What Am I doing wrong??

[Tums]

Hi All, I'm really hoping that you can help me with my dilemma.  

I don't seem to be able to set up the Synscan on my 130P.

I've had 3 attempts now and failed every time. lets take tonight's try as an example of whats happening.

the Date is in the right format  mm/dd/yyyy   04/07/2014

my lat is taken off Stellarium which is on my tablet right by the scope 52* 46'  ??  W  31"    ??    N  I live in Shropshire.

Time was set right

daylight saving   ON

picked 2- star alignment

1st Sirius, got that smack bang in the middle of EP and set.  went to 2nd Star choice   Aldebaran hit the button and the scope slewed to somewhere around   Hydra   ??

so tried again   picked Sirius again  and Castor for the second star, this time in went  west towards Vega region 

so then picked Betelgeuse as my 1st  and Pollux as the 2nd , know where near it again.

now every time it slewed to the wrong place ,I thought O.K.  I'll move it manually to the right place and then hit enter. but even though the screen was telling me to 'centre using the direction keys', it wouldn't move in any direction.

if anyone has any idea's , I'd be most grateful. I seem to be wasting my valuable scope time on trying to sort this out.

Many Thanks in Advance 

Tums 

[messiermark]

hello

i know very little about goto but are your but  your north and west are the wrong way around

[Tums]

hello

i know very little about goto but are your but  your north and west are the wrong way around

Hey Mark, I wondered that ,so tried to change the 'West'  but it would only change to 'EAST'

[Steve Ward]

[messiermark]

you might have to put the R A in first then the declination in second

so it would look like 33" ?? W first Then 52 46' ?? N second

[Tums]

Thanks Mark, I'll try that next time it's clear and see what happens.

I've just entered it in the handset and it didn't throw it out. so here's hoping  

originally it read 52* 46' W  31* 56' N      ( Didn't have handset with me at time of original post)

I now got it reading     31* 56' W   52* 46' N

I hope that sorts it, it doing my head in.   lol 

[messiermark]

sorry being thick it should be 000 33' W   52 46' N

[messiermark]

31 56' would be half way across the Atlantic 

[Tums]

the '000'   Hmm!!!, there's only 2 numbers to be put in on handset not 3   ????

[messiermark]

Just put 00 first then the 31

[Tums]

Doh!!   no your right there is 3 digits,

so should i be reading     000* 31'   instead of  031* 56' W 52* 46 N ?

[Tums]

screen now reads  000* 31' W 52* 46' N                 Thanks Mark 

[Thalestris24]

screen now reads  000* 31' W 52* 46' N                 Thanks Mark 

Hi Tums

Um if you're in Shropshire that should be about 3 deg West otherwise you must be near the meridian!

You can find your exact latitude and longitude on a map here:

http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/

Louise

[Tums]

Louise , Thanks for the link. I had got my original coordinates from a similar website, but obviously obviously got my North & West the wrong way around. :. I now have everything right ( I think,lol ). so roll on clear skies.

Tums.

[ronin]

When you entered a location the scope should also have asked for the timezone, we are at 0 (could be 00 or even -0)

Just in case you have not supplied it.

[Physicist13]

Hope your coordinates are now sorted! also be aware that in aligning mode the scope position can be quite a bit off for both the alignment stars..its still learning your setup and offsets. After two aligns by you any more should be pretty close. test by say doing two star align then asking it to slew to a nice bright star to test. Also bear in mind the further from the alignment stars your next target is the more its error in positioning is likely to be. Polar alignment needs to be resonable before you ask it to do the alignment routine. Also check you main scope and finder are coaligned as well prior to any alignment routine.

Patrick

[Tums]

Many, Many Thanks, for all the info, Noobs are a real pain aren't they. lol.

pretty sure I now have it all correct, but we'll find out when all the cloud disappears.

[Pyrodave]

screen now reads  000* 31' W 52* 46' N                 Thanks Mark 

Louise is correct those co- ordinates put you somewhere near Corby Glen not Shropshire double check the numbers 

We were all new to this game once so don't worry about it 

[Tums]

Thanks Dave, I used Louise's link and got the correct coordinates. we now start with. 002° 24'.

[Steve Ward]

. Polar alignment needs to be reasonable before you ask it to do the alignment routine. 

Patrick

Polar alignment has no bearing on Go-To alignment whatsoever ...

 

The critical points to Go-To alignment are accurate data input regarding Location and Time , get these right and the Synscan will perform as it should.

 

Polar alignment only affects the way the mount tracks objects and is vital for imaging but is irrelevant as far as 1 , 2 or 3 star alignment is concerned , the Go-To set-up routine just lets the mount know where it is in relation to the celestial sphere and what time it is so as to know what objects are where.

 

You can Go-To align with the mount pointing in completely the wrong direction to start but still get Go-To working , but when you look at an object it will very soon drift out of view because the mount is nowhere near PA'd.

 

What's more important to consistent Go-To alignment is a consistent starting position . Always send the mount to the "Home" position before switching off and don't undo the clutches and move things about before the next session.

[Physicist13]

Polar alignment has no bearing on Go-To alignment whatsoever ...

 

The critical points to Go-To alignment are accurate data input regarding Location and Time , get these right and the Synscan will perform as it should.

 

Polar alignment only affects the way the mount tracks objects and is vital for imaging but is irrelevant as far as 1 , 2 or 3 star alignment is concerned , the Go-To set-up routine just lets the mount know where it is in relation to the celestial sphere and what time it is so as to know what objects are where.

 

You can Go-To align with the mount pointing in completely the wrong direction to start but still get Go-To working , but when you look at an object it will very soon drift out of view because the mount is nowhere near PA'd.

 

What's more important to consistent Go-To alignment is a consistent starting position . Always send the mount to the "Home" position before switching off and don't undo the clutches and move things about before the next session.

Sorry have to disagree Steve. If, for example, the mount was 90deg off, then the RA would drive in the stellar dec direction and the DEC in the stellar RA direction and the s/w wont be able to work that one out! I maintain the alignment has to be "resonable"..vaguely North and approx correct latitude angle for the s/w to woork aout a reasonable model.

[solarboy]

buy your a gps dongle it does it all for you  the other thing can try check your polar aligntment

[Tums]

can I just say a big Thanks again, to all contributors to sorting my Synscan out. tonight ( before the cloud rolled in ) I did the alignment first time, popped it on Sirius, then Capella for the 2nd Star, and it went straight to it. very Happy