Meade Autostar tracker help

[Sir]

Hi,

 

I'm on a balcony that is covered so the visible area is making it difficult to use the easy alignment mode on the autostar program.  I was wondering if anyone knows whether I can point to an object and set the autostar to track it without going through the initial set up.  For example, can I point to the moon and track it even though I haven't done the alignment set up?

If there is a way, leaving some steps would be greatly appreciated. (I'm using a Meade ETX90 if that helps at all)  

 

 

Thanks!! 

[JLKelly]

Go through the setup but don't worry about where it goes. Set the goto to what you want. Point the whole scope at your target and fine tune. It should track. Done this with my etx60 so it should work for yours.

[ronin]

Set the scope to level and North as accurately as you can.

Set a custon home location using your specific Lat and Long, don't use the supplied list, just not close enough.

The Meade assumes it starts from a "perfect" Level+North with an exact position.

So then you just tell it to align and say Yes to the 2 options, then go from there.

In effect it points, goes Squeek, you say Yes.

The overall accuracy is dependant on the location and the Level+North being as good as you can get. (and the time)

Being the ETX90 get a wide eyepiece, 32mm plossl or even a 40mm.

No real difference but the 40 is a very small amount wider at the end.

You can after this aim at a prominent star you can see and Sync the scope.

Wrote this in the other post. :grin:

[Joves]

Set the scope to level and North as accurately as you can.

Set a custon home location using your specific Lat and Long, don't use the supplied list, just not close enough.

The Meade assumes it starts from a "perfect" Level+North with an exact position.

So then you just tell it to align and say Yes to the 2 options, then go from there.

In effect it points, goes Squeek, you say Yes.

The overall accuracy is dependant on the location and the Level+North being as good as you can get. (and the time)

Being the ETX90 get a wide eyepiece, 32mm plossl or even a 40mm.

No real difference but the 40 is a very small amount wider at the end.

You can after this aim at a prominent star you can see and Sync the scope.

Wrote this in the other post. :grin:

That's very clever, Ronin.

I've never thought of doing this. So, with my LX90, I could effectively hit automatc align, press yes (even though the alignment stars can't be seen due to whatever obstruction), direct the scope to point to a star that actually is viewable,do a precision align to that star, and then the scope will be aligned for tracking?

Ingenious, if that works!

[bingevader]

Can you still skip alignment stars?

Mine's a bit old now, but I used to be able to skip stars, as there are 2 big trees to the north.

Yep, I used to realign or precision align from time to time, after the initial alignment just to check I was still spot on, especially if I was then going for something faint and fuzzy.

[ronin]

The accuracy depends 100% on how good Level and North are. By accepting whereever it points at you are in effect saying that it started perfectly Level and perfectly North, since by just accepting the position it goes to it cannot in effect generate any corrections for Left/Right, Forward/Back tilt or differences in location.

Using Sync is to get it to have an RA/Dec as a defined position once observing.

As to skipping stars the Easy/Auto Align picks 2 stars the 2 Star Align means you pick 2 stars, I think there is (maybe) a 1 Star Align.where again you pick the 1 star. That should be the safest and I assume you can see a star or two, as again you Level and North then 1 star align using one that you can see.

As said it is all dependant on how well set up the initial phase is, it will goto and track but if the thoughts are to attach a DSLR and take 10 minutes exposures that will not do, it is OK for visual.

I know the Level+North and just say Yes works as I use that for solar viewing. The scope will then at least slew to the sun and I adjust it a bit, then it tracks it resonably well. March 20th :grin:

[michael8554]

I think you are over-complicating this chaps.....

On my (no longer owned) wedge-mounted ETX125 I would back out of any sort of autostar alignment, check it was on "Astronomical" not "Terrestrial, and it would track in RA any object you manually pointed it at.

Depending on how well you had polar aligned of course.

Not sure what would happen if you were on Alt/Az

Michael