1.) Yes in AltAz mode the scope automatically tracks.

2.) The reason for the wedge is to prevent field rotation. In AltAz mode the
scope tracks the object but the object also rotates as it moves across the sky.
In order to compensate for this rotation you can either use a wedge to polar
align or use a field derotator. Of course this is only an issue with
photography unless of course you like to stare at obejcts for long periods of
time and don't want them to even rotate in the eyepiece :)

John

> 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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>


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