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astrotchr
member
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Ohio
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Colleagues,
I have 4 ETX-125's for my astronomy class. I sometimes get frustrated with the time it takes to get the stargazing sessions up and running with the initialization of the autostar controller, and was wondering about switching them to EC controllers (if that is even possible). I know that we can use the autostar in non-GoTo mode once the initialization of the autostar and input of date, time, and dst are done. Some questions:
1. Is there any way the scope will track objects without first doing an alignment? Or do I always have to align on stars first?
2. Is there any way that the autostar controller can be switched out for the EC controller? Can the EC controller be purchased separately? Will the scope track objects with the EC controller attached?
I ask these questions, because. in reality, I want my students to learn the night sky themselves before relying on the GoTo system, and using the autostar sometimes seems like a lot a hoops to jump through before observing begins.
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Paul
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4573
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Quote:
Colleagues,
I have 4 ETX-125's for my astronomy class. I sometimes get frustrated with the time it takes to get the stargazing sessions up and running with the initialization of the autostar controller, and was wondering about switching them to EC controllers (if that is even possible). I know that we can use the autostar in non-GoTo mode once the initialization of the autostar and input of date, time, and dst are done. Some questions:
1. Is there any way the scope will track objects without first doing an alignment? Or do I always have to align on stars first?
2. Is there any way that the autostar controller can be switched out for the EC controller? Can the EC controller be purchased separately? Will the scope track objects with the EC controller attached?
I ask these questions, because. in reality, I want my students to learn the night sky themselves before relying on the GoTo system, and using the autostar sometimes seems like a lot a hoops to jump through before observing begins.
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Paul
1. In alt-az mode it will not track reliably until you do some kind of an alignment. You can do a one-star, which doesn't have to be overly accurate.
2. The EC controller will not track in alt-az mode, only EQ. I'm not sure if it's still being produced, but I suspect not.
A dozen years back we bought 8 LX10 manual SCTs for our students at the university here. Glad we did.
For y'all? If you don't have a big investment, ditch the ETX and get Celestron's C5 on a CG4 mount, its "Omni XLT 127" rig. Inexpensive, rugged and manual.
--------------------
Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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astrotchr
member
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Ohio
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Quote:
1. In alt-az mode it will not track reliably until you do some kind of an alignment. You can do a one-star, which doesn't have to be overly accurate.
2. The EC controller will not track in alt-az mode, only EQ. I'm not sure if it's still being produced, but I suspect not.
A dozen years back we bought 8 LX10 manual SCTs for our students at the university here. Glad we did.
For y'all? If you don't have a big investment, ditch the ETX and get Celestron's C5 on a CG4 mount, its "Omni XLT 127" rig. Inexpensive, rugged and manual.
Uncle Rod,
Thanks for your quick reply. We are a public high school, so we are going to be stuck with the ETX's for a while. You did give me a great idea about switching to equatorial mode, however. Then the kids could just use the right-slew button on the controller to track manually with one button rather than the two required in alt-az mode. Is that correct?
Thanks,
Paul
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4573
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Quote:
Uncle Rod,
Thanks for your quick reply. We are a public high school, so we are going to be stuck with the ETX's for a while. You did give me a great idea about switching to equatorial mode, however. Then the kids could just use the right-slew button on the controller to track manually with one button rather than the two required in alt-az mode. Is that correct?
Thanks,
Paul
Or just leave the power off and track by hand while keeping some tension on the RA lock.
--------------------
Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 6758
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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A suggestion; leave the ETX's in altaz mode since that mode it so easy and comfortable to use.The next time you have them set up, aligned, and tracking end the session by parking the scopes; they'll slew to their home positions and from there you can turn them off. The next time out all you have to do is restart them in their home positions, enter the time, date, and DST, then GoTo a bright star, center it, and sync the drive. From there on out they should track fine and GoTo's should eb okay. This is how I operate all of my Autostar scopes and I only formally align them about once a year.
--------------------
-John
================================================
Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I, II, & III), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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