N-Point Alignment Using SYNC (recommended alignment method)

This is the recommended method of setting up alignment for planetarium programs with a SYNC function

User Settings

  • User Interface = Append on Sync [Add Point(s)] button will no longer be displayed.
  • Alignment Behavior = 3-Point + Nearest Point

With “Append on Sync” selected, any stars that you sync using your planetarium program will be added to the N-Point alignment data. The pointing model is “fine tuned” based upon the additional points added. This is unlike the dialog based alignment where the model is simply shifted to match the new point.

Essentially the steps are:

  1. Click the [Clear Align Data] button to remove previous alignment data. This would not be necessary if the existing data was still valid or there are no points listed.
  2. Execute a GOTO using the planetarium program.
  3. Centre the object using the slew buttons/joystick/spiral search etc.
  4. Select the SYNC option within the planetarium program (this is quite often invoked by right clicking the object but other methods may be required) or double click the gamepad button that you have assigned to sync.
  5. The point is added to the pointing model.
  6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 until sufficient points have been added.

If less than 3 points are added, the driver will operate in the “Nearest Point” mode. As soon as 3 (or more points) are added to the pointing model, the driver operates in the “3‑point + Nearest Point” mode. You can choose to use “Nearest Point” for all slews by selecting this option in the “Alignment Behavior” drop down. Generally speaking, your best choice is to use the “3‑point + Nearest Point” option that lets the driver switch to “Nearest Point” only when necessary.

Special SYNC methods

Special Instructions for Stellarium:

In order to accomplish a SYNC with Stellarium use the <Ctrl 1> keystroke to activate the Stellariumscope window (old Stellariumscope) and select the appropriate button.

With the more recent Stellariumscope use the <Ctrl 2> keystroke or the keystroke that you have defined for SYNC.

Special Instructions for HNSKY:

In order to accomplish a SYNC with HNSKY

  1. Right click the object (this centres it on the screen).
  2. Left click the object to perform a GOTO.
  3. Click the icon that “Matches the telescope's coordinates to the center of the window”. It is the icon just below the planetarium menu and to the right of the “hand” STOP icon.
/home/welshdra/public_html/eqmod/data/pages/n-point_alignment_using_sync.txt · Last modified: 2012/07/07 19:33 by jon