TheSkySearchers

As a backstop to whatever answer I eventually receive from iOptron, I think additional opinion/experience maybe helpful.

The GPS function on my CEM60 appears to have failed. In the Commander mount panel the GPS status is always ON and the year is 2013 (and also 2013 in the HC).It can be updated to PC time, but reverts to 2013 when power is cycled.

Things already tried.

1. New battery in the HC (the original battery test low)
2. Firmware flashed to the latest version.
3. Mount left ON for hours with counterweight bar horizontal and at the zero position.
4. Many power cycles.
5. GPS connector plug re-seated several time

I cannot swear to this but at one point I believe the GPS status did change from ON to OK for a moment.

Anything else I should try? Anyway to determine if the problem is the GPS module or something on the board?

Thanks.

When the GPS rollover date occurred last year many systems defaulted to their manufacture date, most Synta and Sunny reverted to August 1999.
You can still use the mounts by powering on, shut GPS off and input time/ location yourself and the mounts work fine.
It took a while but they finally came out with patches to fix the issue.
I notice that iOptron sells a updated GPS board on their site. I do not know if this is to correct the rollover issue or just a standard replacement part though.
If it is to fix the rollover issue I would be a bit annoyed if was not at least discounted for those already owning the equipment.

here is the email reply i got from Kevin @ioptron on this matter.


"If you GPS picks up the satellite signal and displays correct date, it is
not affected. Generally, GPS module manufactured after 2014 would not be
affected by the rollover bug."

Harmonious wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 8:11 pm As a backstop to whatever answer I eventually receive from iOptron, I think additional opinion/experience maybe helpful.

The GPS function on my CEM60 appears to have failed. In the Commander mount panel the GPS status is always ON and the year is 2013 (and also 2013 in the HC).It can be updated to PC time, but reverts to 2013 when power is cycled.

Things already tried.

1. New battery in the HC (the original battery test low)
2. Firmware flashed to the latest version.
3. Mount left ON for hours with counterweight bar horizontal and at the zero position.
4. Many power cycles.
5. GPS connector plug re-seated several time

I cannot swear to this but at one point I believe the GPS status did change from ON to OK for a moment.

Anything else I should try? Anyway to determine if the problem is the GPS module or something on the board?

Thanks.

I know that the iEQ45 had the bug and there is a "discounted" replacement available, but AFSIK 2 year old CEM60 should not have this particular bug. But hopefully iOptron will eventually tell me.

The mount is on a pier so the failure is only an annoyance. I can still do my normal flow, with the extra step of forcing the mount to PC time, then a plate solve to sync the mount and go to go. Having a good PA i don't bother to star align.

If it is the GPS mod I likely will replace it but i would like to eliminate other possibilities. Sometimes there is an easy user fix.

At this point while waiting I would check all cable ends for straightness and clean them with some isopropyl.
Hopefully you get a response soon.

I did get a message from iOptron. In brief it suggested that with a good battery the HC should retain the time and date once entered correctly. They also suggested checking the cable and connector at the main board and sent along an illustrated instruction on board replacement to show where everything is. Having already done that I was hoping for more.

I've sent them a follow up to say that the problem, or perhaps two problems, continue. The HC simply does not retain time and date when power is cycled. It does not matter if the correct time/date is entered by the key pad, or updated via the selecting the PC time option on the Commander mount panel or by (eventually) getting the data from the GPS.

The other problem is the variable and sometimes lengthy delay before the GPS update time and date. The delay varies from 5 minutes, but is often much longer. Yesterday in two consecutive tests, it required 40 minutes and I stopped the second test when it failed to link after 65 minutes.

As I said annoying. Things should work better and more reliably than this, particularly sold state electronics. If they don't fail early they normally last for years, for decades.

We will see what iOptron suggests next.