Paramount ME User’s Guide
54
sky based on the local time. Objects that are to the east of the meridian require the
telescope to be on the west and vice versa (except in the “below-the-pole” case).
Always do a quick “reality check” by comparing the coordinates of
objects in TheSky6 Professional Edition with objects in the night sky. If
TheSky6 Professional Edition’s Data > Time settings are incorrect, the
two will not match!
Initializing the Paramount ME requires a very accurate time base. TheSky6 Professional
Edition uses the computer’s clock to compute the local sidereal time (LST). When a link is
established between TheSky6 Professional Edition and the “homed” Paramount ME, the
LST is used to re-establish the synchronization between the Paramount ME’s electronic
setting circles and the celestial sphere to within a few arcseconds. Provided the
computer’s time is accurate, this means that you can just power-up the mount, home, and
then start imaging each night.
Setting the Computer’s Clock
The best method to accurately set your computer’s clock is with “time server” software.
Remember, each second of time translates to fifteen arcseconds of angular distance near
the celestial equator. So, telescope pointing will degrade if time is not accurately set 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.
There are many web-based programs that can be used to maintain accurate time.
Windows XP Professional, for example, has an Internet time server as part of the operating
system. If you’re using a different operating system, Software Bisque recommends
Dimension 4 from Thinking Man Software (HTUwww.thinkman.comUTH). Search the web for “time
server software” to locate alternatives.
Parking the Paramount ME
Parking is a command that can be issued to the Paramount ME 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. (Page X55X.)
2. Once the park position is reached, the Paramount ME’s tracking is immediately
turned off.
3. Communication between TheSky6 Professional Edition and the mount is
terminated.
Note that the park position is not used in subsequent sessions for mount initialization.
Parking from TheSky6 Professional Edition
From TheSky6 Professional Edition, establish communication with the mount, and then
click Telescope > Options > Park. You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to slew the
mount to the park position and park the mount.
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