From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: April 9, 2010 6:33:05 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] drift aligning...


Hi Milton, 

I know you probably have the new version just about ready! 

It was just something I thought you could eventually add to the "Analyse RA/DEC Tracking" section of the Manual as a bonus..? 

I know you might think it unnecessary & that it`s a detraction from Astro IIDC`s present basic functionality or perhaps that it`ll create a precedent for similar silly additions....but what I`m suggesting is 2 or 3 sentences maybe in the Manual describing what...?! "...stars will need to be selected, overhead & near the meridian & near the west or east horizon" & a  basic prescription for refining the process!?

I find with the links on Google I quite often find that a familiar site is no longer there next time I`m doing DA again, then the new one found has to be re-deciphered again. 

If it was there in the Manual it`d be part of the whole friendly interface..!!

 That Windows app I sent the link to basically provides a reticle drawn over the picture coming from the camera I believe, which is already in Astro IIDC, with the difference that the directions are there handy in StarTarg! 

To drift align on my iBook presently I`d need to have another Spaces window devoted to the Google link as a reminder ( OK for me as our Airport reaches out to the scope I suppose- except that none of this is written in stone! ), or a print out of it ready to read by torchlight..

Anyway, if you can`t be persuaded, I might resort to buying this app & using it with the Scorpion (which is much easier to find stars with than my DBK & WCS) running on the PC through FlyCapture if possible...?!


Mark. 

On 10/04/2010, at 6:23 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Hi Mark;


On 9-Apr-10, at 1:40 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Hi Milton,

Have you thought of providing more detailed drift alignment directions  

in Astro IIDC?


No. There a hundreds of links on how to do this online.


I realise you have "Analyse RA/DEC Tracking" which  

provides the reticle needed & Astro IIDC already has the ability to  

bin images so stars become more obvious. The proceedure of drift  

aligning is not clear however from the instructions I`ve seen in the  

Manual.


Actually, we do not describe how to do drift alignment in the manual. The only reference in the entire manual to "drift align" is on page 92 of the manual, as quoted below:


-----------Start Quote


- The "Reticule Cross Hairs" and "RA/DEC Tracking…" features can also be used with Drift  Alignment to accurately polar align your equatorial mount. Their are numerous articles available  on line describing how to do drift alignment and you can find them with the keywords "drift  alignment" in basically any web search engine such as Google or Yahoo. 


-----------End Quote


So use Google or Yahoo or whatever search engine and search with the phrase "drift align" and follow the instructions. I found 50+ in a few seconds.


http://www.astrophotography-tonight.com/cgem-drift-alignment-procedure/


http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/archive/index.php/t-11765.html


http://starmatt.com/articles/align.html


HTH..


Milton Aupperle