> Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 10:08:40 -0600
> Subject: [M]: LX200 align/slew
>
> 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...

1-star alignment is inherently inaccurate and very much at the mercy of
leveling and site data. Do a 2-star alignment and you'll be pleasantly
surprised. In my opinion, it was a mistake for them to even offer 1-star
alignment -- it is a flawed concept. Two stars are necessary (and
sufficient) to determine the position of the celestial sphere.

> 1) In AltAz mode, does the LX200 track...or automatically slew the scope
to
> keep up with the object being viewed?

Yes, automatically. This is activated as soon as you do your alignment on 1
or 2 stars.

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

To avoid field rotation in long-exposure photographs; also to get somewhat
smoother tracking and use periodic error correction (significant for
photography, not for visual use). In alt-azimuth mode, the image twists
gradually as it tracks because the telescope isn't rotating around the same
axis as the Earth.

The other reason to use the wedge is if you are measuring double stars or
something and need your four slewing directions to be exactly north, south,
east, and west regardless of position in the sky.

> 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.

Tracking the Moon is inherently complicated because there's parallax as well
as orbital motion. Few if any telescopes track it perfectly.

> Plus, I'm getting pretty confident with my camera
> enough to want to take photos ...

Let me suggest a book and a web site :)

Clear skies,

Michael Covington
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
(Now working on a book on computerized telescopes)
http://www.CovingtonInnovations.com/astro <><
[Astronomy correspondents: Please do not send pictures or
file attachments unless requested. They will not reach me. ]

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