computerised mounts, friend or foe?

[Snaxmuppet]

Like liquid360 I am a huge tech fan. I am a computer consultant and my life revolves around tech in some way or another in almost everything I do. I have an electric car (Nissan Leaf) and home automation that controls stuff like my central heating and when my coffee machine comes on and goes off! I have a Davis weather station and solar panels both connected to the internet.

I mention this not to boast in any way at all but to show just how techie my life is and so when I started looking at astronomy, and in particular astrophotography, I approached it from a tech point of view. I can see that in days gone by people needed skill and knowledge to do a lot of this stuff but computers can now help. Perhaps this means that the old "back to basics" skills are eventually lost... I hope not... but it also means that the hobby is opened up to a lot more people than before and I think that a good thing.

I have no interest in using a polarscope if I can do a good enough job using the computer alignment process. Similarly, if I can observe the universe through a camera on a computer screen then that is my preferred way rather than with the eyeball through an EP. I am sure that many of the "old school" will criticise me heavily for saying this but that is how I feel and I am sorry if that annoys you. Each to their own IMO.

I think there is always merit to the old ways so you will never hear me poo-pooing the advice of the more traditional. We can all learn a huge amount from them but I like to then take that knowledge and apply it to the new tech whenever possible.

[Liquid360]

Well said SnaxMuppet!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Macavity]

As a Video Astronomer, you can "count on my support" (for electronica). lol

One minor caveat - Just noticed my running (2 year) total for "small bits" at

Farnell... Just over £500. No wonder they send me their HUGE catalogue!

IC's, LED's, resistors, capacitors, switches, wire, little boxes... Must resist!

Sadly, I can usually think of something that "looks like a fun" or I may need...

[damnut]

Like the poster above, having spent 30 odd years in IT I loved my 10" sct on a fork mount. needed very little computer power just a pukka serial port!. Also the fork mount lets you move the scope quickly and to be frank using a 30mm widefield ep meant not having to use goto anyway!

[Kropster]

I am a great fan of technology too... but squinting through the polar scope for ten or twenty seconds to do alignment seems pretty fast to me.

How long does it take to do a few iterations with the computer to align? 

[Liquid360]

With my mount and its softwares quick plate solving it takes little to no time. Obviously to those familiar with PA it's not hugely time consuming. However there is something very cool and strangely satisfying about sitting back and watching your rig find its place in the world [emoji6]

I am a great fan of technology too... but squinting through the polar scope for ten or twenty seconds to do alignment seems pretty fast to me.

How long does it take to do a few iterations with the computer to align?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kropster]

Plate solving... I dream about that.

No matter what settings i put in Astrotortilla I cannot get it to solve!

Tried all the fixes I can find... no luck.

Upload a pic to the website and it solves straight away

[Liquid360]

The primary reason I opted to go with the Paramount vs Mesu and others was its tightly engineered Union of hardware and software. I've read quite often that the downside of Bisques mounts was that they can't be operated without a computer. Until someone can explain to me how they plan on taking CCD images without a computer, I don't understand that thinking. Anytime a well established software manufacturer manufactures their own hardware, it's almost always a very good thing. Add to this the fact that I'm a mac user... And we'll it's a dream come true. I honestly can't fathom a more well put together package. Tis blissful.

Plate solving... I dream about that.

No matter what settings i put in Astrotortilla I cannot get it to solve!

Tried all the fixes I can find... no luck.

Upload a pic to the website and it solves straight away

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk