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View Full Version here: : LX200 Classic park control software?


NightCal
12-10-2009, 07:32 AM
I am the proud owner of a venerable 8" Meade LX200 Classic running version 3.30L of the Meade Firmware which is the main telescope in my roll-off roof observatory. I'm presently looking to make everything a little more automated. Whilst Sky 6 has a working park position, I have been unable to get the ASCOM Park command to work. The ASCOM driver support documentation says this is only available for version 3.34 of the firmware, yet the 'The Sky 6' drivers do it fine on my version 3.30L.
One of the things I'd ideally like to be able to do leave the scope powered up using and AE Scope-sleeper dongle. To do this it makes sense to have the scope automatically adopt a park position at the end of every observing session. The problem I have is that I really want two park positions. One for closing the roof and a second park position for after the roof is closed.
Does anyone know if there is a software application that will let me have two different park positions and will work with my LX200?

acropolite
12-10-2009, 07:53 AM
Perhaps you could slew to the first position as a final go to then after the roof is closed, park the scope.

Barrykgerdes
12-10-2009, 09:30 AM
The LX200 classic does not have an inbuilt park position so it needs to be generated by external programming that will place the OTA in a position that corresponds to the start position for the alignment procedure. This can be alt/azm 0,0 for a permanently alt/azm mounted telescope or Dec 90, "Azm" 0 for a polar wedge mounted telescope

If the Ascom park control works for version 3.34 why not upgrade the EPROMS to 3.34. Rudi will do this for you at a very nominal fee if you send him the 3.30 EPROMS

As a suggestion I had my LX200 permanently mounted on an equatorial wedge and my method of start up was simply to set the OTA and forks to the standard alignment start position and do the alignment procedure. Just accepting the generated positions by pressing the enter key when asked and then sync on the alignment star that was nearly always visible in a 26mm ocular but if not was certainly in the alignment scope.

There is no reason the idea for 2 park positions as suggested by Phil could not be implemented to overcome the roof closing problem. Just drive the scope to a suitable position to close the roof and then implement the park routine.

Barry

NightCal
12-10-2009, 11:28 PM
Thanks for the replies guys.

I realise I could simply drive it the 'close roof' position then park it afterwards. It just struck me that it would be even easier if I could just press one button to drive the scope to the roof close position and leave it to do it's stuff whilst I packed up other things.