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Subject: RE: [M]: Re: Dual Ports
From: Heapy Chris CG
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Wed Apr 15 00:43:29 1998

Answer to comment: You would be right but... If you close the serial
connection from the planetarium software you would need to re-synch to
the telescope position again upon re-connection. This can't be done
remotely (with skymap anyway - you need to slew and re-postion in the
eyepiece). Secondly, once PView has a hold of the serial port it will
not let go of it, so Skymap cannot connect on that port again.

I remember seeing a list of positional errors for stars as defined in
the LX200 database (I think Ric compiled it?), but in any case, it
should be possible to move the scope using Megastar to where the program
'thinks' Regulus is, move the scope again so that the star centers in
the eyepiece and synch on it. Whether that offset correction would
remain the same for every other object I don't know.

Chris
>----------
>From: M. Gartland[SMTP:mgartlan@iconn.net]
>Sent: 15 April 1998 03:29
>To: mapug@shore.net
>Subject: Re: [M]: Re: Dual Ports
>
>Several comments worth some feedback on this issue and then a problem
>..........First...a comment:
Does someone really need 3 serial connections? .......

>- I setup my LXD650 scope/laptop and ran a megastar test last night. Here is
>the problem.....with a 9mm reticle in my 5" F9 refractor, I did a polar 2
>star
>align routine and updated the alignment several times until I could get the
>scope to slew using the handbox from back and forth from Polaris to Regulus
>centering each of the stars after the slew. I went to M51 and a few other
>objects and got good centering in the eyepiece to test the alignment.
>
>- Then I took control of the scope with the laptop running megastar, pointed
>and selected on Regulus and slewed, the alignment was off. Regulus was close
>but not in the eyepeice. I zoomed way up in megastar and tried it again, no
>joy, it was out of the eyepeice. Regulus was up in the megastar data window
>but was not in the eyepiece. Then I checked the positional notation for the
>cursor for where Regulus was in megastar and compared it to the position that
>the meade handbox was reading when it slewed and centered on Regulus...the
>positions were different in both RA and DEC.
>I then put the cursor in the megastar field at the RA and DEC position that
>the meade handbox said Regulus was and viola....it slewed and centered
>Regulus. Of course, Regulus was in a different place on the megastar screen.
>This was also true for the severeal other objects I tried. So what I have is
>software that has positions for objects that is not where the objects are.
>Although the difference is not great, it is enough to make the software
>unusable for remote observing with my 216XT. Has anyone else found this same
>inaccuracy with their graphical pointing software???Does it have to do with
>truncated positions? either by the Meade database or Megastar?
>BTW, this is the new version 4 of megastar I just received.
>
>Thanks for any comments..
>m.
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