Question about alignment & pointing north, level

"Rick Wagoner" wrote in message
...
Mike: Sounds like you were an early adopter! I was too. Now the darn
thing
knows where it is
without me telling it. If it could level itself my setup time would be cut
in
half !!


Hi Rick,

Do you have a classic LX200 or the LX200GPS? Your comment about the
telescope knowing "where it is without me telling it" implies to me that you
have the LX200GPS...or are you saying that you've already added GPS to a
classic LX200?

I agree about the leveling being the most time consuming part...especially
when the tripod is mounted on top of "wheely bars".

So far, yours is the only response I've received. I'm really curious as to
how the LX200GPS software compensates for the lack of levelness...understand
that I'm a complete novice with this hobby, so I really don't have a clue.
My main hobby (and occupation, for that matter) is computers, and so I've
just got this tinkering curiosity of finding out how the LX200GPS works, and
if its possible to retrofit the classic LX200 with the same functionality.
(The position and time with GPS is the easy part, its the levelness that I
don't understand.)

Regards,

Mike


I'll be interested in any data you get on this.

Cheers!


Rick

Mike wrote:

Hello,

I was reading about the LX200GPS on Meade's web site, and from what I
understand, you do not need to level the scope or make sure it is
pointing
north. The built-in GPS gets the latitude/longitude + current time, and
I
believe an electronic compass gets the direction the scope is pointing.
Presumably another device (magnetometer?) gets the orientation, i.e.
"levelness" of the scope.

My question is this - can any of the various telescope control programs
(The
Sky, etc.) allow for a user-entered direction and orientation
(levelness)?
My interest is in the possibility of retrofitting a "classic" LX200 with
GPS, electronic compass, and magnetometer to provide the same
functionality
as an LX200GPS. Nothing serious, just sort of a tinkering curiosity.
Anyway, I figured that the software on the LX200GPS must "know" how to
handle arbitrary orientations, whereas the classic LX200 requires a
well-known orientation (level and pointing north.) So, can third-party
applications (like The Sky) handle a scope that is oriented arbitrarily?

I may not even be asking the right question. Maybe orientation is only
important in helping to find the alignment stars? In which case,
orientation doesn't matter after alignment?

One other question, can any third-party application _completely_ replace
the
hand controller, including initial alignment, etc.? Any application
that
has built-in GPS support?

Sorry if these are stupid or trivial questions!

Thanks,

Mike