[sac-forum] Re: Digital setting circle question

Part of the setup procedure of the Sky Commander is to enter the type of mount 
and whether it's driven or not. For instance, a fork mount is different from a 
German equatorial because the fork can be flipped over 180 degrees in RA, but 
the German equatorial can't. This impacts "push-to" movements.  All that's 
really needed is a mount with two perpendicular axes and knowledge of whether 
it's driven.  The settings are saved in the DSC's flash memory and don't rely 
on battery power.  I think that the Dob versus Equatorial question doesn't 
matter because the DSC converts any set of mount axes into polar coordinates.  
Thus, the results are valid even if a Dob is badly tilted, say on a hillside.  
(If I'm wrong about this, somebody please correct me.)
  - Paul
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve D. 
  To: sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 10:51 AM
  Subject: [sac-forum] Digital setting circle question


  Howdy,
     Here's a question, maybe technical, about DSC's such as Sky Commander.  If 
I remember right, they mount on an alt/az Dob and calculate the position of 
objects in Altitude and Azimuth.  What happens when you put the alt/az mount on 
a platform?  Is the calculation still purely alt/az, or is the DSC informed 
somehow and adjusts the algorithm?  If I'm totally wet, let me know.

  Thanks.

  Steve Dodder
  President, Saguaro Astronomy Club
  Director, Stone Haven Observatory 
  fester00@xxxxxxxxxxx 
  http://www.stargazing.net/Astroman

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