ISS NexStar Tracking?

[UnboxingReviews1997]

Hello, Would it be possible for me to align my Celestron NexStar 130SLT and track the ISS?

Many thanks

Ben Rolfe

[ronin]

Theoretically it is possible, but the rate of movement will I suppose depend on the orbit, it is angular not linear. For tracking the movement is angular that need to go into the tracking algorithm.

Think you would need to use a laptop and an package with downloadable satellite data as an add on, not the handset.

One aspect is that I seriously doubt the tracking will be that good and as the front of the scope follows then the eyepiece moves as well. You would have to move with the eyepiece.

[Cath]

I wrote a routine into some software I did that controlled the NexStar SE mount so that it could track the ISS (and any other orbiting object you so desired). The mount has plenty of speed to follow it so that's wasn't a problem, but the mount just doesn't have the accuracy to know exactly where it's pointing. Way to much backlash for a start - very cheap plastic non-meshing gears in the toy gear boxes that are used.

You can adjust the backlash X/Y settings in the controller menu, but it doesn't really help you at the end of the day, especially not when the arc of the item you're tracking requires the up/down motor to at some point reverse direction.

You need a much better mount if you want too track satellites like that.

[UnboxingReviews1997]

I wrote a routine into some software I did that controlled the NexStar SE mount so that it could track the ISS (and any other orbiting object you so desired). The mount has plenty of speed to follow it so that's wasn't a problem, but the mount just doesn't have the accuracy to know exactly where it's pointing. Way to much backlash for a start - very cheap plastic non-meshing gears in the toy gear boxes that are used.

You can adjust the backlash X/Y settings in the controller menu, but it doesn't really help you at the end of the day, especially not when the arc of the item you're tracking requires the up/down motor to at some point reverse direction.

You need a much better mount if you want too track satellites like that.

Thanks Cath, you mentioned that the motor and the gears are not that good for tracking satellites, but are they good for planets, nebula and other objects?