"[M]: LX200 align/slew" in the Meade Astronomy Archive

Subject: [M]: LX200 align/slew
From: LaGuardia, Kristofer S.
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Fri Jun 01 09:08:40 2001

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Okay, big question that maybe I'm just not getting. The manual is not clear
at all about this.

Last night I did a 1-star alt-az alignment with Vega. My base was level...I
had used my reticule eyepiece to center the star. I slewed to some stars
and was off some...not sure how much since I'm still new to this...I'm
thinking of trying tonight again, but this time will hopefully be able to do
a 2star align. I didn't have a whole lot of time last night but wanted to
view the moon...and did a sketch that I will share as soon as I scan it in
and identify the craters...anyway...

My big questions are...

1) In AltAz mode, does the LX200 track...or automatically slew the scope to
keep up with the object being viewed? Is there something I push to have it
do that?

2) If it does do that, then why use the wedge(I have the Meade Superwedge)?

i guess I'm getting tired of having to follow the moon with the keypad...and
the stars...or finding a binary pair and running in to get the wife out only
to have to find it again. Plus, I'm getting pretty confident with my camera
enough to want to take photos but since it still takes a while to find
everything on my camera I don't want to have to worry about finding things
again.

The questions are also all time sensitive with Mars coming so close to us
and me wanting it to be my first serious planetary astrophoto.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 9:55 AM
Subject: [AG] LX200 align/slew

>
>Okay, question for all the LX200 12" owners out there...or any other
>LX mounts...when you do the 1 or 2 star alignment...you get better
>accuracy slewing with 3, not 4 right?

I set the slew speed from 6 down to 3 for a couple of reasons: a) it
is better on the motors vis-a-vis MAPUGish wisdom, b) it is not as
loud (in fact, now my electric focuser makes more noise).

As far as I know, this has no effect on slewing accuracy, but I could
have missed something too. For setting alignment stars, I usually do
my best eyeballing the star in dead-center of the field of view.

I did try using my reticle eyepiece to precisely center Polaris and
the other alignment star the LX200 chooses for you in Polar
alignments. That was the best alignment I have ever had. I'm not
sure I would have even needed to do a drift align if I had wanted to
do imaging that night.

Leroy

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Okay, big question that maybe I'm just not =
getting.  The manual is not clear at all about this.


Last night I did a 1-star alt-az alignment with =
Vega.  My base was level...I had used my reticule eyepiece to =
center the star.  I slewed to some stars and was off some...not =
sure how much since I'm still new to this...I'm thinking of trying =
tonight again, but this time will hopefully be able to do a 2star =
align.  I didn't have a whole lot of time last night but wanted to =
view the moon...and did a sketch that I will share as soon as I scan it =
in and identify the craters...anyway...

My big questions are...


1) In AltAz mode, does the LX200 track...or =
automatically slew the scope to keep up with the object being =
viewed?  Is there something I push to have it do that?  =


2) If it does do that, then why use the wedge(I have =
the Meade Superwedge)?


i guess I'm getting tired of having to follow the =
moon with the keypad...and the stars...or finding a binary pair and =
running in to get the wife out only to have to find it again.  =
Plus, I'm getting pretty confident with my camera enough to want to =
take photos but since it still takes a while to find everything on my =
camera I don't want to have to worry about finding things =
again.

The questions are also all time sensitive with Mars =
coming so close to us and me wanting it to be my first serious =
planetary astrophoto.

-----Original Message-----
 From: Leroy [<A =
 Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 9:55 AM
 Subject: [AG] LX200 align/slew

 

wrote:
 >
 >Okay, question for all the LX200 12" owners =
out there...or any other
 >LX mounts...when you do the 1 or 2 star =
alignment...you get better
 >accuracy slewing with 3, not 4 right?

 

I set the slew speed from 6 down to 3 for a couple of =
reasons: a) it 
 is better on the motors vis-a-vis MAPUGish =
wisdom,  b) it is not as 
 loud (in fact, now my electric focuser makes more =
noise).


As far as I know, this has no effect on slewing =
accuracy, but I could 
 have missed something too.  For setting =
alignment stars, I usually do 
 my best eyeballing the star in dead-center of the =
field of view.


I did try using my reticle eyepiece to precisely =
center Polaris and 
 the other alignment star the LX200 chooses for you =
in Polar 
 alignments.  That was the best alignment I have =
ever had.  I'm not 
 sure I would have even needed to do a drift align if =
I had wanted to 
 do imaging that night.


Leroy

 
 

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email =
to:


 


Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to <A =
HREF=3D"http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/" =
TARGET=3D"_blank">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/</A> 


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