Slew rate

Hi.

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate) I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

Carlos Saraiva

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate) I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate) I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate) I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?
Is it easy to find objects this way ?
I am asking because I was used to my 12"LX200. I never care reading RA or
Dec from objects I observe.
Changing the motors can help?

Carlos

"Chris L Peterson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"

wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about
that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate)
I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not
remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from
object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?
Is it easy to find objects this way ?
I am asking because I was used to my 12"LX200. I never care reading RA or
Dec from objects I observe.
Changing the motors can help?

Carlos

"Chris L Peterson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"

wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about
that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate)
I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not
remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from
object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?
Is it easy to find objects this way ?
I am asking because I was used to my 12"LX200. I never care reading RA or
Dec from objects I observe.
Changing the motors can help?

Carlos

"Chris L Peterson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"

wrote:

I have a question about slew speed and the time it takes to move from one
point to the other.
I have ordered a SkyWatcher EQ-6 GEM after reading good reviews about
that
mount.
What have confused me was that it don't have a hand control to make fast
movements.
All movements depends on the electric motors.
After some calculations on the slew rate (2x , 8x and 16x sidereal rate)
I
came to numbers that makes me a bit worried.
The sidereal speed rate is more or less 15 arcsec/sec, correct?
At 16x sidereal rate the speed is 240 arcsec/sec, correct?
So, to slew 1° arc it will take 15 seconds, correct?
And to slew 10° arc it will take 2.5 minutes ? !!
And 50° arc takes 12.5 minutes ???
Is theses calculations corrects ?
If it is, do I have alternatives to a more faster slew speed ? How ?
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.

You are correct. Mounts with specified slew rates up to 16X are not
remotely
goto. You normally need to loosen the clutches and slew by hand from
object to
object. The hand controller is for guiding or exploring a local area only.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:29:38 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?

Yes, or you could use star hopping. You might also add digital setting circles
to increase the accuracy.

Is it easy to find objects this way ?

I don't think so, but I'm a dedicated goto/DSC user. I have no interest in
learning the sky well enough to make star hopping easy. That's what $5
microprocessors are for g.

Changing the motors can help?

Maybe. Some mounts can accept aftermarket motors or goto controllers. I don't
know about yours, though.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:29:38 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?

Yes, or you could use star hopping. You might also add digital setting circles
to increase the accuracy.

Is it easy to find objects this way ?

I don't think so, but I'm a dedicated goto/DSC user. I have no interest in
learning the sky well enough to make star hopping easy. That's what $5
microprocessors are for g.

Changing the motors can help?

Maybe. Some mounts can accept aftermarket motors or goto controllers. I don't
know about yours, though.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:29:38 -0000, "Carlos Saraiva"
wrote:

Thanks.
You mean we must rely (in the dark) on the mount's setting circle ?

Yes, or you could use star hopping. You might also add digital setting circles
to increase the accuracy.

Is it easy to find objects this way ?

I don't think so, but I'm a dedicated goto/DSC user. I have no interest in
learning the sky well enough to make star hopping easy. That's what $5
microprocessors are for g.

Changing the motors can help?

Maybe. Some mounts can accept aftermarket motors or goto controllers. I don't
know about yours, though.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com