102 SLT tracking without alignment?

[Stormwatch]

Hi all, I'm wondering, someone told me on here that the CG5-GT mount can track without it being aligned. I wonder can my 102 SLT do the same?

Some nights I'd like to just grab a few minutes looking at Jupiter, but I really don't want to have to do the star align thing. It would be great to just point at Jupiter myself and let it track from there.

Possible?

[Stormwatch]

I think I may have found the answer myself. A one star align should work hopefully....Not sure if that only applies to the bigger SE scopes, but I'll give it a go.

[robindurant]

Yes, goto one star set up, no need to go to the star shown on the handset, just press align and it starts tracking. You can then move it to the object you want ti view and it tracks. I sometimes feel that this one star does not track as well as two or three. Maybe it my imagination.

Robin

[Stormwatch]

Yes, goto one star set up, no need to go to the star shown on the handset, just press align and it starts tracking. You can then move it to the object you want ti view and it tracks. I sometimes feel that this one star does not track as well as two or three. Maybe it my imagination.

Robin

Thanks Robin. I'm glad you posted as I just tried it and didn't like how it asked me to choose a star. I ended up trying the Solar System align, chose "Jupiter" (it's still daytime here) and it said align success. So perhaps that way works as well. I'll try both next clear night.

Cheers!

[Helen]

With the SLT do you have to point the scope north before you start?? If so, then I would have thought a rough one star align should be OK to give you rough tracking. If you don't and you don't align on at least one star then I would have the thought the tracking must be out. I've got a NexStar and on that you can replace an alignment star at any point. This is particularly useful if you want it to be very accurate for the area of sky around that object. It should however work for your purposes too - do a one star align by just accepting and then send the scope to Jupiter, it'll likely be way out, so find Jupiter using the handset controls and then replace the original alignment star with Jupiter once its centred in field of view. That should give you good tracking.

Helen

[robindurant]

Hi

If you want the scope to find objects on the 1 star alignment on its database then you do need to select a star, centre it in the EP and press align. However if you only want the scope to go into sidereal tracking mode you only need to press "align' without moving anywhere. It will then start tracking thinking that you did select the star. BUT obviously it will not find objects. This system I use if I only want to view or image a known Planet or star by moving to it by means of the handset buttons. I have a 8i and a 102SLT and it works on both. No you do not need to point north with these scopes. Complicated to explain but I hope I have been sucessful

Robin