Another Dumb Question - Celestron Time/DST Settings

[spaceslug]

Ok, this is probably really dumb but I'll ask it anyway.

When I set the time on a Celestron Nexstar or Star Sense controller, there's an option for DST ON/OFF. So, as we're in BST for now, do I set the local time as GMT and put DST ON or set the time to BST and put DST on? The former makes more sense to me, but putting DST on doesn't advance the time display like it would on a digital watch. Does the controller just use it to add an hour in its RA position calcs? 

Thanks in advance.

[Cornelius Varley]

10 minutes ago, spaceslug said:

Ok, this is probably really dumb but I'll ask it anyway.

When I set the time on a Celestron Nexstar or Star Sense controller, there's an option for DST ON/OFF. So, as we're in BST for now, do I set the local time as GMT and put DST ON or set the time to BST and put DST on? The former makes more sense to me, but putting DST on doesn't advance the time display like it would on a digital watch. Does the controller just use it to add an hour in its RA position calcs? 

Thanks in advance.

Currently DST is ON and local time is BST (the time on your watch). When we revert back to GMT (last Sunday in October) DST will be OFF and local time is still the time on your watch.

[Davey-T]

Not dumb at all, just a very confusing way they use to enter it, always confused me.

Dave

[Waldemar]

the dumbest question is the one not asked...

[ronin]

You always enter the time that your watch says it is.

Then you says if DST is On or Off, where to us in the UK DST = BST.

So at this time it is BST (=DST) so DST is On, when we revert back to GMT, end of October, then BST is Off and so DST is OFF.

Somewhere in the software will be a smaal bit of cide that takes the supplied time and if DST = On subtracts 1 hour from what you supplied.

Suggest you do not go trying to supply GMT all the time as that means you need to work out the GMT time (easy) then you would ALWAYS have to say DST = Off. Problem here is you are doing 2 sort of non-standard things and that just opens up the chances of something going wrong.

[spaceslug]

Thanks for your help and patience. 

So let's see if I've got this right; if local time is 1600 BST, I set the time to 1600 on the mount and put DST on.

So presumably, in October, when we go back to GMT, I have to set DST to off AND take an hour off the time? 

Just seems strange having to do a double adjustment.

 

 

[Cornelius Varley]

58 minutes ago, spaceslug said:

Thanks for your help and patience. 

So let's see if I've got this right; if local time is 1600 BST, I set the time to 1600 on the mount and put DST on.

So presumably, in October, when we go back to GMT, I have to set DST to off AND take an hour off the time? 

Just seems strange having to do a double adjustment.

 

 

No. When we go back to GMT at the end of October the time entered into the handset is still the time on your watch. No need to add/subtract 1 hr before entering it into the handset

End of March to end of October (BST) enter the current time ie 16:00 BST and enter DST ON. End of October to end of March (GMT) enter the time ie 16:00 GMT and enter DST OFF. The time entered is always the current time and then set DST ON/OFF depending on the time of year.

[wimvb]

Or you download the android app

SynscanInit

which does all the calculations for you. Just set as shown in the app.

(Celestrons isn't so different from synscan)