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Changing DST handpad

Mike Shade
 

Question:  for systems (1600CP4/1200CP3) if they are run by computer only, do I still need to change the time in the handpad or will the control systems get the right time from the computer?

And, if I do plug the handpad in (say moving around the moon), will it send the non DST time to the control system or will it get the right time from the control units?

Thanks, 
Brian Valente
 

Hi Mike

When using the keypad and a computer at the same time, you should set the keypad to EXT

Once your computer initializes the mount the keypad will then retrieve the time from the mount

In this configuration you do not want to change anything on the keypad re: date, time, etc. 

More details on page 17 of the keypad manual:

Brian

On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 7:27 AM Mike Shade via groups.io <mshade=q.com@groups.io> wrote:
Question:  for systems (1600CP4/1200CP3) if they are run by computer only, do I still need to change the time in the handpad or will the control systems get the right time from the computer?

And, if I do plug the handpad in (say moving around the moon), will it send the non DST time to the control system or will it get the right time from the control units?

Thanks, 



--

Mike Shade
 

Thank you Brian.  The 1600 is completely imaging, run by computer.  Handpad plugged in say once a year when I check collimation (need to center star).  The 1200 is also hooked to a computer, handpad also set to ext.  Handpad on the 1200 might be plugged in when say puttering around the moon, easier to move scope this way.  The handpad is not permanently plugged into either, or on unparking.

So if the mounts are hooked to a computer, without the handpad being plugged in on unpark, the computer sends the time to the CP4/CP3, do I have this right?  And if the handpad is plugged into the CP after unpark, the CP will give the right time to the handpad when it is plugged in?  The handpad is unplugged and the system parked with the computer (AP driver).

Thanks
Brian Valente
 

Hi Mike

>>>So if the mounts are hooked to a computer, without the handpad being plugged in on unpark, the computer sends the time to the CP4/CP3, do I have this right?  

Yes, but remember you need accurate site location information (via Site Tab) and enable "Keep Mount Time Synced to PC Time" in APCC Advanced Settings

image.png

>>>And if the handpad is plugged into the CP after unpark, the CP will give the right time to the handpad when it is plugged in?  The handpad is unplugged and the system parked with the computer (AP driver).

Correct, but again make 100% sure the keypad is set to EXT



On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 10:21 AM Mike Shade via groups.io <mshade=q.com@groups.io> wrote:
Thank you Brian.  The 1600 is completely imaging, run by computer.  Handpad plugged in say once a year when I check collimation (need to center star).  The 1200 is also hooked to a computer, handpad also set to ext.  Handpad on the 1200 might be plugged in when say puttering around the moon, easier to move scope this way.  The handpad is not permanently plugged into either, or on unparking.

So if the mounts are hooked to a computer, without the handpad being plugged in on unpark, the computer sends the time to the CP4/CP3, do I have this right?  And if the handpad is plugged into the CP after unpark, the CP will give the right time to the handpad when it is plugged in?  The handpad is unplugged and the system parked with the computer (AP driver).

Thanks



--

Roland Christen
 

With the keypad set to EXT, once you start the mount via your computer, the keypad automatically gets updated time and is ready to use for any function, including parking. Here's what I do at my observatory: 
I power the mount, keypad set to EXT. I start SkyX and connect to the mount. The mount starts tracking, and the keypad becomes operative (goes to Main Menu). I click on the object that I wish to image in SkyX. If I want to start the scope under the mount I set meridian delay E by 1 to 5 hours and then click on the object in SkyX. The mount goes to the object and I take my first centering image. For some objects I want to de-center the image, so I simply use the keypad at 64x or 200x to move the image around until I like the framing. 

Once I am done imaging for the night I use the keypad to park the mount (Park5 for me). Then I disconnect all the user programs from the ASCOM driver and power down the mount. Next session I repeat the above, and even though I parked the mount via the keypad, the mount goes to the object exactly the same as the previous session, sometimes within a few pixels.

Although in the above I did not use APCC, you can do all of the above with APCC in the mix. The keypad can be used for centering, recal, meridian delay, flipping sides, etc. Works exactly the same as doing these functions in APCC or SkyX. Just remember to always leave the keypad in EXT.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Shade via groups.io <mshade@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Mon, Mar 27, 2023 7:21 am
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Changing DST handpad

Thank you Brian.  The 1600 is completely imaging, run by computer.  Handpad plugged in say once a year when I check collimation (need to center star).  The 1200 is also hooked to a computer, handpad also set to ext.  Handpad on the 1200 might be plugged in when say puttering around the moon, easier to move scope this way.  The handpad is not permanently plugged into either, or on unparking.

So if the mounts are hooked to a computer, without the handpad being plugged in on unpark, the computer sends the time to the CP4/CP3, do I have this right?  And if the handpad is plugged into the CP after unpark, the CP will give the right time to the handpad when it is plugged in?  The handpad is unplugged and the system parked with the computer (AP driver).

Thanks

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
M Hambrick
 

Well, it sounds like I have been doing this all wrong. I normally run my mount off APCC with the keypad set to EXT, but for the past two time changes I have been starting up the mount without connecting to APCC, then changing the keypad from EXT to NO, and then following the instructions for changing back and forth from daylight savings. After I get the time changed, I put the keypad back on EXT.

Has doing this messed anything up ? I had no issues last fall after turning daylight savings off, but this spring, the weather has been so bad here that I have not had my mount outside since January.

Mike
Richard Benoit
 

I run my PC and keypad on UT so I don't have to worry about daylight saving time changes. A-P has a document describing setting this up: Daylight Savings Change in Keypads. 

Richard
M Hambrick
 

Hi Richard

I thought about doing that, but I would have to change everything on my laptop over to UT, and I am just not ready to do that unless I move to the United Kingdom.

Mike
R Botero
 
Edited

I wish! UT >< GMT. We also just changed to BST here in the UK. I live a street away from a road called after a local that campaigned for the establishment of daylight savings in the early 1900s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Willett

Roberto
Richard Benoit
 

Mike -

I agree with you that it can cause problems with other uses. I'm lucky enough to have a laptop that I use only for imaging. Even then I had to make changes like when Windows Update can run (it ran unexpectedly one night and crashed my imaging session).

Richard

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