Reviewed some web site materials and the user manual. Configured the Paramount with TheSky6 software. It looked like it was easy to load the International Space Station TLE data (without actually getting my hands dirty). It also looked like someone else had done some work here, before me.
Played with the plot feature. Then finally found the "Track Satellite" function.
While it was cloudy and the roof was closed, I did a test. It worked! The mount was clearly driving at an appropriate speed to follow a satellite and it appeared to be in the correct area for the ISS pass of that time, as shown by Heavens Above.
I shall have to add these steps into my QRC document...
- have the telescopes ready as per usual with wide field eyepieces (e.g. 55mm or 32mm in C14)
- if you wish to view on monitor, have MallinCam installed, aligned, and focused
- get ISS TLE data (it is easy inside TheSky6, via the internet: choose Data, Satellites..., click Import From Web..., choose International Space Station, click OK)
- display the track or path (check Plot paths, enter Number of increments (up to 100), click Compute, click OK)
- observe a point moving along the path
- slew to an object, near to where you want to pick up the ISS (so to minimise acquisition time)
- plan cable paths, eyepiece orientation, step stool locations, etc. given the rapid movement of the telescope
- search for "Sat Zarya" (one of the ISS elements; this will cause the Object Information dialog to appear)
- if nec. select "Sat Zarya" and centre on it
- click the More information button in the Object Info dialog, if nec.
- click Telescope tab, if nec.
- click Track Satellite button (the Satellite Tracking dialog will appear)
- confirm the Slew messages
- watch for possible collisions; use the Abort Tracking button, if nec.
§
Helpful info:
http://www.bisque.com/tom/ISS/iss-tle.asp
No comments:
Post a Comment