Re: [APML] 80mm refractor as a guide scope? (was: ETX as Guide-scope)

[Michael Gregory <mikeg@airmail.net>]

Wil,

     I use the ST-4 with CCDTrack.  The tracking program doesn't seem
to "learn" from the past tracking history.  The correction times (effectively
the control system gain) can be set by the user.  If they are wrong,  say  
the system overshoots prior to the next correction, the program does not
adjust them for optimal tracking.  It seems like regression analysis or some
other curve fitting / tracking algorithm could be used to adjust system 
parameters based on tracking error history.  After one periodic error
cycle time passed, the program could start learning how to adjust for that
error as well.  Using this type of algorithm would allow the tracking
program to
issue correction commands to the mount during the camera exposure.  If
the tracking requirements changed during a long exposure, the program
would adapt based on recent history.

     Does this seem reasonable?  Modern laptops have lots of 
processing power.

Mike Gregory




>eventually *will* get you where you want to go. In this case, a short guide
>scope atop an SCT is *not* going to get you well-guided photos, the 201XT
>is never going to guide as accurately as an ST4, and it will never guide
on any
>but the very brightest stars (particulary with the LX50, which needs very
short
>autoguiding cycle times). 

>Wil Milan / Astrophotographer.com
>http://www.astrophotographer.com/
>

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