White Swan DD 200 - the most advanced amateur astronomical equatorial mount

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

On Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 4:53:27 AM UTC-8, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGjj6_1n4rk

On Saturday, 5 January 2019 07:53:27 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Nifty looking instrument.

On Sat, 5 Jan 2019 04:53:24 -0800 (PST), StarDust
wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Looks nice, but nothing out of the ordinary for quite a few higher end
mounts created in recent years.

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 11:55:22 AM UTC-8, RichA wrote:
On Saturday, 5 January 2019 07:53:27 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Nifty looking instrument.

I think, it's made for to track fast moving objects, satellites, planes, rockets etc...

On Monday, 7 January 2019 06:00:29 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 11:55:22 AM UTC-8, RichA wrote:
On Saturday, 5 January 2019 07:53:27 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Nifty looking instrument.

I think, it's made for to track fast moving objects, satellites, planes, rockets etc...

Any decent mount should be able to track satellites, but not planes since they have no set course and some move a lot faster, if close. I suppose you could train it (if you have software to learn and follow a plane's course) but it would be fairly short for anything close-in.

On Mon, 7 Jan 2019 03:00:26 -0800 (PST), StarDust
wrote:

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 11:55:22 AM UTC-8, RichA wrote:
On Saturday, 5 January 2019 07:53:27 UTC-5, StarDust wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Nifty looking instrument.

I think, it's made for to track fast moving objects, satellites, planes, rockets etc...

Modern motors and control systems make this kind of performance just
happen. Even a mount _intended_ just to track stars can have this kind
of speed. It's the product of absolute encoders and direct drive or
harmonic drive systems.

There is an important astronomical reason for very fast slewing. There
are systems in place now for alerting the astronomical community when
certain events are detected, such as gravitational waves and gamma ray
bursts. These notifications go out electronically within seconds, and
participating optical and radio observatories will slew to the
provided coordinates in an effort to capture the event in other bands.
The faster the slew, the better the chance of recording a transient
event.

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 12:31:48 PM UTC-8, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Sat, 5 Jan 2019 04:53:24 -0800 (PST),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Looks nice, but nothing out of the ordinary for quite a few higher end
mounts created in recent years.

Made in Russia!!!!!!!!
5 years ago!
Bruhaha!!!!

On Tue, 8 Jan 2019 01:03:05 -0800 (PST), StarDust
wrote:

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 12:31:48 PM UTC-8, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Sat, 5 Jan 2019 04:53:24 -0800 (PST),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Looks nice, but nothing out of the ordinary for quite a few higher end
mounts created in recent years.

Made in Russia!!!!!!!!
5 years ago!
Bruhaha!!!!

I had a mount that could do this 20 years ago. But it wasn't
commercialized. It probably wouldn't have been economical, and the
market for it would have been small.

What's changing is that the component technology is getting cheap. For
$100 you can buy super precise motor control systems (for robotics and
NC manufacturing) off the shelf. Sub-arcsecond absolute encoders are
now under $100. The cost of machined parts has steadily declined as NC
shops have become the standard.

On Tuesday, 8 January 2019 10:14:03 UTC-5, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Tue, 8 Jan 2019 01:03:05 -0800 (PST), StarDust
wrote:

On Sunday, January 6, 2019 at 12:31:48 PM UTC-8, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Sat, 5 Jan 2019 04:53:24 -0800 (PST),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfRDO1zvKZc

WOW! I bet, this thing can track down hundreds of objects one night, incl. satellites too?

Looks nice, but nothing out of the ordinary for quite a few higher end
mounts created in recent years.

Made in Russia!!!!!!!!
5 years ago!
Bruhaha!!!!

I had a mount that could do this 20 years ago. But it wasn't
commercialized. It probably wouldn't have been economical, and the
market for it would have been small.

What's changing is that the component technology is getting cheap. For
$100 you can buy super precise motor control systems (for robotics and
NC manufacturing) off the shelf. Sub-arcsecond absolute encoders are
now under $100. The cost of machined parts has steadily declined as NC
shops have become the standard.

Then why are mounts $5000+? Whereas something like a G11 used to be about $1700?