TPoint Pointing Samlpes

[E_ri_k (Erik)]

Hi there, I'm after a bit of help from anyone using The SkyX and Tpoint. I want too manually add pointing samples to build a small model. The manual simply reads to click the "Add Pointing Sample" button, but I can't find such a button anywhere in the window. I am using the trial version of Tpoint however, I'm not sure if that is stopping me? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Erik

[PRejto (Peter)]

Erik,

I'm not looking at the software at the moment, however, I believe you go to the telescope tab for the add sample. You do this after you take an image and then plate solve it - then add the sample and repeat after slewing away to a new target.

If your polar alignment isn't too far out you can avoid doing this, especially if you have the all sky databae installed (highly recommended!). If not, and PA is too far out, you may need to start a new T-point run by manually adding about 5 or so samples. After that t-point should know where the mount is and you can go automated...at least do 10 or so points on each side of the meridian, then make your polar adjustment and do another run. You should be close enough after that to guide very well.

Peter

PS Feel free to contact me off line if you have ther questions. The SkyX can be formidable in the beginning!

[Dennis]

Hi Erik

Why do you want to manually add Pointing Samples? Is it because:

• You have an obstructed horizon and therefore want to place the Points in the clear regions, or
• You only want a few Points to keep the run short?

I have to set up and tear down each night and I have created an Obstructed Horizon I just drag the Slider to let TXS generate fewer or a greater number of Points which makes my T-Point Run quicker or take up to 30 mins (100+).

From the T-Point User Manual:

Manually Collecting Pointing Data
1. Initialize the telescope (see TheSky’s documentation for details how to do so.)
2. From TheSky, click on a star, or use the Find command from the Edit menu to show its information. Hint: Choose a star that is near the telescope’s current position, so a long slew is not required. TheSky uses the equatorial coordinates of the star listed in TheSky’s Object Information report as the baseline position of the telescope.
3. Click the Slew button on the Telescope window.
4. Using the Motion Controls on the Telescope window (or the telescope’s hand paddle or joystick), to center the star on the current detector (that is, in the eyepiece, on the video display, or on a CCD image).
5. Once the object is centered on the detector, click the Add Pointing Sample button on the Telescope window. TheSky will issue a warning message if the object’s coordinates are more than 30 arcminutes from the telescope’s coordinates. When the Add Pointing Sample button is clicked (and all else is okay), TPoint logs the star’s coordinates and the telescope’s current coordinates.

Repeat the above steps for each pointing sample. A minimum of six pointing samples are required to compute a “bare bones” TPoint model. The maximum number of pointing samples to use in the model depends on how accurate you need the telescope to point.

When you are finished collecting pointing samples, click the Finish button on the Calibration Run tab of the TPoint Add On window. This establishes the set of pointing samples, called the Pointing Data, which is used to create a pointing model.

After the Finish button is clicked, additional pointing samples cannot be added to the Pointing Data. If you attempt to do so, the Start Calibration Run window is shown, giving you the option to perform a Full Calibration Run, or to choose one of the recalibration options.

You will come to like it after a few runs and you become familiar with it.

Dennis