Thanks Bob,
I have to carry out and set up the tripod and Paramount MX+ each session, which requires a couple of alignment procedures.
I have x3 circular 12-inch dia. concrete pavers sunk into the garden lawn, so when I plonk the tripod down, I am usually roughly polar aligned.
Then I run an automated T-Point Model. This is a routine in The Sky X Pro (TSX) which slews the mount/OTA to several regions of the sky (user selectable) and then takes an image to compare where the ‘scope is pointing vs where The Sky “thinks” it is pointing and notes any variation.
I usually select up to 120 Points which takes approx. 30 mins to run, but I can do this in twilight so you don’t really lose any decent dark sky imaging time.
Using these results, The Sky X Pro creates a “Model” of the mount’s pointing errors, thus drastically improving the MX+ pointing performance and tracking performance.
I then run an Accurate Polar Alignment (APA) Routine which takes a couple of minutes, and the MX+ is then ready to go.
I finally touch up focus with TSX @Focus3 Routine and then off we go.
This set up procedure can take up to 40 mins and because the ISS usually appears at dusk, I cannot run these in time for an ISS pass, so I just have to plonk the tripod down on the pavers, fit the OTA and hope that the tear down from the previous night and new set up did not affect the alignment too much.
In TSX you can download the ISS orbital elements (a fresh set) close to the pass and then command the MX+ to Slew To and Track the ISS when the ISS rises. It is a fun thing to watch this happen.
Any mount mis-alignment means that the ISS will not be in the FOV, hence the importance of T-Point and APA.
Dennis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by astronobob
Wow what an awesome catch and grouse image Dennis, very impressive if I may say so, mate, I used to catch the odd ISS, but by hand the crude way, haha, I know the challenge and the pressure one faces when you only have one chance, well, one every month or three, and that's if the clouds play ball, but at the time I reckon every 5 seconds goes by only takes 1 second in reality..
Top Stuff Dennis, I'll keep an eye out for any more from you, speshly interested with the mount prepped properly beforehand..
Cheers ..
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