A thought on non-goto handsets

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I was thinking today about something that I had no reason to be thinking about, timed pulse outputs from a single button press. You know the kind of thing, a stairway light that stays on for a couple of minutes when you press it then switches itself off again.

It then occured to me that the non-goto handsets move at a multiple of normal tracking rate, so if some clever soul made an add-on box, it could move in one degree steps, or less or more, for each push of the button. Simple electronics would pretend to hold the slew button down for exactly the right length of time to move the 'scope in e.g. one degree steps. It could even have a slide switch to switch between different step sizes. That would make star hopping a little more simple would it not?

Kaptain klevtsov

[jonifive]

You would need a simple HOME position setup as well, but that is a perfectly feasible idea. Get designing KK!

JV

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Well no JV, not with what I had in mind. Lets say you have a target thats west of Vega by 15 degrees, thats 1Hr in RA, and 4 degrees higher in Dec. You would aim at Vega, then push the west button 15 times, if its in degrees, or, say 20 times for 3 minutes in RA steps. then press the North button four times, and bingo. The 'scope now points at your target. This would save all the trying to see the upsetting circles in the dark carry on.

It's really an automated hop along the setting circle for both axes that I was thinking of. You'd do the same calculations as you would need with the circles, but the act of moving would be much easier.

Kaptain Klevstov

[jonifive]

LOL KK it should have read "would you" not ""You would"!!!! But you answered it anyway. It does seem like an excellent idea. Imagine working out all the clicks for the New General Catalogue? It would be better to be able to dial in a specific amount of clicks in a hand controller for both axis then let the mount hop away. Or am I just turning it into a standard goto!

Seriously it does sound good.

JV