Re: best goto type mount for SPC8?

From: Michael McCulloch (michaelm_at_nospam.invalid.net)
Date: 02/09/05 

Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 21:32:24 -0500

On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 22:34:42 GMT, "Roger Hamlett"
<rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>I still find the display annoying. There is no illumination to the
>buttons, which are too sensitive to be comfortable in the cold with gloves
>on.

I guess, but I seem to do fine with them. One Celestron Nexstar hand
paddle I had started developing sticking keys with two years. So far,
the Sphinx buttons appear to be able to take the abuse. Perhaps you
should try thinner gloves that give you more feel?

>So have ended up with a ND filter, in a custom made 'case', which has
>the buttons recessed, with rings round them, so you can feel them in the
>dark. Compared to the used interface quality of the SS2K, it is not even
>in the same 'class', and it is wrong that the unit should need an add-on
>filter to work acceptably. Turning the display off, doesn't help if you
>have already destroyed your night vision...

Sounds a bit like you've decided this is a problem whether it is or
not. I find that *any light* destroys your night vision temporarily --
the question being how quickly it recovers. Mine seems to recover
quickly when using the StarBook with a ND filter, plus I have my unit
set for a short timeout and the backlight disappears entirely in short
order. I usually want to observe objects for at least 5 minutes and I
have not found my night vision severely impacted by the StarBook with
the ND filter since I obtained Build 26 with the timed OFF feature.

>Yes, it is a good mount now, if you can live with the remaining problems,
>but it should have been 'excellent' from day one.

I don't know of any remaining "problems" in Build 26. Missing features
perhaps that would be nice add-ons, but the features that are there
seem to work fine to me. Regarding PEC, are you attempting autoguided
astrophotography and find the Sphinx doesn't perform for you? Or are
you trying to avoid an autoguider entirely?

> the brightness is because they went for EL backlighting. This is
>the commonest solution for laptop displays etc., However you can get the
>same displays with LED backlighting, which gives a slightly less smooth
>backlight, but can be dimmed to nothing.

As long as the windows contain white backgrounds I don't think it
matters what kind of backlight you choose. Turning down an LED
backlight to such low levels would just mean you wouldn't be able to
read the display. Having the display at any readable level with white
background will be enough to affect your night vision. Whether it is
EL or LED isn't the issue.

What could be done to best effect would be to have a "night vision"
mode where all is on black backgrounds with shades of red text and
symbols. Then a red filter could be added to further filter the
display backlight without rendering elements on the display
unreadable. I do this with my laptop and it works perfectly.

Plus, aren't EL backlights more power efficient? I prefer longer
battery life. And the more even lighting allows lower overall
brightness levels that still retain full-screen readability.

>I think I am spot on, in my assesment, that the handcontroller was 'farmed
>out' to a team outside the company, who are not involved in astromony, it
>explains exactly why a system that is in places truly excellent, is marred
>in this area.

The StarBook is a different paradigm. It has some rough edges, but
after several observing sessions I don't find the model any more
difficult to use than anything else. In fact, even without double star
lists, direct RA/DEC entry, and other features, I find I can still get
the mount quickly to a target.

For example, as I have stated here before, you can find a double star
quickly by using the Constellation object list to get the mount in the
general area, and then use the star chart as feedback to quickly home
in on the target RA/DEC for a faint double star. It works very
efficiently for me. It's as good or better than a LONG linear list of
doubles in a Nexstar or Autostar controller, and it works for every
double rather than just ones pre-picked for you as interesting. Use
the NSOG to pick objects to go after rather than the whims of a hand
paddle programmer... 

---
Michael McCulloch