|
When the mount is switched on, it does not start tracking until either a star is synced, or an unpark command is given or manually switched on (blind tracking).
So after my very first switch on I hand-pad slewed to Canopus and then selecting Canopus from the scitech database, the star is synced and the mount then knows where it is in the universe. I then set up a park position and saved it. Incidently the Scitech hand-pad works differently than the EQ6, it seems that S is the top button and E is the left button. Just have to imagine yourself facing Sth and the buttons fall into place. Either that or I missed a check box somewhere.
From then on, if I use unpark and the scope hasn't moved then I can goto a target immediately. Using platesolving2 and sync you can centre the target very quickly.
Now it was onto drift aligning at the meridian and DEC 0.
The Mesu azimuth knurled nuts are easy to turn, you have to untighten the central tommy nut slighty first, adjust for PA and then re-tighten the nut. The elevation section has a coarse adjuster with holes that a pin goes through located every 10 degrees of elevation. The knurled nuts are then turned to get the elevation angle precisely tuned in.
While I was in an alignment mood (not much else you can do under full moon), I adjusted the cone error screws on the dovetail closest to the mirror. The first gem flip I was 8 arcmins off in RA (using platesolve2) and after repeated gem flips I adjusted it down to 20 arcsecs.
I did a set of PHD runs to see what the performance is like and compare to my EQ6. You can see the size difference here, not that much in height but a much longer counterweight shaft on the Mesu
Continued
|