Star Targ 2.0

[RB]

Just wanted to share with everyone a cool piece of software called Star Targ 2.0, which many of you would have already heard about.
http://www.andysshotglass.com/StarTarg.html

This little app projects a reticle on top of your screen and allows you to drift align using a web cam.
You simply get your star in focus and place the star targ reticle right on top of the web cam screen and proceed with your drift alignment as usual.
No more sore neck/back.

I've wanted to order it for ages and now that I'm getting autoguiding underway, I took the plunge.

It's a great idea, can't wait to try it out.

:)

[h0ughy]

i have his startarg 1 - its pretty good nmust look at v2

[iceman]

I just use Al's on-screen reticle with IC-Capture.

but StarTarg does look cool.

[allan gould]

I manually star drift and then use the above for final touch up. Works well

[[1ponders]]

K3 imitators :lol:

[allan gould]

OK, Paul see you at Astrofest (Losmandy alley)and lets see how long it takes you to drift align etc.
PS Thanks for the advice and - Acropolite thanks for the cable from last year.
Allan

[netwolf]

I wonder if something similar could be done to make a polar scope template appear.

[h0ughy]

??????????????????why?:shrug::shrug :

[netwolf]

Houghy, the idea would be to replace the eyepiece of a polar scope with a camera and do the visual alignment using a polar alignment template on the screen.

Regards
Fahim

[h0ughy]

sound a good idea - but the camera field of view and focus will be vastle different?

[Zuts]

Hmm, I've always wondered why you cant simply do a rough align, then tell your scope to GOTO sigma octans (or any star) and then adjust via camera from your imaging scope on your lappie the dec/ra knobs on the mount until it is centered.

Admittedly I have had a few, but wouldnt you then be polar aligned?

Paul

[Dennis]

The Vixen Skysensor 2000 does this, sort of.

You set the mode to “Equatorial, Non-polar aligned” and then do a 3 star align so the SS2K does its internal mapping and works out where it is pointing to. Then you GoTo a 4th star which should be centred in your illuminated cross hairs.

Then, you change the mode to “Equatorial, Polar aligned” and do another GoTo to that same 4th star and the mount will slew a small distance based on the offset from the SCP.

Tweak the Alt and Az mount alignment knobs to re-centre the 4th star and you are now polar aligned.

Cheers

Dennis