Scope alignment help

Sequence Generator Feature Requests
1

I would like to see a feature to work with the telescope to aid in doing a star align on my scope. I can do this using the latest sharp cap program but not in SGP. Here is the sequence use to align my CN\GX-L

1 turn the mount on.
2 conect Mount CPWI program from Celestron to the mount (CPWI can now control The mount).
3 Connect CPWI to Sharp cap (this can be done with SGP as well with no problems).

The mount can now be controlled by CPWI and Sharp cap (again this applies to SGP)

4 in CPWI begin an alignment procedure.
5 pick a star in CPWI (Spica, Altrus, ets.). and goto it

6 the mount will now move to the selected star and
7 center the star using the motion control and the finder and report when centered.

repeat step5, 6, and 7 till alignment is complete.

I replace steps 6, 7 as follows
I go into sharp clap and proceed as follows

6sc I go to the mount control of sharp cap and select goto and center.
7sc A catalog is brought up.
select the star you are using in CPWI and start the goto and center function (Center function is plat solver driven). (this is what SGP cannot do. it can center a target but the target is specified by a sequence. As far as I can tell SGP does not have a select a target goto and center outside a sequence).

Sharp Cap will move to target and center it almost dead center in the camera.

8sc go back to CPWI press the centered key

repeat 5 through 8c until alignment is done.

This should work with any ASCOM mount

My question is did I miss the select target and goto function? If it is missing could you add it. All the tools are already in SGP.

It makes alignments much easier on my 7 year old eyes.

2

Your 7 year old eyes are quite young, most people in this hobby have much older eyes… :wink:

Seriously though: you are running SGP on a computer linked to your mount with the purpose of doing astrophotography. It is then much easier to use plate solving, e.g. with software like ASTAP.

SGP works very well with ASTAP and it will use the camera connected to your telescope to identify where the mount is pointing. Star alignment is very useful for visual observing to build a pointing model for your mounts, but for astrophotography it is easier and more accurate to use plate solving. You already mention that CPWI uses plate solving internally.

Try ASTAP instead with SGP, that should help your mount point to any target you specify.

3

Typo 71 years old. I find that plate solvers tend to work mch uicker if the mount is properly aligned.

4

SGPro does not interface with onboard alignment routines that are typically run through the handheld controller or a connection to one. Instead, SGPro use a MUCH more resilient and accurate method that involves (free) plate solvers. In addition to this, they can provide alignment for you in the single click of a button (once you are configured) by use the “Blind Solve and Sync” function. As you mentioned, solves are much faster when the hints are good, but, even when they are not, SGPro can ask a blind solver to solve your location in just a few minutes. Afterward, your subsequent hints become very accurate and solves in sequence only take a few seconds.