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Subject: Re: Variable slew rate?
From: Chuck Tribolet
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Tue Nov 08 08:57:58 1994

I'll second the request for variable slew rates. I've managed to use a laptop to point the LX-200 at satellites. I do it by sending repeated GoTo RaDec commands over the RS-232 interface. Sometimes this works pretty well, and sometimes it sucks. If the required slew rates are right, the target stays in the eyepiece quite nicely. When they are wrong, the target passes in and out of the field of view.

I've seen Mir as an extended object. It looks a bit like a figure 8. I presume the loops of the 8 are solar panels. I hope to get a peek at the Shuttel tomorrow (Wed) nite, but the weather is pretty iffy, and I don't even know if they will still be up.

A few caveats:

- If you send the GoTo RaDec commands too close togetether, scope will lock up solid and require a restart procedure (I don't think you have to reallign, but I had to play some games to get RS-232 interface talking again.

- Be sure to allow some manual mechanism for adjusting the pointing. Typically the sat. will be on track, but early or late.

- I'm on the old V2 microcode. Maybe the new GoTo AltAz command in V3 will help. Ron Ezra: Any hope this will help?