[sac-forum] Re: Digital setting circle question

Steve,

 

Sorry to hear you went "un-numb" Sounds real ouchy. 

 

Anyway in response to your last question: No you don't have to realign on
the last object. Going to it would certainly be a good test of the accuracy
of the reset, but it's not theoretically a necessity. As I said, what I do
is go to a near by Messier object and see how close I am. A degree is good
more is bad and I'll just turn it off and do a realign. 

 

I'll also do a complete realign if I decide to observe in a different part
of the sky. I try to use alignment stars that bracket the area I plan to
observe in. Also I keep realigning on the object just observed before moving
on and will do the occasional check on a nearby Messier object. All this
doesn't take a lot of time, but goes a long way to prolong pointing accuracy


 

 

Clear Skies 

Rick Tejera 

Editor SACnews 

Saguaro Astronomy Club 

Phoenix, Arizona 

 <http://www.saguaroastro.org/> www.saguaroastro.org 

saguaroastro@xxxxxxx 

  _____  

From: sac-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:sac-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Steve D.
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 19:26
To: sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [sac-forum] Re: Digital setting circle question

 

Hi everyone,
   Back from the oral surgeon.  Everything went ok, but they couldn't keep
me numb, for some reason.
  Anyway, thanks for all the responses.  Most helpful.  I'm not planning
anything specific, (Tom, AJ, just wondering how the software deals with the
changing aspects of sky tracking, and if it's mount dependant or not.
  Peter pretty much answered my initial question, but as these things go,
one question answered generates 5 others.  (Thanks for the answer, Peter.  I
may just use the link to do some more research in the future.)  Paul came
closest to answering all my subsequent questions, saying the S/W converts
all coordinates to polar coordinates, as long as it knows how the mount
behaves.  Thanks Paul.
  AJ was whom I expected to hear from most authoritatively, as I knew he had
one, and his answer is great.  The link to the SC commander manual will come
in handy, and I really liked the "cockpit errors" comment.  :-)  I have as
many of those as I can handle, thank you very much.  To answer your
question, I don't have one as yet.  My question is more based on the
mechanics of the DSC.  Actually, the software side of it, based on given
mechanical systems.  Having been in electronics for 30 some years before,
these type things still pique my curiosity from time to time.  Can't help
it.
Rick's second answer was great, as it gave some insight into the software,
(which was my goal), but raises another question.  That question being, and
this could go to AJ as well, when you reset the platform, is it required of
you to reacquire the same target you were on before the reset?  This would
make sense to me, as it would give the S/W a benchmark from which to work.
It could then recalculate to go from there.

  Tom: Confound you!  Let me get the chair working, first!  THEN we can
think about automating it.  (But it quickly strikes me, that the Meade LX200
S/W operates an Alt/Az mount.  Hhhhmmmmm...)

Thanks again, everyone.

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

  _____  

From: fester00@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [sac-forum] Digital setting circle question
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:51:46 -0700

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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