[ATMoB-discuss] satellite tracking with Celestron or Meade scope and mount

[Paul A. Valleli]

Bob,Mike, Peter,

The Newtonian  still has  two reflectors and a long
tube  or bad coma in a short version.
The S-C is very compact, reducing torque
requirements on the tracking mount - important when
moving several degrees per second.  Both Celestron
and Meade assume visual tracking where some image
wander in the FOV is allowable.

Some S-C's are still delivered with plate glass
correctors which narrow somewhat the transmission
possible with BK7 or BSC2 Crown. These materials
transmit betwwen 400nm and 2.5 microns. There should
be little problem with plate glass correctors at 1.5
microns in the NIR.
Ron Dantowitz at Clay Center uses a $10,000
Paramount to gain the necessary tracking accuracy
for high resolution imaging.

60% net transmission should be expected.
Paul

---- Original message ----

  Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 20:17:31 +0000
  From: Bob Napier <bob_napier at hotmail.com>
  Subject: RE: [ATMoB-discuss]  satellite tracking
  with Celestron or Meade scope and mount
  To: <atmob-discuss at atmob.org>
  Cc: Michael Aramini <m.aramini at verizon.net>

  >The Meade LX200GPS series mounts have the
  satellite tracking functions already programmed in
  their AutoStar II system.
  >The up-to-date orbital elements of satellites
  need to be downloaded to the AutoStar II in order
  for it to function reasonably well.
  >I have never tried satellite tracking but I think
  others on the LX200GPS Yahoo discussion group have
  with some success. Bob N.
  >
  >
  >
  >> From: pbealo at comcast.net> To:
  M.Aramini at Verizon.net> Subject: Re:
  [ATMoB-discuss] satellite tracking with Celestron
  or Meade scope and mount> Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007
  19:53:07 +0000> CC: atmob-discuss at atmob.org> >
  Michael,> > > I think that all hinges upon what he
  means by "track". If he means to within 1 pixel on
  a CCD - probably not. If he means keeping a
  rapidly moving object within a "reasonable" field
  of view - probably.> > There is off-the-shelf code
  called, strangely enough, "SatelliteTracker". To
  quote their feature page: "Satellite Tracker is a
  32-bit Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP program which
  calculates satellite positions using NORAD
  SGP4/SDP4 orbital models. An interface to the
  Meade LX200, LX200GPS, AutoStar, LX200 Compatible,
  Celestron Ultima, Celestron CGE, NexStarGPS and
  NexStarGT telescopes allows automatic tracking and
  viewing. Satellite Tracker is a fast and compact
  single executable, no other runtime libraries or
  supporting DLLs are required!" > > Their website
  is: http://www.heavenscape.com/> > If I were the
  LL guy - I would use all reflective optics, like a
  newtonian, for the broadest spectral range without
  refocusing or worrying about IR or UV performance.
  If its a good parabola in the UV, its a great
  parabola in the IR!!> > have fun,> > Peter> > > >
  > -------------- Original message
  ----------------------> From: Michael Aramini
  <M.Aramini at Verizon.net>> > A colleague from
  Lincoln Lab would like to be able to do computer>
  > control of a Celestron or Meade mount with a
  scope on it to do real> > time tracking of
  satellites in low Earth orbit.> > > > He has a
  software model of that can predict the satellite's
  apparent> > motion, but wanted to know if it is
  feasible to low level commands to> > the mount to
  tell it where to point when, but wanted to know if
  such> > mounts could respond to such commands
  quickly and precisely enough to> > track
  satellites in real time.> > > > A secondary
  question is whether a Celestron or Meade scope
  which was> > designed primarily for visible light
  use can reasonably be used for> > near IR.> > > >
  -Michael> > > > -------- Original Message
  --------> > Subject: Telescope State of the Art> >
  Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 10:04:05 -0400> > From:
  Flanagan, Robert <flanagan at ll.mit.edu>> > To:
  Aramini, Michael <aramini at ll.mit.edu>> > > >
  Mike,> > > > I.ve been asked to develop a
  satellite tracking system that tracks> > during
  the day. I.m planning on connecting an InGaAs near
  IR detector to> > a Celestron or Meade telescope.>
  > > > The big problem is the tracking end of
  things. I need to be able to> > control the
  telescope with a computer so I need to receive
  mount encoder> > information and send instructions
  to the mount to move.> > > > Based on your
  experience in ATM, do you know if the mounts on
  the> > high-end commercial telescopes can be
  programmed this way?> > > > Thanks for your advice
  on this.> > > > Regards,> > > > Bob> > > > > > Dr.
  Robert W. Flanagan, Jr.> > Group 91> > MIT Lincoln
  Laboratory> > 244 Wood Street> > Lexington, MA
  02420-9108> > (781) 981-0453> > > >
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