For astronomers seeking to get the most out of their equipment, TPoint is a must-have!  This is the same software the big observatories use to refine their pointing accuracy, and it works equally well for the rest of us.  TPoint works in tandem with The Sky to produce a set of values that define the pointing characteristics of your system.  You tell The Sky to point at a particular star, then center it in the eyepiece or video monitor.  Once centered, you click to have the program accept the coordinates and it generates an offset from where it originally steered the mount.  Six mapped points are the minimum, but the accuracy steadily improves as you add more mapped points. Once you complete an accurate mapping session, TPoint works seamlessly with The Sky to get the highest degree of pointing accuracy possible from your mount.  The documentation is a little intimidating at first, but mapping runs get routine after a couple of sessions.  This software is best used with a video camera, like the A-2000, but it isnt required.  Once the values describing your systems behavior are generated, you need only launch The Sky and TPoint works in the background assuring consistently accurate pointing.  A new mapping run must be generated if you make any physical changes to the mount that shift weight, etc.  Backed by Software Bisque, this software is virtually bullet-proof.  

From: | Created on: 10/16/2009 1:48:41 PM