Maxpoint and EQMod syncs

[troypiggo]

I've had Maxpoint for a while, but must admit I've never really used or felt a need for it. Recently I decided to have a play, and quite liked the results. Couple of questions, though.

I can do all of the auto calibration fine, and the pointing model is quite good. I have Maxim using Maxpoint as the telescope, and Maxpoint uses EQMod. I start by slewing to a bright star in Maxim, manually nudging so it is aligned, then sync it. This gives everything a starting point. Then go to Maxpoint and do an auto full calibration and let it do its thing.

This creates a bunch of observations in Maxpoint, but doesn't add any sync points to EQMod. Is that normal and correct?

Then during the night, if I slew to a target, do a Pinpoint solve and sync, that sync adds to EQMod, but not Maxpoint.

I was expecting, I guess, that syncs get added to both EQMod and Maxpoint. No?

[troypiggo]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[RickS]

Dunno the answer to your question, sorry Troy. I haven't tried Maxpoint and I don't use EQMod. I am curious, though. Do you have a permanent setup? If not, what benefits do you get from Maxpoint?

Cheers,
Rick.

[troypiggo]

G'day Rick. I don't have a permanent setup, although if there appears to be an extended period of clear nights I'll leave the mount out and covered. Would be nice to save time on consecutive nights to just be able to get right into it rather than aligning etc.

After firing up the night after a session, the mount is always about 2 degrees out until my first sync. It's not a huge deal, but does bug me. I've tried using EQMod's ability to save syncs/alignment between sessions, but it's still out by a couple of degrees following night. Puzzles me.

Not sure if my above Maxpoint questions will solve this, but I guess it's more morbid curiosity than anything.

[RickS]

Troy,

I just assume I'm a bit out and always do a plate solve/sync/short slew shuffle to get to a target. Works for me and my mild OCD :D

I can see the benefits of a pointing model for a permanent setup but it seems like you'd never have time to build a decent model when you set up every night.

Nothing wrong with morbid curiosity, of course. You may even learn something useful!

Cheers,
Rick.

[troypiggo]

Thanks mate. I do the old exposure/solve/sync/slew shuffle myself :D

Should point out that it all works. I'm not having trouble getting it to work. Just that the observations aren't added to EQMod's syncs as I would have thought. That's all.

[TheDecepticon]

Hi Troy,

I have had this occur with MaxIm and EQMOD before, then I upgraded my machine to 64 bit and installed the same software and it all worked, so dunno, try reinstalling or repair option under install if available.

I don't think there is too much advantage in using MaxPoint if you are using EQMOD as they are both doing the same thing, especially if you are using EQMOD's 3 point + nearest point alignment routine with append on sync selected. You can add 999 stars in EQMOD to its points list.

If you wanted to use MaxPoint, it may be easier to just use the Celestron driver for the EQ6, then you only need to use sync for MaxPoint, but will still be able to drive the scope through MaxIm catalogue.

Cheers,

Gray.:)

[Nico13]

Sorry he's having a day off :rofl::P

[troypiggo]

Thanks Gray. And thanks Ken. :D

[TheDecepticon]

Troy,

I cant remember where I read it, however, it seems to be that is you want to use EQMOD and MaxPoint, put EQMOD into dialogue mode for alignments then all the syncs will be only evident in MaxPoint. Maybe your EQMOD driver is already in dialogue mode.

Gray :shrug:

[RobF]

Hi Troy

I've only played with maxpoint a bit, but eventually came to conclusion it doesn't appear to offer anything over EQMOD? Perhaps used to in the days before EQMOD get momentum. For my synta mounts I find use the Pierside option gives me much better and reproducible models, that are usually fine the next night. Hopefully you have a reasonably accurate time on your laptop?

I got serious about writing some vb.net to map/sync 20 odd points each time I set up for a multi-night session last year. Funnily enough, the more I learned about plate solving and epochs (now vs 2000) to correct for mount errors, the more I realised it was usually just errors in my initial set up causing most of the problems (level, correct alignment, OTA orthogonal).

Be interesting to hear if others believe there are significant advantages for the added complexity of including Maxpoint in the pointing "software chain".

[troypiggo]

Thanks again guys. Had a bit more of a play last night and learned some more.

@Gray - my EQMod is and has always been set to append on sync AFAIK
@Rob - thanks mate. Here's what I realised last night.

If I just use EQMod, and sync close to my target, it's not too bad and I can do the old shuffle mentioned above. That's fine and it works.

But last night, as a test/comparison, I synced on Acrux, then did a slew to M8. It was quite off and taking a shot and trying to Pinpoint solve it didn't work because it wasn't close enough.

Started again using Maxpoint, same single sync on Acrux. Did a full auto calibration with Maxpoint, only takes a couple of minutes. Slewed to M8 and it was virtually bang on. Me likey.

It seems to sit between Maxim and EQMod.

So since I have it, I think I'll use it. Does improve accuracy across the sky. Still puzzled on the EQMod sync points versus Maxpoints observations, but it seems it doesn't really matter. It works irrespective.

[TheDecepticon]

Glad you have a result, Troy. I'm thinking of trying MaxPoint as well, or maybe even T point. Good info.:thumbsup: