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MGP Box

Equipment Equatorial Mount Troubleshooting
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Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
I use the MGP Box to switch on (and turn off sometimes) my 10MicronGM1000 mount.   I am finding that's all it's good for.  It almost never connects to GPS satellites even though it's sitting on top of my scope, has a completely unobstructed view of the sky and is at an elevation of 7500 feet under Bortle 1 skies.   Also, the temperature, humidity and dew point readouts are entirely inaccurate.  NINA, the Pegasus Powerbox and the observatory's own sensors are often in very close agreement as to what the temperature, humidity and dewpoint are, but the GPS box gives wildly different numbers. 

Does anybody have any positive experience with this little box, other than being able to turn on and shut off the mount?

Thanks,
Jerry
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Michael Regouski avatar
Michael Regouski avatar
I have been using the MGP box for the last 8 years with no problem. I have a 10 Micron mount located in a remote observatory and it turns on and off the monut controller reliably. It picks up, sometimes as many as 10 to 12 sattilites. As far as the temperture and humidity you can, from the software, correct those values to more closlely match your other readings.
I have had good luck with both of mine.
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Michael Regouski:
I have been using the MGP box for the last 8 years with no problem. I have a 10 Micron mount located in a remote observatory and it turns on and off the monut controller reliably. It picks up, sometimes as many as 10 to 12 sattilites. As far as the temperture and humidity you can, from the software, correct those values to more closlely match your other readings.
I have had good luck with both of mine.

Interesting, I am wondering if mine may be defective in some way.  Mine definitely is reliable when it comes to turning the mount off and on, bu that's about it.
Thanks for the tip about correcting the temperature & humidity readings.
Bob Lockwood avatar
Bob Lockwood avatar
Do you have this: see page 14.  

MGPBox Manual English 1.3.pdf


I have found that some weather type stations are not always accurate right out of the box. Sometimes you need to calibrate to what the actual is for your location.
I don't have one, but these values might be changeable.
Ruediger avatar
Ruediger avatar
I use mine for many years without any issues. All values can be adjusted / corrected in the application. But I found out, it is most precise one esp. compared to PA UPB.
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
I made offsets so now the temperature and humidity are corresponding with my other gear, but I still cannot lock on to any satellites.  As I wrote, I am at 7500 feet elevation, Bortle 1 with horizons clear to around 20-25 degrees.   The MGP box is mounted at the very top of my scope, with an unobstructed view of the sky.  It should be receiving GPS data but it's not.
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