PEC! Why and How, by Jason Ware

Abstract:

Even the best telescope drive systems are not perfect. They tend to run a little fast then a little slow as they attempt to counteract the rotation of the earth. This is called Periodic Error. Fortunately today’s advanced telescopes use electronics to counteract this imperfection with Periodic Error Correction or PEC.

In this class you will learn the basics of telescope drive anomalies. How to measure the PE of your telescope as well as diagnose imperfections. We will discuss how to use PEMPro a program from CCDWare which automates the process of PE capture and correction.

Prerequisites:

Basic understanding of telescope drive systems is suggested. Some experience in guiding a telescope (manually or with an autoguider) is helpful.

If you would like to follow on using your own computer during the class, you should download and install PEMPro, before coming to TSP in case there is limited internet access.

These techniques are not limited to CCD cameras, DSLR users can benefit as well.

Daytime session (1.5 hours, with a 10 minute break)

[date/time TBA]