StarGPS GPS-NX01 Instructions Manual

StarGPS-NX Instructions
www.stargps.ca
General Information:
StarGPS-NX includes a high-performance GPS receiver and one adapter cable specific to the telescope mount.
This can be used with Celestron NexStar, NexStar+, StarSense, Meade Autostar, Audiostar, LX200 Classic,
Autostar II, Losmandy Gemini, Vixen StarBook, Astro-Physics GTO and Synta (Orion Atlas/Sirius, Sky-Watcher
SynScan).
1) The GPS-NX01 and GPS-NX02 receiver status LED indicates:
a) Solid on: power turned on.
b) Short-off blink every second: determined telescope type.
c) Rapid sustained blinking: detected old NexStar firmware (requires update)
d) Rapid blinking for 5 seconds: no telescope found, switching to 4800* baud NMEA output.
e) Short-on blink every second: determined date, time, latitude and longitude. This may not work indoors
and normally takes about one minute outdoors.
f) Short-on blink every 2 seconds: telescope has accepted GPS data.
2) After the telescope has accepted the GPS data it can be disconnected. It is recommended to leave the
GPS connected for at least twenty minutes following its first use (this allows it time to download and
update the almanac and ephemeris data used to locate satellites, resulting in better performance).
3) Note that the local date and time are set to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).
* Early model GPS-NX01 and GPS-NX02 receivers may specify 9600 baud.
For use with Celestron NexStar, NexStar+ or StarSense hand control:
StarGPS-NX requires a NexStar (firmware version 2.3, 104.0 or 4.0+ as displayed using the hand control
"Utilities: Version" menu item), any NexStar+ or a StarSense hand control with RS232 port (will not work with
newer handsets that have a USB port). If you have a CGE Series mount you must use the "Utilities: RTC " menu
item to disable use of the real time clock. This *must* be set to OFF, otherwise the CGE may get the time from
the RTC instead of the GPS.
1) Make sure the telescope is turned off.
2) Connect the GPS receiver to the hand control and telescope using the supplied cable. The long lead connects
to the RS232 port on the bottom of the hand control and can be routed up the center of the coiled cable if
desired (it takes a few minutes to wind the coil around the long lead). The short lead plugs into an AUX port
on the telescope to supply power to the GPS.
3) If you do not have an AUX port (GT, AS-GT, CG5 mount) you can plug the included 6p6c jack splitter into the
Hand Control jack and then plug the short lead and hand control cable into the splitter.
WARNING: Do not plug the GPS or splitter into the Autoguider port as this may damage the drive circuit.
4) Turn on the telescope.
5) Wait until the GPS LED flashes once every 2 seconds.
6) If using a StarSense hand control, if prompted to enter the time, press the BACK key once or quickly press
the ENTER key 9 times to bypass the Time/Date settings (leaving you at the Set Align Start prompt).
7) Proceed with setup/alignment as usual.
8) For NexStar you can use the "View Time-Site" menu item to see the UTC date, time, latitude and longitude.
For StarSense you can use Menu > Time and Location > View/Mod Location and then press the Option
button to display Lon & Lat. The Time Zone is set to Universal Time with Standard Time.
NOTE: The latest Starsense handset has a USB port instead of an RS232 port, but other than that it is identical to
the older Starsense HC. Unfortunately there is no way to connect the GPS to a StarSense USB port via an
adapter cable. The only option is to connect the GPS to a Windows PC using a GPS-USB cable, connect the
StarSense to the same PC and then use the redirect utility to virtually connect the GPS to StarSense. This
process is described at http://www.stargps.ca/manual.htm#usb.
NOTE: Mounts that support the CN16 GPS Accessory Kit (CGE, AS-GT, SLT, SE, iSeries) have a
"Utilities: GPS on/off" menu item that allows the CN16 GPS to be turned on or off. This menu item is not
applicable to StarGPS-NX and will return "No GPS detected" (it looks for a CN16).