Paramount ME User’s Guide
53
Southern
Hemisphere
Operation
See XAppendix D – Southern Hemisphere Setup and UseX on page X109X
for detailed instructions about configuring TheSky6 Professional
Edition when operating the Paramount ME in the Southern
Hemisphere.
You’ll need to perform a few simple initialization procedures with each use so that the
Paramount ME can maintain accurate pointing.
Homing
The Paramount ME can be initialized to exactly the same position using a process called
homing. Essentially, the homing procedure slews the mount to an absolute position.
Using this home position and an accurate time base (obtained from TheSky6 Professional
Edition), the control system can be initialized very accurately from session to session.
Homing provides many other benefits.
Homing (page X36X) permits software imposed slew limits, or “soft limits,” so the
mount cannot run into the pier, even if an improper synchronization occurs.
Once a mapping run (page X49X) has been completed, the Paramount ME can
maintain extremely accurate pointing without additional synchronization.
In the event of a power outage or other interruption, the mount can always be
accurately reinitialized.
After performing a synchronization (page X77X), use the home position to do a quick
“reality check” to be sure the time entered in TheSky6 Professional Edition is
reasonable.
Once the mount is homed and a TPoint model is built, subsequent sessions only require
accurate time to achieve excellent pointing.
In the table below, each of the operations that are required for performing an initialization
are listed along with the time needed to accomplish the operation. Please note that the
time estimates listed for mapping are for an experienced user. First time mapping runs
may take considerably longer.
Time required for an experienced user
Setting the computer’s clock
Twenty to 120 minutes (using video or automated
mapping)
Performing a short mapping
run
As you can see, mapping takes the most time. The short mapping run is identical to a
normal mapping run except that only 6-12 stars are mapped.
Why is Maintaining Accurate Time Important?
You can achieve very accurate pointing during a single session without having an accurate
time base (that is, if the computer’s clock accurate to one or two minutes). However,
TheSky6 Professional Edition makes decisions on how to slew to various positions in the
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