Paramount MX User Guide
25 |
P a g e
Setting the Computer’s Clock
The best method to accurately set your computer’s clock is with “time server” software. Remember,
each second of error in time translates to
fifteen arcseconds error in angular distance near the celestial
equator
. So, telescope pointing will degrade if time is not accurately maintained from night to night.
Inaccurate time causes the mount to slew to objects ahead or behind objects in right ascension by a
consistent offset. Software that periodically resets your computer’s clock using an accurate time base
solves this problem.
Many applications maintain accurate time and most operating systems can be configured to update the
computer’s clock automatically. For Windows users, consider Dimension 4 from Thinking Man Software.
Search the web for “time server software” to locate alternatives.
Parking the Paramount MX
Parking is a command that can be issued to the Paramount MX from
TheSkyX Professional Edition
and
performs the following operations:
1.
After confirmation by the user, the mount is automatically slewed to a user-defined altitude and
azimuth coordinate, called the
park position
.
2.
Once the park position is reached, the Paramount MX’s tracking is immediately turned off.
3.
Communication between
TheSkyX Professional Edition
and the mount is terminated.
Note that the park position is not used to initialize the mount.
Parking from TheSkyX Professional Edition
From
TheSkyX Professional Edition
, connect to the mount, and then choose the
Park
command from the
Shut Down
pop-up menu on the
Telescope
window. You will be asked to confirm that you want to slew
the mount to the park position and park the mount.
Defining the Park Position
Before parking the Paramount MX, you need to define the park position. This is the position that the
mount will slew to when the Park command is issued from
TheSkyX Professional Edition
. Please
carefully read “Park Position Rules” on page 26.
With a telescope link established, slew the telescope to the desired park position. From
TheSkyX
Professional Edition
, choose the
Set Park Position
command from the
Shut Down
pop-up menu on the
Telescope
window. The park position needs to be set once; the coordinates of the mount (in
altitude/azimuth) are automatically saved for future parks.
Software Bisque recommends that, if possible, the telescope be parked as close to the home position as
practical. Since the Paramount MX must be homed at power up, the time required to find the home
position is reduced when the park position is near the home position.
