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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2006 03:47:05 -0000
From: "rdcrisp" <rdcrisp@...>
Subject: Re: mechanical home capability

--- In ap-gto@..., "Bob Denny" <rdenny@...> wrote:

Walt Cooney:

One advantage the Paramount has over the AP-1200 for true robotic

operation is

the mechanical home switches that allow the system to be sent to

a known

position even after it gets lost for whatever reason.

It's a 2-edged sword. AFAIK (customer inputs to me) you MUST home a
Paramount whenever you cold-start it. On the other hand, you can
simply turn off the power to the AP with it pointing anywhere. As

long

as the software (ASCOM driver, PulseGuide) does the "right" thing,

it

will power up in place and know where it is. This is a major

advantage.

That's not a substitute for a home sensing system as needed if the
mount "gets lost". But given the experiences of my customers who

have

APs, the mount very rarely GETS lost (well as long as it's left

alone

and manipulated via the HBX or computer).

-- Bob

Perhaps someone can confirm something I was told about the Paramount:
that if you want to control it remotely you are required under some
license terms of Bisque to use only their software to do so.

It didn't make any sense to me to have such a policy as a user, but I
can see why a vendor would try to get away with something like that
if they can. I just don't know if it is true or not.

I have two AP1200GTOs that are serving me very well so I am not
especially interested in a Paramount, but would like to know what
part of that rumor, if any, is true.