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Can SkySafari 6 Plus Set A Safe Zone To Limit An Astro-Physics Mach 1 Scope Movements? (Answer: No, SkySafari Should Respect The Limits Set In The Mount's Hand Controller)

I am using a long refractor on an Astro-Physics Mach 1 German equatorial mount with GoTo controlled by Sky Safari 6 Plus on an iPad. Does this app allow me to enter movement limits for the mount so that the eyepiece end of the telescope does not crash into the tripod during slewing?

The Astro-Physics keypad allows this function, so I know the Mach1 firmware is capable of receiving safe-zone instructions.

Does Sky Safari have this function? If not, would you consider adding it to the list of commands for scope/mount control? It shouldn't be too difficult and it is a critical function. Btw, I know Sky Safari incorporates a "STOP" soft key, but a safe-zone function would be much more helpful. Thank you. 

3 comments

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    Bill Tschumy

    No, the app doesn't allow you to set limits.  However, it should respect limits that are set in the mount.  If you try to GoTo an object that is outside a limit, the scope should return an error that we display.

  • 0
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    Michael Szpir

    Thanks for the quick response. I'll give it a test tonight. 

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    Michael Szpir

    Last night I tested Sky Safari to see whether it would respect the mount's limits, as you suggested. Unfortunately, Sky Safari completely ignored the limits that were set by the Mach 1 keypad. I entered three GoTo commands through Sky Safari to slew to the zenith at different points in the evening, and the mount followed the commands without an error message in each case. 

    Identical commands through the AP keypad were greeted with a message that the target was outside the safe zone (which was set at 14 degrees around the zenith). The targets were Cor Caroli and a dimmer star (both within 10 degrees of the zenith at the time of the commands).

    Any suggestions? 

      

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