Quote:
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Originally Posted by Starkler
Next step for me is setting up TPAS. A casual read of the documentation looks complex and painful  |
Hi Geoff,
Recommend you follow the extended example in the Manual in the SETUP MNT
ERRORS section.
In particular I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the sub-menus
beneath SETUP MNT ERRORS.
The same section of the Manual also contains some good background
material on telescope errors in general.
By way of analogy, consider the topic of optics for one moment. To
really characterize the performance of an optical system, such as a
mirror, a technical approach is required.
For example, one might perform a star test on a mirror and from the
diffraction patterns learn a great deal about the mirror. However, the
characteristics and performance of the mirror is best described in
technical terms. Optical practitioners might use language such as
aberration, diffraction, zonal defect, etc. to help them describe the
optical system's performance.
Through books, magazines, etc. many amateurs are now conversant with
this same language and understand the ideas.
The area of telescope pointing analysis is similar. It is a technical
area, again best described by technical language. Professional
observatories have been using such language for decades. What Wildcard
is doing is helping introduce more amateurs to the world of telescope
pointing analysis.
Therefore, for some, there will be a little learning. However, in
practice, the system is surprising easy to use. Essentially you can
characterize the pointing performance of your telescope whilst standing
in the dark and just using your thumb to operate a couple of buttons and
a dial.
We stress that users should have some pointing goal in mind. If a user
is happy with their existing pointing performance, then they can perform
the star alignment procedure just as before and simply ignore the
additional functionality of TPAS.
However, if they have more demanding requirements, they may wish to try
using TPAS to assist them.
For those who aren't really interested in the technical background, by
following the examples, one can take a "cook-book" approach.
However, for those who wish to have some deeper understanding, then by
way of the User Manual, by posts that we make on the Argo Navis User's
Group and on other forums and by additional White Papers that will
appear on our web site, we hope to share some of our own expertise.
The Argo Navis User's Group is at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/argo_navis_dtc/
Best Regards
Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au