I'm very excited to be receiving my new 1100GTO mount in a couple weeks! This is my first AP product. Due to a long list of purchases I'll be making soon, I opted for the current special deal, and for now, went without the hand controller. I would like to control the mount with my computer for imaging purposes, as I did with my previous Celestron CGE mount. I use Stellurium, BYOE, PHD, Astrotortilla and other software.

Is there some kinda guide around for this type of control of AP mounts without the keypad?

I was hopping not to have to purchase the new APPC program immediately if possible? It's on the list to purchase, but I was hoping for some initial work just using the Ascom driver. Is this possible?  Whats throwing me is alignment. How is the mount aligned without a keypad or APPC? Is the mount even aligned at all other than polar? The Celestron mount had a keypad and a 3 star alignment was done before computer control was initiated. I read something about syncing to a star on each side of the meridian? How does that work, especially without APPC, or the keypad?

That's my main question. I don't understand how the Planetarium program will know where the scope is currently pointed.