Problems Obtaining GPS LinkGenerally, Celestron scopes with GPS will successfully link with the GPS satellites in less than one minute. Occasionally the link may take a little longer, particularly if you have moved your telescope a great distance since the last use - hundreds of miles for example - or haven't used your scope in a long time. If it seems you have waited long enough and the scope still has not achieved a link, the most common problem is an obstruction between the telescope and the GPS satellites. For example, it is generally not possible to get a link inside a building. When outside, a building or a large tree can obstruct the signal from the satellites. Also, be certain GPS is ON in the Utilities menu. This can be a little confusing with some versions of the hand control; the menu item does not report the current status but rather prompts to press ENTER to turn on GPS or press ENTER to turn off GPS. Thus, if it current says press ENTER to turn OFF GPS, simply press UNDO or BACK to leave GPS active. If using the external GPS modules from Celestron (SkySync or CN-16) or PixSoft (StarGPS-NX), ensure it is connected to the mount before you power up. If it is not connected, when the hand control queries for the GPS and doesn't find it, it will turn off GPS in the menu and it will remain off until you turn it back on again. Owners of recent CPC scopes (at least those made since 2015, but possibly a bit earlier) have found their scope never reports a successful GPS link. CPC owner David Craig worked on the issue and discovered that if the super capacitor powering the GPS board is completely discharged, the GPS module then works successfully for nearly a year. The most likely explanation is that the GPS module was "locked" (its programming logic had encountered something it was unable to deal with) and discharging the capacitor allows it to restart from scratch, allowing the GPS module to operate until it again encounters the same programming error. David posted this information on Cloudy Nights where others have reported similar success with his technique. David authored an article completely detailing the procedure which you can download here. To join the discussion on Cloudy Nights, click here. One other potential problem is a slight incompatibility between hand control version 2.2 and some of the earliest NexStar 8/11 GPS telescopes. HC 2.2 might query the GPS module before it is initialized. If this happens, you will not get a GPS link even if you wait for hours. If have a NexStar 8/11 GPS and HC 2.2 and experience this problem, there is a workaround. After waiting a minute or two, if the scope doesn't link, press Undo until you are back at the initial startup prompt and start over again. If it doesn't link immediately, press Undo and restart the alignment again. Normally it will get the link the first time, unless you were just being impatient. If none of this works, a cable may needs reseated inside the scope (any cable or connector associated with the GPS board or GPS antenna). To locate the GPS board and antenna in the NexStar GPS, read this. To locate the GPS board and antenna in the CPC, read David Craig's article linked above. Beyond that, the GPS module is likely defective.
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