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Problem with NEQ6 forgetting where it was when Parked by TheSkyX
I have been using an NEQ6 with the latest stable edition of TheSkyX.
I am not using the hand-controller instead using EQDIR plus the appropriate cable. Mostly works fine.
I ran automated T-Point to create a sky model and the pointing was great! I do not use ASCOM.
At the end of the night I “Park” the telescope before pressing the TheSkyX “Disconnect” button. I then wait a few seconds before hitting the power switch on the NEQ6. After that, I close down the TheSkyX software.
So, on subsequent nights I connect all the wires, power up the mount, “Connect” via TheSkyX and slew to a bright star to check all is good. That usually works for a couple of nights, but the night after that the bright star is nowhere near the field of view – tonight the RA was about right, but it was perhaps 10 degrees out in declination. Definitely double-plus ungood and the cause of much imaginative bad language in the boonies of Wiltshire.
Has anyone else encountered something like this? If so, have you developed any work rounds?
No, I don’t. I assumed that, if it was delivering the star to near the field centre then the TPoint model was working fine and I didn’t need to do anything.
Is that an error on my part?
Would be nice if it was as trivial as that.
Grant,
I don’t know for sure, but it is something I always do with my Paramount when using TheSkyX.
Worth a try IMHO.
Michael.Will give that a go! Probably in a couple of nights time…
Even done automatically a 36 point T-Point takes 30-45mins out of the night – especially with the moon around driving up the sky backgrounds.
Thanks.
Yea, T-Point is excellent.
I have a small Watec camera on the back of my C14 (with a couple of focal reducers).
After using about 20-25 stars for a T-Point model, it puts the target object in the centre of the little chip every time.
Michael.Yep. Courtesy of the great Pat Wallace. I see that the original Fortran code was being used for setting up a major professional observatory as recently as 2 years ago. I saw a presentation by him on the code once. Impressive piece of work.
Will try doing 25 stars and then add more every night instead. Will also see how far I can reduce the exposure and repeats and still work. Would be good to get it down to 15mins. Though, better yet, for it not to forget the model..
Grant, If you control your camera via he sky X you should be able to do an automated T point run using image link. I do so with my SB ME mounts. Takes me about an hour to get 200 – 300 stars. I would have thought that once you have a working model, synchronizing on a star at the start of each session would get you going. The Paramounts are “homed” on a predetermined point at the start of each session which I think is similar to synchronizing Eric
Yep. Thats what I do
Sychronising is awkward as I need to jog the scope using TheSkyX and last time it was a long way out. Perhaps after my right angled finder arrives….
Will see what happens tonight. Looks clear!
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