

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

6. Set the shutter speed to the "B" setting.

7. Focus the telescope on a star.

8. Center your subject in the field of your camera.

9. 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.

2. 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.

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

movement.

4. 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. 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.

6. After 8 minutes PEC will automatically stop recording.

7. 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.

8. 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. Here are proven

recommendations:

• Ektar 1000 (color print)

Helpful

Hint

• 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

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).

Figure 7-2 - The Fastar Compatible Optical System

Secondary

Mirror

Secondary

Mirror

Retaining Ring

Corrector Plate

Secondary

Mirror Mount

Handle

Fastar Lens Assem b

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)

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)

Focal

Length &

Speed CGE 1400 154" (3910mm) 88.2" (2239mm) 29.4" (746mm)

CGE 800 8 x 6.1 (arc

min) 12.6 x 9.7 (arc min) 40 x 30 (arc

min)

CGE 1100 5.8 x 4.4 (arc

min) 9.2 x 7.0 (arc min) 28 x 21 (arc

min)

ST 237

F.O.V.*

CGE 1400 4 x 3 (arc min) 7 x 5.5 (arc min) 22 x 17 (arc

min)

* Field of view calculated using SBIG ST 237 CCD camera with 4.7mm x 3.6mm

chip.

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

CCD Camer

Figure 7-3 Fi

ure 7-4

Table 7-3

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

ebula 4 exposures of 30 seconds each!

Figure 7-6 M51 -- The Whirlpool Nebula

9 exposures of 60 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.

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.

-1

Rotate the collimation screw cover to

access the three collimation screw.

Figure 8-3

A collimated telescope

should appear

symmetrical with the

central obstruction

centered in the star's

diffraction pattern.

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.

2. 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).

3. 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).

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

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.

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 wide-

field 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).

Technical Specifications

CGE 11058 11059 11062 11063

CGE 800 CGE 925 CGE 1100 CGE 1400

Specifications:

Optical Design 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain 9.25" Schmidt-Cassegrain 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain 14" Schmidt-Cassegrain

Focal Length 2032mm F/10 2350mm F/10 2800mm F/10 3910mm F/11

Finderscope 6x30 6x30 9x50 9x50

Mount Computerized Equatorial Mount Computerized Equatorial Mount Computerized Equatorial Mount Computerized Equatorial Mount

Optical Tube Carbon Fiber Aluminum Carbon Fiber Aluminum

Fastar Compatible Yes No Yes Yes

Eyepiece 25mm Ploss l- 1.25" (81x) 25mm Plossl - 1.25" (94x) 40mm Plossl - 1.25" (70x) 40mm 2" (98x)

Star Diagonal 1.25" 1.25" 1.25" 2" with 1.25" adapter

Tripod Adjustable, Carbon Steel Adjustable, Carbon Steel Adjustable, Carbon Steel Adjustable, Carbon Steel

Car Battery Adapter Included Included Included Included

Technical Specs

Highest Useful Magnication 480x 555x 660x 840x

Lowest Useful Magnification 29x 34x 40x 51x

Limiting Stellar Magnitude 14 14.4 14.7 15.3

Resolution: Rayleigh .68 arc seconds .59 arc seconds .50 arc seconds .39 arc seconds

Dawes Limit .57 arc seconds .49 arc seconds .42 arc seconds .33 arc seconds

Photographic Resolution 200 line/mm 200 line/mm 200 line/mm 165 line/mm

Light Gathering Power 843x unaided eye 1127x unaided eye 1593x unaided eye 2581x unaided eye

Field of View :standard eyepiece .62º .53º .71º .51º

Linear FOV (@1000 yds) 32 ft. 28 ft. 38 ft. 27 ft.

Optical Coatings Starbright Coating Starbright Coating Starbright Coating Starbright Coating

Secondary Mirror Obstruction 2.7" 3.35" 3.75" 4.5"

by Area 11% 13% 12% 10%

by Diameter 34% 36% 34% 32%

Optical tube length 17 inches 22 inches 24 inches 31 inches

Optical Tube Weight 12.5 lb 20 lbs 27.5 lbs 45 lbs

Tripod and Pier 41.5 lb 41.5 lb 41.5 lb 41.5 lb

EQ Mount Weight 42 lb 42 lb 42 lb 42 lb

Counter Weight bar 5 lb 5 lb 5 lb 5 lb

Counter Weight 1 x 11 lb 1 x 25 lb 1 x 25 lb 2 x 25 lb

Technical Specifications

CGE 11058 11059 11062 11063

CGE 800 CGE 925 CGE 1100 CGE 1400

CGE Mount Specifications

Motor Drive

DC Servo motors with encoders,

both axes

DC Servo motors with encoders, both

axes

DC Servo motors with encoders, both

axes

DC Servo motors with encoders,

both axes

Computer Hand Control

Double line, 16 character Liquid

Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit

LED buttons

Double line, 16 character Liquid

Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit

LED buttons

Double line, 16 character Liquid

Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit

LED buttons

Double line, 16 character Liquid

Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic

backlit LED buttons

Slew Speeds

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,

.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,

.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,

.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec,

.5º/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x

Tracking Rates Sidereal, Solar and Lunar Sidereal, Solar and Lunar Sidereal, Solar and Lunar Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Tracking Modes EQ North & EQ South EQ North & EQ South EQ North & EQ South EQ North & EQ South

Alignment Procedures

AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align,

1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment,

3-Star Align

AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align,

1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment,

3-Star Align

AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align,

1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment,

3-Star Align

AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick

Align, 1-Star Align, Recall Last

Alignment, 3-Star Align

Software Precision 24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation 24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation 24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation 24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation

Database

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

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

Power Requirements 12 VDC 1.5A 12 VDC 1.5A 12 VDC 1.5A 12 VDC 1.5A

Idle Current 215mA 215mA 215mA 215mA

Slew one axis 600mA 600mA 600mA 600mA

Slew both axes 850mA (with 1A spikes) 850mA (with 1A spikes) 850mA (with 1A spikes) 850mA (with 1A spikes)

Internal clock Yes Yes Yes Yes

GPS Compatible CN-16 GPS Accessory CN-16 GPS Accessory CN-16 GPS Accessory CN-16 GPS Accessory

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

ALABAMA

Anniston 85 51 33 34.8

Auburn 85 26.4 32 40.2

Birmingham 86 45 33 34.2

Centreville 87 15 32 54

Dothan 85 27 31 19.2

Fort Rucker 85 43.2 31 16.8

Gadsden 86 5.4 33 58.2

Huntsville 86 46.2 34 39

Maxwell AFB 86 22.2 32 22.8

Mobile 88 15 30 40.8

Mobile Aeros 88 4.2 30 37.8

Montgomery 86 2.4 32 18

Muscle Shoal 87 37.2 34 45

Selma 86 59.4 32 20.4

Troy 86 1.2 31 52.2

Tuscaloosa 87 37.2 33 13.8

ALASKA

Anchorage 149 51 61 13.2

Barrow 156 46.8 71 18

Fairbanks 147 52.2 64 49.2

Haines Hrbor 135 25.8 59 13.8

Homer 151 3 59 37.8

Juneau 134 34.8 58 22.2

Ketchikan 131 4.2 55 21

Kodiak 152 3 57 45

Nome 165 25.8 64 30

Sitka 135 21 57 4.2

Sitkinak 154 1.2 56 52.8

Skagway 135 31.8 59 45

Valdez 146 21 61 7.8

ARIZONA

Davis-M AFB 110 52.8 32 10.2

Deer Valley 112 4.8 33 40.8

Douglas 109 3.6 31 27

Falcon Fld 111 43.8 33 28.2

Flagstaff 111 40.2 35 7.8

Fort Huachuc 110 21 31 36

Gila Bend 113 10.2 33 33

Goodyear 112 22.8 33 25.2

GrandCanyon 112 9 35 57

Kingman 113 57 35 16.2

Luke 112 22.8 33 31.8

Page 111 27 36 55.8

Payson 111 19.8 34 13.8

Phoenix 112 1.2 33 25.8

Prescott 112 25.8 34 39

Safford Awrs 109 40.8 32 49.2

Scottsdale 111 55.2 33 37.2

Show Low 110 0 34 16.2

Tucson 110 55.8 32 7.2

Williams AFB 111 40.2 33 18

Winslow 110 43.8 35 1.2

Yuma 115 0 33 6

Yuma Mcas 114 37.2 32 39

Yuma Prv Gd 114 2.4 32 51

ARKANSAS

Blytheville 89 57 35 58.2

Camden 92 2.4 33 31.2

El Dorado 92 4.8 33 13.2

Fayetteville 94 10.2 36 0

Ft Smith 94 22.2 35 19.8

Harrison 93 9 36 16.2

Hot Springs 93 0.6 34 28.8

Jonesboro 90 39 35 49.8

Little Rock 92 22.8 35 13.2

Pine Bluff 91 55.8 34 10.2

Springdale 94 7.8 36 10.8

Texarkana 94 0 33 27

Walnut Ridge 90 55.8 36 7.8

CALIFORNIA

Alameda 122 19.2 37 46.8

Alturas 120 31.8 41 28.8

Arcata 124 0.6 40 58.8

Bakersfield 119 3 35 25.8

Beale AFB 121 27 39 7.8

Beaumont 116 57 33 55.8

Bicycle Lk 116 37.2 35 16.8

Big Bear 116 40.8 34 16.2

Bishop 118 3.6 37 36

Blue Canyon 120 4.2 39 16.8

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Blythe 114 43.2 33 37.2

Burbank 118 22.2 34 12

Campo 116 28.2 32 37.2

Carlsbad 117 16.8 33 7.8

Castle AFB 120 34.2 37 22.8

Chico 121 51 39 46.8

China Lake 117 40.8 35 40.8

Chino 117 37.8 33 58.2

Concord 122 3 37 58.8

Crescent Cty 124 13.8 41 46.8

Daggett 116 46.8 34 52.2

Edwards AFB 117 52.8 34 54

El Centro 115 40.8 32 49.2

El Monte 118 1.8 34 4.8

El Toro 117 43.8 33 40.2

Eureka 124 16.8 41 19.8

Fort Hunter 121 19.2 36 0

Fort Ord 121 46.2 36 40.8

Fresno 119 43.2 36 46.2

Fullerton 117 58.2 33 52.2

George AFB 117 22.8 34 34.8

Hawthorne 118 19.8 33 55.2

Hayward 122 7.2 37 39

Imperial 115 34.2 32 49.8

Imperial Bch 117 7.2 32 34.2

La Verne 117 46.8 34 6

Lake Tahoe 120 0 38 54

Lancaster 118 13.2 34 43.8

Livermore 121 49.2 37 42

Long Beach 118 9 33 49.2

Los Alamitos 118 3 33 46.8

Los Angeles 118 2.4 33 55.8

Mammoth 118 55.2 37 37.8

March AFB 117 16.2 33 52.8

Marysville 121 34.2 39 6

Mather AFB 121 1.8 38 34.2

Mcclellan 121 2.4 38 40.2

Merced 120 31.2 37 16.8

Miramar NAS 117 9 32 52.2

Modesto 120 57 37 37.8

Moffet 122 3 37 25.2

Mojave 118 9 35 3

Montague 122 31.8 41 43.8

Monterey 121 51 36 34.8

Mount Shasta 122 19.2 41 19.2

Mount Wilson 118 4.2 34 13.8

Napa 122 16.8 38 13.2

Needles 114 37.2 34 46.2

North Is 117 1.2 32 42

Norton AFB 117 13.8 34 6

Oakland 122 13.2 37 43.8

Ontario Intl 117 37.2 34 3

Oxnard 119 1.2 34 12

Palm Springs 116 3 33 49.8

Palmdale 118 7.8 35 3

Palo Alto 122 7.2 37 28.2

Paso Robles 120 37.8 35 40.2

Pillaro Pt 122 49.8 37 49.8

Point Mugu 119 7.2 34 7.2

Pt Arena 124 13.2 39 34.8

Pt Arguello 121 7.2 34 57

Pt Piedras 121 16.8 35 40.2

Red Bluff 122 15 40 9

Redding 122 1.8 40 30

Riverside 117 27 33 57

Sacramento 121 3 38 31.2

Salinas 121 3.6 36 40.2

San Carlos 122 15 37 31.2

San

Clemente

117 37.2 33 25.2

San Diego 117 7.8 32 49.2

San

Francisco

122 22.8 37 37.2

San Jose 121 55.2 37 22.2

San Luis Obi 120 39 35 13.8

San Mateo 117 34.8 33 22.8

San Miguel 120 2.4 34 1.8

Sandburg 118 43.8 34 45

Santa Ana 117 52.8 33 40.2

Santa Barb 119 49.8 34 25.8

Santa Maria 120 27 34 54

Santa Monica 118 27 34 1.2

Santa Rosa 122 49.2 38 31.2

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Shelter Cove 124 4.2 40 1.8

Siskiyou 122 28.2 41 46.8

Stockton 121 15 37 54

Superior Val 117 0.6 35 19.8

Susanville 120 57 40 37.8

Thermal 116 10.2 33 37.8

Torrance 118 19.8 33 48

Travis AFB 121 55.8 38 16.2

Tahoe 120 7.8 39 19.2

Tustin Mcas 117 49.8 33 42

Ukiah 123 1.2 39 7.8

Van Nuys 118 28.8 34 13.2

Vandenberg 120 57 35 12

Visalia 119 2.4 36 19.2

COLORADO

Air Force A 105 21 39 31.2

Akron 103 13.2 40 10.2

Alamosa 105 52.2 37 27

Aspen 106 52.2 39 13.2

Brmfield/Jef 105 7.2 39 54

Buckley 104 45 39 43.2

Colo Sprgs 104 43.2 38 49.2

Cortez 108 37.8 37 18

Craig-Moffat 107 31.8 40 30

Denver 104 52.2 39 45

Durango 107 45 37 9

Eagle 106 55.2 39 39

Englewood 104 49.8 39 34.2

Fort Carson 104 46.2 38 40.8

Fraser 105 3 39 34.2

Ft Col/Lovel 105 1.2 40 27

Ft Collins 105 4.8 40 34.8

Grand Jct 108 31.8 39 7.2

Greeley-Wld 104 37.8 40 25.8

Gunnison 106 55.8 38 33

La Junta 103 31.2 38 3

Lamar 102 3.6 38 7.2

Leadville 106 1.8 39 15

Limon 103 4.2 39 10.8

Montrose 107 52.8 38 30

Pueblo 104 31.2 38 16.8

Rifle 107 4.8 39 31.8

Salida 106 3 38 31.8

Trinidad 104 19.8 37 15

Winter Park 105 52.2 40 0

CONNECTICUT

Bridgeport 73 7.8 41 10.2

Danbury 73 28.8 41 22.2

Groton 72 3 41 19.8

Hartford 72 39 41 43.8

New Haven 72 40.2 41 13.2

New London 72 4.8 41 18

Windsor Loc 72 40.8 41 55.8

DELAWARE

Dover 75 28.2 39 7.8

Wilmington 75 3.6 39 40.2

D.C. WASH

Washington 77 27.6 38 57

FLORIDA

Apalachicola 85 1.8 29 43.8

Astor NAS 81 34.2 29 7.2

Avon Park G 81 33 28 4.8

Cape

Canaveral

80 33 28 28.2

Cecil 81 52.8 30 13.2

Crestview 86 31.2 30 46.8

Cross City 83 0.6 29 37.2

Daytona Bch 81 3 29 10.8

Duke Fld 86 31.2 30 39

Eglin AFB 86 31.8 30 28.8

Egmont Key 82 46.2 27 36

Fort Myers 81 52.2 26 34.8

Ft Lauderdale 80 9 26 4.2

Ft Myers 81 52.2 26 39

Gainesville 82 16.2 29 40.8

Homestead 80 22.8 25 28.8

Hurlburt Fld 86 40.8 30 25.8

Jacksonville 81 40.8 30 13.8

Key West 81 45 24 33

Lakeland 81 57 28 1.8

Macdill AFB 82 31.2 27 51

Marianna 85 10.8 30 50.4

Mayport NAS 81 25.2 30 24

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Melbourne 80 37.8 28 6

Miami 80 16.8 25 49.2

Naples 81 4.8 26 7.8

Nasa Shuttle 80 40.8 28 37.2

Orlando 81 19.2 28 25.8

Panama City 85 40.8 30 12

Patrick AFB 80 3.6 28 13.8

Pensacola 87 19.2 30 21

Ruskin 82 3.6 27 58.2

Saint Peters 82 40.8 27 55.2

Sanford 81 15 28 46.8

Sarasota 82 33 27 24

Tallahassee 84 22.2 30 22.8

Tampa Intl 82 31.8 27 58.2

Titusville 80 4.8 28 31.2

Tyndall AFB 85 34.8 30 4.2

Vero Beach 80 25.2 27 39

West Palm

Beach

80 7.2 26 40.8

Whiting Fld 87 1.2 30 43.2

GEORGIA

Albany 84 10.8 31 31.8

Alma 82 31.2 31 31.8

Athens 83 19.2 33 57

Atlanta 84 25.2 33 39

Augusta/Bush 81 58.2 33 22.2

Brunswick 81 22.8 31 9

Columbus 84 55.8 32 31.2

Dobbins AFB 84 31.2 33 55.2

Fort Benning 85 0 32 19.8

Ft Stewart 81 34.2 31 52.8

Hunter Aaf 81 9 32 1.2

La Grange 85 4.2 33 0.6

Macon/Lewis 83 39 32 42

Moody AFB 83 1.2 30 58.2

Robins AFB 83 3.6 32 37.8

Rome/Russell 85 10.2 34 21

Valdosta 83 16.8 30 46.8

Waycross 82 2.4 31 15

HAWAII

Barbers Pt 158 7.2 21 31.8

Barking San 160 1.8 22 3

Fr Frigate 166 28.2 24 27

Hilo 155 4.2 19 43.2

Honolulu Int 157 55.8 21 21

Kahului Maui 156 25.8 20 54

Kaneohe Mca 158 16.8 21 45

Kilauea Pt 159 40.2 22 22.8

Lanai-Lanai 156 57 20 48

Lihue-Kauai 159 21 21 58.8

Maui 156 49.8 20 58.2

Molokai 157 0.6 21 9

Upolo Pt Ln 156 28.2 20 25.2

Waimea-

Koha

156 7.2 20 0

IDAHO

Boise 116 13.2 43 34.2

Burley 113 46.2 42 31.8

Challis 114 13.2 44 31.2

Coeur

d'Alene

116 49.2 47 46.2

Elk City 115 25.8 45 49.2

Gooding 115 10.2 43 0

Grangeville 116 7.8 45 55.2

Idaho Falls 112 4.2 43 31.2

Lewiston 117 1.2 46 22.8

Malad City 112 19.2 42 10.2

Malta 113 22.2 42 18

Mccall 116 0.6 44 52.8

Mullan 115 4.8 47 28.2

Pocatello 112 3.6 42 55.2

Salmon 113 5.4 45 10.8

Soda Springs 111 34.8 42 39

Sun Valley 114 1.8 43 30

Twin Falls 114 28.8 42 28.8

ILLINOIS

Alton 90 3 38 52.8

Aurora 88 19.2 41 46.2

Bistate Park 90 9 38 34.2

Bloomington 88 55.8 40 28.8

Bradford 89 3.6 41 9.6

Cairo 89 13.2 37 4.2

Carbondale 89 15 37 46.8

Centralia 89 5.4 38 30.6

Champaign 88 16.8 40 1.8

Chicago 87 39 41 54

Danville 87 3.6 40 12

DeKalb 88 43.2 41 55.8

Decatur 88 52.2 39 49.8

Du Page 88 15 41 55.2

Galesburg 90 25.8 40 55.8

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Glenview

NAS

87 49.2 42 4.8

Kankakee 87 51 41 4.2

Macomb 90 39.6 40 31.2

Marion 89 0 37 45

Marseilles 88 40.8 41 22.2

Mattoon 88 16.8 39 28.8

Moline/Quad 90 31.2 41 27

Mount

Vernon

88 51.6 38 19.2

Peoria 89 40.8 40 40.2

Quincy 91 1.2 39 55.8

Rockford 89 0.6 42 12

Salem 88 57.6 38 37.8

Scott AFB 89 51 38 33

Springfield 89 40.2 39 51

Sterling 89 40.2 41 44.4

Taylorville 89 19.8 39 31.8

Vandalia 89 10.2 38 59.4

INDIANA

Bakalar 86 3 39 22.8

Bloomington 86 37.2 39 7.8

Elkhart 86 0 41 43.2

Evansville 87 31.8 38 3

Fort Wayne 85 1.2 41 0

Gary 87 25.2 41 37.2

Grissom AFB 86 9 40 39

Indianapolis 86 16.2 39 43.8

Muncie 85 22.8 40 13.8

South Bend 86 19.2 41 42

Terre Haute 87 1.8 39 27

W Lafayette 86 55.8 40 25.2

IOWA

Burlington 91 7.2 40 46.8

Cedar Rapids 91 4.2 41 52.8

Des Moines 93 39 41 31.8

Dubuque 90 4.2 42 24

Estherville 94 45 43 24

Fort Dodge 94 10.8 42 33

Lamoni 93 55.8 40 37.2

Mason City 93 19.8 43 9

Ottumwa 92 27 41 6

Sioux City 96 22.8 42 24

Spencer 95 9 43 10.2

Waterloo Mun 92 2.4 42 33

KANSAS

Chanute 95 28.8 37 40.2

Col. J Jabar 97 13.2 37 45

Concordia 97 39 39 33

Dodge City 99 58.2 37 46.2

Elkhart 101 52.8 37 0

Emporia 96 1.2 38 19.8

Ft Leavnwrth 94 55.2 39 22.2

Ft Riley 96 46.2 39 3

Garden City 100 43.2 37 55.8

Goodland 101 4.2 39 22.2

Hays 99 16.2 38 51

Hill City 99 49.8 39 22.8

Hutchinson 97 52.2 38 4.2

Johnson Cnty 94 52.8 38 49.2

Liberal 100 58.2 37 3

Manhatten 96 40.2 39 9

Mcconnell Af 97 16.2 37 37.2

Medicine Ldg 98 34.8 37 18

Olathe 94 5.4 38 51

Russell 98 49.2 38 52.2

Salina 97 39 38 48

Topeka 95 37.2 39 4.2

Topeka/Forbe 95 40.2 38 57

Wichita 97 25.8 37 39

KENTUCKY

Bowling Gren 86 25.8 36 58.2

Ft Campbell 87 3 36 40.2

Ft Knox 85 58.2 37 54

Jackson 83 19.2 37 36

Lexington 85 0 38 3

London 84 4.2 37 4.8

Louisville 85 40.2 38 13.8

Owensboro 87 10.2 37 45

Paducah 88 46.2 37 4.2

Pikeville 82 31.2 37 28.8

LOUISIANA

Alexandria 92 1.8 31 22.8

Barksdale 93 40.2 32 30

Baton Rouge 91 9 30 31.8

Boothville 89 40.2 29 33

Cameron Heli 93 1.8 29 46.8

Claiborne R 92 57 31 13.2

England AFB 92 33 31 19.8

Eugene Is. 91 46.8 28 28.2

Fort Polk 93 1.2 31 3

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Grand Isle 90 4.2 29 10.8

High Island 94 2.4 28 7.8

Houma 90 39 29 34.2

Intercoastal 92 7.2 29 43.8

Lafayette 92 0 30 12

Lake Charles 93 13.2 30 7.2

Lk Palourde 91 0.6 29 42

Missippi Can 89 3 28 46.8

Monroe 92 3 32 31.2

Morgan City 91 1.2 29 42

New Iberia 91 52.8 30 1.8

New Orleans 90 15 29 58.8

S Marsh Isl 91 58.8 28 18

Shreveport 93 45 32 31.2

Slidel 89 49.2 30 21

MAINE

Augusta 69 4.8 44 19.2

Bangor 68 49.2 44 48

Bar Harbor 68 22.2 44 27

Brunswick 69 55.8 43 52.8

Caribou Mun 68 1.2 46 52.2

Greenville 69 33 45 27

Houlton 67 46.8 46 7.8

Loring AFB 67 52.8 46 57

Portland 70 19.2 43 39

Presque Isle 68 3 46 40.8

Rockland 69 7.2 44 4.2

Rumford 70 52.8 44 52.8

MARYLAND

Andrews AFB 76 52.2 38 49.2

Baltimore 76 40.2 39 10.8

Fort Meade 76 46.2 39 4.8

Hagerstown 77 43.2 39 42

Ocean City 75 7.8 38 33

Patuxent 76 2.4 38 16.8

Phillips 76 10.2 39 28.2

Salisbury 75 3 38 19.8

MASSACHUSETTS

Bedford 71 16.8 42 28.2

Beverly 70 55.2 42 34.8

Boston 71 1.8 42 22.2

Cape Cod 70 3 41 46.8

Chatham 69 58.2 41 40.2

Fort Devens 71 3.6 42 34.2

Hyannis 70 16.8 41 40.2

Lawrence 71 7.2 42 43.2

Marthas Vine 70 37.2 41 24

Nantucket 70 4.2 41 15

New Bedford 70 58.2 41 40.8

Norwood 71 10.8 42 10.8

Otis ANGB 70 31.2 41 39

Pittsfield 73 10.8 42 15.6

S Weymouth 70 55.8 42 9

Westfield 72 43.2 42 10.2

Westover 72 31.8 42 12

Worcester 71 52.2 42 16.2

MICHIGAN

Alpena 83 34.2 45 4.2

Ann Arbor 83 45 42 13.2

Battle Creek 85 13.8 42 18

Benton

Harbor

86 25.8 42 7.8

Chippewa 84 28.2 46 15

Coopersville 85 57 43 4.2

Copper Harb 87 51 47 28.2

Detroit 83 1.2 42 25.2

Escanaba 87 4.8 45 43.8

Flint/Bishop 83 45 42 58.2

Grand Rapids 85 31.2 42 52.8

Hancock 88 3 47 10.2

Harbor Beach 82 31.8 43 49.8

Houghton

Lake

84 40.8 44 22.2

Iron Mtn 88 7.2 45 49.2

Ironwood 90 7.8 46 31.8

Jackson 84 28.2 42 16.2

Kalamazoo 85 33 42 13.8

Lansing 84 3.6 42 46.2

Manistee 86 15 44 16.2

Marquette 87 57 46 52.8

Menominee 87 37.8 45 7.2

Muskegon 86 15 43 10.2

Pellston 84 4.8 45 34.2

Pontiac 83 25.2 42 40.2

Saginaw 84 4.8 43 31.8

Sault Ste M 84 22.2 46 28.2

Sawyer AFB 87 2.4 46 21

Selfridge 82 49.8 42 37.2

Seul Choix 85 55.2 45 55.2

Traverse Cty 85 34.8 44 43.8

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Wurtsmith 83 2.4 44 27

Ypsilanti 83 31.8 42 13.8

MINNESOTA

Albert Lea 93 22.2 43 40.8

Alexandria 95 22.8 45 52.2

Bemidji Muni 94 55.8 47 30

Brainerd-Crw 94 7.8 46 24

Detroit Laks 95 52.8 46 49.2

Duluth 92 10.8 46 49.8

Ely 91 49.2 47 54

Fairmont 94 25.2 43 39

Fergus Falls 96 4.2 46 18

Grand Rapids 93 31.2 47 13.2

Hibbing 92 51 47 22.8

Intl Falls 93 22.8 48 34.2

Litchfield 94 31.2 45 7.8

Mankato 93 55.2 44 13.2

Marshall Arpt 95 49.2 44 27

Minneapolis 93 28.2 44 49.8

Park Rapids 95 4.2 46 54

Pequot Lake 94 19.2 46 36

Rochester 92 3 43 55.2

Saint Paul 93 3 44 55.8

St Cloud 94 4.2 45 33

Thief River 96 10.8 48 4.2

Tofte 90 49.8 47 34.8

Warroad 95 21 48 55.8

Worthington 95 34.8 43 39

MISSISSIPPI

Columbus

AFB

88 27 33 39

Golden Trian 88 34.8 33 27

Greenville 90 58.8 33 28.8

Greenwood 90 4.8 33 30

Gulfport 89 4.2 30 24

Hattiesburg 89 19.8 31 28.2

Jackson 90 4.8 32 19.2

Keesler AFB 88 55.2 30 25.2

Laurel 89 10.2 31 40.2

Mccomb 90 28.2 31 10.8

Meridian NAS 88 34.2 32 33

Meridian/Key 88 45 32 19.8

Natchez 91 15 31 37.2

Oxford 89 32.4 34 23.4

Tupelo 88 46.2 34 16.2

MISSOURI

Columbia 92 13.2 38 49.2

Cape

Girardeau

89 34.8 37 13.8

Ft Leonard 92 7.8 37 45

Jefferson City 92 10.2 38 36

Joplin 94 3 37 10.2

Kansas City 94 43.2 39 19.2

Kirksville 92 33 40 6

Monett 94 21 37 19.8

Muskogee 95 21.6 35 39.6

Poplar Bluff 90 28.2 36 46.2

Richards-Geb 94 33 38 51

Spickard 93 43.2 40 15

Springfield 93 22.8 37 13.8

St Joseph 95 31.8 40 16.8

St Louis 90 22.2 38 45

Vichy/Rolla 91 46.2 38 7.8

West Plains 92 25.2 37 13.2

Whiteman

AFB

93 33 38 43.8

MONTANA

Billings 108 31.8 45 48

Bozeman 111 9 45 46.8

Broadus 105 40.2 45 40.2

Butte 112 3 45 57

Cut Bank 112 22.2 48 36

Dillon 112 33 45 15

Drummond 113 9 46 40.2

Glasgow 106 37.2 48 13.2

Glendive 104 4.8 47 7.8

Great Falls 111 22.2 47 28.8

Harlowton 109 49.8 46 25.8

Havre 109 46.2 48 33

Helena 112 0 46 36

Jordan 106 55.8 47 19.8

Kalispell 114 16.2 48 18

Lewiston 109 27 47 3

Livingston 110 25.8 45 42

Malmstrom 111 10.8 47 30

Miles City 105 52.2 46 25.8

Missoula 114 4.8 46 55.2

Monida 112 19.2 44 34.2

Sidney 104 10.8 47 43.2

W Yellowston 111 0.6 44 39

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

NEBRASKA

Ainsworth 99 58.8 42 34.8

Alliance 102 4.8 42 3

Beatrice 96 45 40 19.2

Broken Bow 99 39 41 25.8

Burwell 99 9 41 46.8

Chadron 103 4.8 42 49.8

Columbus 97 21 41 27

Cozad 100 0 40 52.2

Falls City 95 34.8 40 4.2

Grand Island 98 19.2 40 58.2

Hastings 98 25.8 40 36

Imperial 101 23.4 40 19.8

Kearney 99 0 40 43.8

Lincoln Muni 96 45 40 51

Mccook 100 34.8 40 13.2

Mullen 101 3 42 3

Norfolk 97 25.8 41 58.8

North Omaha 96 1.2 41 22.2

North Platte 100 40.8 41 7.8

O'neill 98 40.8 42 28.2

Offutt AFB 95 55.2 41 7.2

Omaha 95 5.4 41 18

Ord/Sharp 98 57 41 37.2

Scottsbluff 103 3.6 41 52.2

Sidney Muni 102 58.8 41 6

Valentine 100 33 42 52.2

NEVADA

Austin 117 7.8 39 49.8

Battle Mtn 116 52.2 40 37.2

Caliente 114 31.2 37 37.2

Elko 115 46.8 40 49.8

Ely/Yelland 114 51 39 16.8

Eureka 115 58.2 39 30

Fallon NAS 118 4.2 39 25.2

Hawthorne 118 37.8 38 33

Ind Sprng Rn 115 34.2 36 31.8

Las Vegas 115 10.2 36 4.8

Lovelock 118 55.2 40 6

Mercury 116 1.2 36 37.2

Nellis AFB 115 1.8 36 13.8

Owyhee 116 10.2 42 34.8

Reno 119 46.8 39 30

Tonopah 117 4.8 38 4.2

Wildhorse 116 15 41 19.8

Winnemucca 117 4.8 40 54

Yucca Flat 116 4.8 37 34.8

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Berlin 71 10.8 44 34.8

Concord 71 3 43 12

Jaffrey 72 0 42 48

Keene 72 16.2 42 54

Laconia 71 25.8 43 34.2

Lebanon 72 1.8 43 37.8

Manchester 71 25.8 42 55.8

Mt Washingtn 71 1.8 44 16.2

Nashua 71 31.2 42 46.8

Pease AFB 70 49.2 43 4.8

Wolfeboro 71 22.8 44 0

NEW JERSEY

Atlantic CtIy 74 34.2 39 27

Barnegat Ls 74 16.8 40 16.8

Fairfield 74 16.8 40 52.2

Lakehurst 74 21 40 1.8

Mcguire AFB 74 3.6 40 1.2

Millville 75 4.2 39 22.2

Morristown 74 25.2 40 48

Newark Intl 74 10.2 40 42

Teterboro 74 3 40 51

Trenton 74 49.2 40 16.8

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque 106 3.6 35 3

Cannon 103 19.2 34 22.8

Carlsbad 104 16.2 32 19.8

Clayton Arpt 103 9 36 27

Corona 105 40.8 34 6

Deming 107 4.2 32 15

Farmington 108 13.8 36 45

Gallup/Clark 108 46.8 35 31.2

Grants 107 5.4 35 10.2

Hobbs 103 1.2 32 40.8

Holloman

AFB

106 0.6 32 51

Las Cruces 106 46.2 32 18

Las Vegas 105 9 35 39

Los Alamos 106 16.8 35 52.8

Moriarity 106 3 34 58.8

Northrup Str 106 2.4 32 54

Raton 104 3 36 44.4

Roswell 104 31.8 33 18

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Santa Fe 106 4.8 35 37.2

Silver City 108 10.2 32 37.8

Socorro 106 5.4 34 4.2

Taos 105 34.2 36 25.2

Truth Or Con 107 16.2 33 13.8

Tucumcari 103 3.6 35 10.8

White Sands 106 2.4 32 37.8

NEW YORK

Albany 73 4.8 42 45

Ambrose 74 22.2 40 45

Binghamton 75 58.8 42 13.2

Buffalo 78 43.8 42 55.8

Dansville 78 1.2 42 58.2

Elmira 76 5.4 42 10.2

Farmingdale 73 25.8 40 43.8

Fort Drum 75 43.8 44 3

Glens Falls 73 37.2 43 21

Griffiss AFB 75 2.4 43 13.8

Islip 73 0.6 40 46.8

Ithaca 76 28.2 42 28.8

Jamestown 79 15 42 9

Massena 74 51 44 55.8

Monticello 74 4.8 41 42

New York 73 58.8 40 46.2

Newburgh 74 0.6 41 30

Niagara Fall 78 57 43 6

Ogdensburg 75 2.4 44 40.8

Oneonta 75 7.2 42 52.2

Plattsburgh 73 28.2 44 39

Rochester 77 40.2 43 7.2

Saranac Lk 74 1.2 44 22.8

Schenectady 73 55.8 42 51

Syracuse 76 7.2 43 7.2

Utica 75 22.8 43 9

Watertown 76 1.2 44 0

Westhampton 72 37.8 40 51

White Plains 73 43.2 41 4.2

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville 82 33 35 25.8

Cape Hattera 75 33 35 16.2

Charlotte 80 55.8 35 13.2

Cherry Point 76 52.8 34 54

Dare Co Gr 76 3 36 7.8

Diamond Sho 75 3 35 15

Elizabeth 76 10.8 36 16.2

Fayetteville 78 52.8 35 0

Fort Bragg 78 55.8 35 7.8

Greensboro 79 57 36 4.8

Hickory 81 22.8 35 45

Hot Springs 82 49.2 35 54

Jacksonville 77 37.2 34 49.2

Kinston 77 37.8 35 19.2

Mackall Aaf 79 3 35 1.8

Manteo Arpt 75 40.8 35 55.2

New Bern 77 3 35 4.8

New River 77 25.8 34 42

Pope AFB 79 1.2 35 10.2

Raleigh-Durh 78 46.8 35 52.2

Rocky Mt 77 52.8 35 51

Southern Pin 79 23.4 35 14.4

Wilmington 77 55.2 34 16.2

Winston-

Salem

80 13.8 36 7.8

NORTH DAKOTA

Bismarck 100 45 46 46.2

Devil's Lake 98 5.4 48 7.2

Dickenson 102 4.8 46 46.8

Fargo 96 4.8 46 54

Grand Forks 97 10.8 47 57

Jamestown 98 40.8 46 55.2

Lidgerwood 97 9 46 6

Minot 101 16.8 48 16.2

Roseglen 101 49.8 47 45

Williston 103 37.8 48 10.8

OHIO

Athens 82 13.8 39 12.6

Canton 81 25.8 40 55.2

Cincinnati 84 40.2 39 3

Cleveland 81 40.8 41 31.2

Columbus 82 52.8 40 0

Dayton 84 1.2 39 54

Findlay 83 40.2 41 1.2

Mansfield 82 31.2 40 49.2

Rickenbacker 82 55.8 39 49.2

Toledo 83 4.8 41 36

Willoughby 81 2.4 41 37.8

Youngstown 80 40.2 41 16.2

Zanesville 81 5.4 39 57

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

OKLAHOMA

Altus AFB 99 16.2 34 40.2

Ardmore 97 1.2 34 18

Bartlesville 96 0 36 45

Clinton 99 1.2 35 21

Enid 97 4.8 36 22.8

Fort Sill 98 2.4 34 39

Gage 99 46.2 36 18

Hobart 99 3 35 0

Lawton 98 25.2 34 34.2

Mcalester 95 46.8 34 52.8

Norman 97 28.2 35 13.8

Oklahoma 97 3.6 35 24

Page 94 37.2 34 40.8

Ponca City 97 0.6 36 43.8

Stillwater 97 5.4 36 9.6

Tinker AFB 97 22.8 35 25.2

Tulsa 95 5.4 36 12

Vance AFB 97 55.2 36 19.8

OREGON

Astoria 123 52.8 46 9

Aurora 122 45 45 15

Baker 117 49.2 44 49.8

Brookings 124 28.2 42 4.8

Burns Arpt 118 57 43 36

Cape Blanco 124 57 43 22.8

Cascade 121 52.8 45 40.8

Corvallis 123 16.8 44 30

Eugene 123 13.2 44 7.2

Hillsboro 122 57 45 31.8

Klamath Fall 121 43.8 42 9

La Grande 118 0 45 16.8

Lake View 120 21 42 10.8

Meacham 118 2.4 45 30

Medford 122 52.2 42 22.2

Newport 124 3 44 37.8

North Bend 124 15 43 25.2

Ontario 117 1.2 44 1.2

Pendleton 118 51 45 40.8

Portland 122 3.6 45 36

Redmond 121 9 44 16.2

Roseburg 123 22.2 43 13.8

Salem 123 0 44 55.2

Sexton 123 22.2 42 37.2

The Dalles 121 9 45 37.2

Troutdale 122 2.4 45 33

PENNSYLVANIA

Allentown 75 25.8 40 39

Altoona 78 19.2 40 18

Beaver Falls 80 19.8 40 45

Blairsville 79 5.4 40 16.2

Bradford 78 37.8 41 48

Dubois 78 5.4 41 10.8

Erie 80 10.8 42 4.8

Franklin 79 52.2 41 22.8

Harrisburg 76 51 40 13.2

Johnstown 78 49.8 40 19.2

Lancaster 76 1.8 40 7.8

Latrobe 79 2.4 40 16.8

Middletown 76 46.2 40 12

Muir 76 34.2 40 25.8

Nth Philadel 75 1.2 40 4.8

Philadelphia 75 15 39 52.8

Philipsburg 78 7.8 41 28.2

Pittsburgh 79 55.8 40 21

Reading 75 58.2 40 22.8

Site R 77 25.8 39 43.8

State Colleg 77 49.8 40 51

Wilkes-Barre 75 43.8 41 19.8

Williamsport 76 55.2 41 15

Willow Grove 75 9 40 12

RHODE ISLAND

Block Island 71 34.8 41 10.2

Nth Kingston 71 25.2 41 36

Providence 71 25.8 41 43.8

SOUTH CAROLINA

Anderson 82 43.2 34 30

Beaufort 80 43.2 32 28.8

Charleston 80 1.8 32 54

Columbia 81 7.2 33 57

Florence 79 43.2 34 10.8

Greenville 82 21 34 51

Mcentire 80 4.8 33 55.2

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Myrtle Beach 78 55.8 33 40.8

Shaw AFB 80 28.2 33 58.2

Spartanburg 81 57.6 34 55.2

SOUTH DAKOTA

Aberdeen 98 25.8 45 27

Brookings 96 4.8 44 18

Chamberlain 99 19.2 43 48

Custer 103 3.6 43 46.2

Ellsworth 103 0.6 44 9

Huron 98 13.2 44 22.8

Lemmon 102 10.2 45 55.8

Mitchell 98 1.8 43 46.2

Mobridge 100 25.8 45 31.8

Philip 101 3.6 44 3

Pierre 100 16.8 44 22.8

Rapid City 103 4.2 44 3

Redig 103 19.2 45 9.6

Sioux Falls 96 43.8 43 34.8

Watertown 97 9 44 55.2

Yankton 97 22.8 42 55.2

TENNESSEE

Bristol 82 2.4 36 28.8

Chattanooga 85 1.2 35 1.8

Clarksville 87 25.2 36 37.2

Crossville 85 4.8 35 57

Dyersburg 89 2.4 36 1.2

Jackson 88 55.2 35 36

Knoxville 83 58.8 35 49.2

Memphis Intl 90 0 35 3

Monteagle 85 30.6 35 9

Nashville 86 40.8 36 7.2

Smyrna 86 3 36 0

TEXAS

Abilene 99 40.8 32 25.2

Alice 98 1.8 27 43.8

Amarillo 101 4.2 35 13.8

Austin 97 4.2 30 18

Bergstrom Af 97 40.8 30 12

Big Sky 101 28.8 32 23.4

Big Spring 101 27 32 18

Brownsville 97 25.8 25 54

Brownwood 98 57.6 31 47.4

Carswell AFB 97 25.8 32 46.8

Chase NAS 97 40.2 28 22.2

Childress 100 16.8 34 25.8

College Stn 96 22.2 30 34.8

Corpus Chrst 97 3 27 46.2

Cotulla 99 13.2 28 27

Dalhart 102 33 36 1.2

Dallas/FW 97 1.8 32 54

Del Rio 100 55.2 29 22.2

Dyess AFB 99 51 32 25.8

El Paso 106 2.4 31 48

Ellington Af 95 10.2 29 37.2

Fort Worth 97 21 32 49.2

Ft Hood Aaf 97 43.2 31 9

Galveston 94 52.2 29 16.2

Gray AFB 97 49.8 31 4.2

Greenville 96 4.2 33 4.2

Guadalupe 104 4.8 31 49.8

Harlingen 97 40.2 26 13.8

Hondo 99 10.2 29 21

Houston 95 21 29 58.2

Junction 99 46.2 30 30

Kelly AFB 98 34.8 29 22.8

Kerrville 99 4.8 29 58.8

Killeen 97 40.8 31 4.8

Kingsville 97 49.2 27 30

Laredo Intl 99 28.2 27 31.8

Laughlin AFB 100 46.8 29 22.2

Longview 94 43.2 32 22.8

Lubbock 101 49.2 33 39

Lufkin 94 45 31 13.8

Marfa 104 1.2 30 22.2

Mcallen 98 13.8 26 10.8

Midland 102 10.8 31 57

Mineral Wlls 98 4.2 32 46.8

Palacios 96 15 28 43.2

Paris/Cox 95 27 33 37.8

Plainview 101 42.6 34 10.2

Port Arthur 94 1.2 30 34.8

Reese AFB 102 3 33 36

Rockport 97 1.8 28 4.8

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

San Angelo 100 3 31 22.2

San Antonio 98 28.2 29 31.8

Sanderson 102 25.2 30 10.2

South Brazos 95 52.2 28 1.8

Stephenville 98 10.8 32 13.2

Temple 97 25.2 31 9

Tyler/Pounds 95 2.4 32 22.2

Victoria 96 55.2 28 51

Wichita Flls 98 3 33 58.8

Wink 103 1.2 31 46.8

UTAH

Blanding 109 46.8 38 1.8

Bullfrog Mar 110 4.2 37 30

Cedar City 113 0.6 37 42

Delta 112 34.8 39 19.8

Eagle Range 113 4.2 41 3

Green River 110 9 39 0

Hanksville 110 43.2 38 22.2

Hill AFB 111 58.2 41 7.2

Logan 111 51 41 46.8

Milford 113 1.8 38 43.2

Moab 109 45 38 46.2

Ogden 112 1.2 41 10.8

Price/Carbon 110 45 39 37.2

Provo 111 43.2 40 13.2

Roosevelt 110 37.8 40 30

Saint George 113 3.6 37 4.8

Salt Lake Ct 111 58.2 40 46.8

Tooele 112 1.2 40 10.2

Vernal 109 31.2 40 27

Wendover 114 3 41 13.2

VERMONT

Burlington 73 9 44 28.2

Montpelier 72 34.2 44 12

Newport 72 19.8 45 33

Rutland 73 57 43 31.8

St Johnsbury 72 1.2 44 25.2

Wilmington 72 52.8 42 52.8

VIRGINIA

Charlottes 78 27 38 7.8

Chesapeake 76 1.2 37 30

Danville 79 19.8 36 34.2

Fort Belvoir 77 10.8 38 43.2

Fort Eustis 76 37.2 37 7.8

Hot Springs 79 49.2 37 57

Langley AFB 76 22.2 37 4.8

Lynchburg 79 1.2 37 19.8

Newport

News

76 3 37 7.8

Norfolk NAS 76 16.8 36 55.8

Norfolk Rgnl 76 1.2 36 54

Oceana NAS 76 1.8 36 49.2

Quantico Mca 77 1.8 38 30

Richmond 77 19.8 37 30

Roanoke

Muni

79 58.2 37 19.2

Staunton 78 51 38 16.2

Volens 78 58.8 36 57

Wallops Sta 75 28.8 37 51

WASHINGTON

Bellingham 122 31.8 48 48

Bremerton 122 46.2 47 28.8

Burlington 122 19.8 48 30

Colville 118 28.2 48 52.8

Ephrata 119 31.2 47 19.2

Everet/Paine 122 16.8 47 55.2

Fairchild 117 39 47 37.2

Fort Lewis 122 34.8 47 4.8

Hanford 119 3.6 46 34.2

Hoquiam 123 58.2 46 58.2

Mcchord AFB 122 28.8 47 9

Moses Lake 119 19.2 47 12

Oak Harbor 122 40.8 48 15

Olympia 122 5.4 46 58.2

Omak 119 31.8 48 25.2

Pasco 119 7.2 46 16.2

Port Angeles 123 3 48 7.2

Pullman 117 7.2 46 45

Quillayute 124 33 47 57

Renton 122 13.2 47 30

Seattle 122 1.8 47 27

Shelton 123 9 47 15

Spokane 117 31.8 47 37.8

Tacoma 122 34.8 47 16.2

Toledo 122 4.8 46 28.8

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

Walla Walla 118 16.8 46 6

Wenatchee 120 1.2 47 24

Whidbey Is 122 39 48 21

Yakima 120 31.8 46 34.2

WEST VIRGINIA

Beckley 81 7.2 37 46.8

Bluefield 81 13.2 37 18

Charleston 81 3.6 38 22.2

Clarksburg 80 13.8 39 16.8

Elkins 79 51 38 52.8

Huntington 82 33 38 22.2

Lewisburg 80 2.4 37 52.2

Martinsburg 77 58.8 39 24

Morgantown 79 55.2 39 39

Parkersburg 81 25.8 39 21

Wheeling 80 39 40 10.8

Wh Sulphur 80 1.2 37 27.6

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

WISCONSIN

Appleton 88 31.2 44 15

Eau Claire 91 28.8 44 52.2

Green Bay 88 7.8 44 28.8

Janesville 89 1.8 42 37.2

La Crosse 91 15 43 52.2

Lone Rock 90 10.8 43 12

Madison 89 19.8 43 7.8

Manitowac 87 40.2 44 7.8

Milwaukee 87 5.4 42 57

Mosinee 89 40.2 44 46.8

Neenah 88 31.8 44 13.2

Oshkosh 88 34.2 44 0

Rhinelander 89 27 45 37.8

Rice Lake 91 43.2 45 28.8

Volk Fld 90 16.2 43 55.8

Wausau 89 37.2 44 55.2

LONGITUDE LATITUDE

degrees min degrees min

WYOMING

Big Piney 110 0.6 42 34.2

Casper 106 28.2 42 55.2

Cheyenne 104 49.2 41 9

Cody 109 1.2 44 31.2

Douglas 105 22.8 42 45

Evanston 111 0 41 19.8

Gillette 105 31.8 44 21

Jackson 110 43.8 43 36

Lander 108 43.8 42 49.2

Laramie 105 40.8 41 19.2

Moorcroft 104 48.6 44 21

Rawlins 107 1.2 41 48

Riverton 108 27 43 3

Rock Springs 109 4.2 41 36

Sheridan 106 58.2 44 46.2

Worland 107 58.2 43 58.2

Yellowstone 110 25.2 44 33

CITY PROVINCE LONGITUDE LATITUDE CITY COUNTRY LONGITUDE LATITUDE

Calgary Alberta 114 7 51 14

Churchill Newfoundland 94 0 58 45

Coppermine Northwest Terr. 115 21 67 49

Edmonton Alberta 113 25 53 34

Frederickton New Brunswick 66 40 45 57

Ft Mcpherson Northwest Terr 134 50 67 29

Goose Bay Newfoundland 60 20 53 15

Halifax Nova Scotia 63 34 44 39

Hazelton BC 127 38 55 15

Kenora Ontario 94 29 49 47

Labrador City Labrador 66 52 52 56

Montreal Quebec 73 39 45 32

Mt. Logan Yukon 140 24 60 34

Nakina Yukon 132 48 59 12

Ottawa Ontario 75 45 45 18

Peace River Alberta 117 18 56 15

Pr. Edward Isl Nova Scotia 63 9 46 14

Quebec Quebec 71 15 46 50

Regina Saskatchewan 104 38 50 30

Saskatoon Saskatchewan 101 32 52 10

St. Johns Newfoundland 52 43 47 34

Toronto Ontario 79 23 43 39

Vancouver BC 123 7 49 16

Victoria BC 123 20 48 26

Whitehorse Yukon 135 3 60 43

Winnipeg Manitoba 97 9 49 53

Aberdeen Scotland 2 9 w 57 9 n

Adelaide Australia 138 36 e 34 55 s

Amsterdam Holland 4 53 e 52 22 n

Ankara Turkey 32 55 e 39 55 n

Asunción Paraguay 57 40 w 25 15 s

Athens Greece 23 43 e 37 58 n

Auckland New Zealand 174 45 e 36 52 s

Bangkok Thailand 100 30 e 13 45 n

Barcelona Spain 2 9 e 41 23 n

Belém Brazil 48 29 w 1 28 s

Belfast Northern Ireland 5 56 w 54 37 n

Belgrade Yugoslavia 20 32 e 44 52 n

Berlin Germany 13 25 e 52 30 n

Birmingham England 1 55 w 52 25 n

Bombay India 72 48 e 19 0 n

Bordeaux France 0 31 w 44 50 n

Bremen Germany 8 49 e 53 5 n

Brisbane Australia 153 8 e 27 29 s

Bristol England 2 35 w 51 28 n

Brussels Belgium 4 22 e 50 52 n

Bucharest Romania 26 7 e 44 25 n

Budapest Hungary 19 5 e 47 30 n

Buenos Aires Argentina 58 22 w 34 35 s

Cairo Egypt 31 21 e 30 2 n

Canton China 113 15 e 23 7 n

Cape Town South Africa 18 22 e 33 55 s

Caracas Venezuela 67 2 w 10 28 n

Chihuahua Mexico 106 5 w 28 37 n

Chongqing China 106 34 e 29 46 n

Copenhagen Denmark 12 34 e 55 40 n

Córdoba Argentina 64 10 w 31 28 s

Darwin Australia 130 51 e 12 28 s

Dublin Ireland 6 15 w 53 20 n

Durban South Africa 30 53 e 29 53 s

Edinburgh Scotland 3 10 w 55 55 n

Frankfurt Germany 8 41 e 50 7 n

Georgetown Guyana 58 15 w 6 45 n

Glasgow Scotland 4 15 w 55 50 n

Guatemala City Guatemala 90 31 w 14 37 n

Guayaquil Ecuador 79 56 w 2 10 s

Hamburg Germany 10 2 e 53 33 n

Hammerfest Norway 23 38 e 70 38 n

Havana Cuba 82 23 w 23 8 n

Helsinki Finland 25 0 e 60 10 n

Hobart Tasmania 147 19 e 42 52 s

Iquique Chile 70 7 w 20 10 s

Irkutsk Russia 104 20 e 52 30 n

Jakarta Indonesia 106 48 e 6 16 s

Johannesburg South Africa 28 4 e 26 12 s

Kingston Jamaica 76 49 w 17 59 n

La Paz Bolivia 68 22 w 16 27 s

Leeds England 1 30 w 53 45 n

Lima Peru 77 2 w 12 0 s

Liverpool England 3 0 w 53 25 n

London England 0 5 w 51 32 n

Lyons France 4 50 e 45 45 n

Madrid Spain 3 42 w 40 26 n

Manchester England 2 15 w 53 30 n

Manila Phillipines 120 57 e 14 35 n

Marseilles France 5 20 e 43 20 n

Mazatlán Mexico 106 25 w 23 12 n

Mecca Saudi Arabia 39 45 e 21 29 n

Melbourne Australia 144 58 e 37 47 s

Mexico City Mexico 99 7 w 19 26 n

Milan Italy 9 10 e 45 27 n

Montevideo Uruguay 56 10 w 34 53 s

Moscow Russia 37 36 e 55 45 n

Munich Germany 11 35 e 48 8 n

Nagasaki Japan 129 57 e 32 48 n

Nagoya Japan 136 56 e 35 7 n

Nairobi Kenya 36 55 e 1 25 s

Nanjing China 118 53 e 32 3 n

Naples Italy 14 15 e 40 50 n

Newcastle England 1 37 w 54 58 n

Odessa Ukraine 30 48 e 46 27 n

Osaka Japan 135 30 e 34 32 n

Oslo Norway 10 42 e 59 57 n

Panama City Panama 79 32 w 8 58 n

Paramaribo Surinam 55 15 w 5 45 n

Paris France 2 20 e 48 48 n

Beijing China 116 25 e 39 55 n

Perth Australia 115 52 e 31 57 s

Plymouth England 4 5 w 50 25 n

Rio de Janeiro Brazil 43 12 w 22 57 s

Rome Italy 12 27 e 41 54 n

Salvador Brazil 38 27 w 12 56 s

Santiago Chile 70 45 w 33 28 s

St. Petersburg Russia 30 18 e 59 56 n

Sao Paulo Brazil 46 31 w 23 31 s

Shanghai China 121 28 e 31 10 n

Sofia Bulgaria 23 20 e 42 40 n

Stockholm Sweden 18 3 e 59 17 n

Sydney Australia 151 0 e 34 0 s

Tananarive Madagascar 47 33 e 18 50 s

Teheran Iran 51 45 e 35 45 n

Tokyo Japan 139 45 e 35 40 n

Tripoli Libya 13 12 e 32 57 n

Venice Italy 12 20 e 45 26 n

Veracruz Mexico 96 10 w 19 10 n

Vienna Austria 16 20 e 48 14 n

Warsaw Poland 21 0 e 52 14 n

Wellington New Zealand 174 47 e 41 17 s

Zürich Switzerland 8 31 e 47 21 n

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 Notes

Echo Kx X# Useful to check communication

Goto Azm-Alt B12AB, 4000 # 10 characters sent. B=Command,

12AB=Azm, comma, 4000=Alt. If

command conflicts with slew limits,

there will be no action.

Goto Ra-Dec R34AB, 12CE # Scope must be aligned. If

command conflicts with slew limits,

there will be no action.

Get Azm-Alt Z 12AB, 4000# 10 characters returned,

12AB=Azm, comma, 4000=Alt, #

Get RA-Dec E 34AB, 12CE# Scope must be aligned

Cancel Goto M #

Is Goto in Progress L 0# or 1# 0=No, 1=Yes; "0" is ASCII

character zero

Is Alignment Complete J 0# or 1# 0=No, 1=Yes

Commands below

available on version 1.6

or later

HC version V 22 Two bytes representing V2.2

Stop/Start Tracking Tx

x = 0 (Tracking off)

x = 1 (Alt-Az on)

x = 2 (EQ-N)

x = 3 (EQ-S)

# Alt-Az tracking requires alignment

32-bit goto RA-Dec r34AB0500,12CE0500 #

32-bit get RA-Dec e 34AB0500,12CE0500# The last two characters will always

be zero.

Commands below

available on version 2.2

or later

32-bit goto Azm-Alt b34AB0500,12CE0500 #

32-bit get Azm-Alt z 34AB0500,12CE0500# The last two characters will always

be zero.

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:

Additional RS232 Commands

1. Multiply the desired tracking rate (arcseconds/second) by 4. Example: if the desired trackrate is 150

arcseconds/second, then TRACKRATE = 600

2. Separate TRACKRATE into two bytes, such that (TRACKRATE = TrackRateHigh*256 +

rackRateLow). Example: TrackRateHigh = 2 TrackRateLow = 88

3. 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

4. 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. Convert the angle position to a 24bit number. Example: if the desired position is 220°, then

POSITION_24BIT = (220/360)*224 = 10,252,743

2. Separate POSITION_24BIT into three bytes such that (POSITION_24BIT = PosHigh*65536 +

PosMed*256 + PosLow). Exampe: PosHigh = 156, PosMed = 113, PosLow = 199

3. 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

4. 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.

B. The Proper Return Authorization Number must be obtained from Celestron in advance of return. Call Celestron at (310) 328-

9560 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

(Products or instructions may change

without notice or obligation.)

Item # 11063-INST

$10.00

03-03

Celestron Cge1100 Users Manual MASTER CGE

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