Skychart

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====== Telescope Menu ======
From the menu: **Telescope**
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SkyChart can be used to drive electronically controlled mounts, but you can also use SkyChart to retrieve instructions to turn knobs on a manually controlled mount. Anyhow, before you can use your telescope mount in combination with SkyChart, you need to configure the sort of mount and the driver from **Setup -> System -> [[system#telescope|Telescope]]**.



===== Telescope settings =====

Same as **Setup -> System -> [[system#telescope|Telescope]]**.


===== Coordinates system =====

It is very important that both the program and the telescope driver use the same coordinate system. 

Most INDI and ASCOM drivers specify if they want J2000 or Local coordinates and Skychart obey to that.\\
Even for Local coordinates this is always non refracted coordinates.


===== Control Panel =====
From the menu: **Telescope -> Control Panel** 
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Here, you can make specific settings for the driver that you chose earlier in the dialog. There are a only a few drivers but they are usable with a multitude of mounts with each their specific possibilities. Please, check the manual that came with the driver and mount. 
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See specific help about each panel for [[telescope_ascom|ASCOM]] or [[telescope_indi|INDI]].
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A very important feature that all driver specific dialogs share, is the **Connect** button. When the telescope is physically connected and the driver/mount specific settings are OK, the program usually connects automatically. The connection status is displayed at the bottom of the dialog. Somewhere between the ''Connect'' and the ''Disconnect'' button, there is a coloured square. Red indicates a disconnected status, green indicates the connected status. 
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As soon as your telescope is connected to your mount, SkyChart will immediately read the current coordinates from your mount into your chart. After that, SkyChart will show you this position centered on the chart.
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The {{en:documentation:i48.png|}} icon of the **[[main_bar#telescope_group|telescope group]]** on the main bar is a shortcut for this function. 

===== INDI Control Panel =====

This option is only show when the telescope interface is INDI

Open a standard INDI option setting panel for all your INDI devices

===== Slew =====
From the menu: **Telescope -> Slew**
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After your telescope mount is **[[menutelescope#control_panel|connected]]** and **[[menutelescope#sync|synchronized]]** to an object, you can slew your telescope to another object. Select the desired object simply by a click. Now, from the menu, click on **Telescope**, in the pull down, click on the line **Slew**. Now the coordinates are send to the mount. In many cases, the mount will start slewing immediately. On some mount controllers it might be neccesary to confirm your settings. 
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The slew {{en:documentation:i50.png|}} icon of the **[[main_bar#telescope_group|telescope group]]** on the main bar is a shortcut for this function. \\
Another way to slew your telescope to the next object, is by a right mouse button click on the label of the selected object. In the pop up window, click the line **Telescope**, and in the next pop up **Slew**. 
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You can stop the current slew operation with the **Abort Slew** menu or the keys: **Ctrl+K**.
===== Sync =====
From the menu: **Telescope -> Sync**
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This is the way to enter the coordinates of a selected object on the chart to your telescope mount. And of course, in order to do this, your telescope must be connected to the computer. The connection must be physically by the correct cables and interface, and also logically by the program as well. \\
It is easy: first of all, you direct your telescope to an object that you positively identified. The next step is to select this object on the chart, just a click on the object is enough. Now, click from the menu **Telescope** on the line **Sync**. Now, the coordinates of the selected object on the chart are entered into your mount. From now on, the mount knows the coordinates of its position at the sky at which it is pointed. \\
When you 've set your **[[object_bar#marks_group|markers]]** on, the markers will be shown in white, with the selected object in the center. 

In the **[[main_bar#telescope_group|telescope group]]** on the main bar you find the {{en:documentation:i51.png|}} sync icon as a shortcut for this fuction. \\
Another way to sync your telescope to the chart, is by clicking the label of a selected object with the right mouse button. In the pop up window, click the line **Telescope**, and in the next pop up **Sync**. 

===== Track telescope =====

Center the chart on the telescope position and follow it.

It is important to remember that a telescope connection is linked to the chart that was active when you connect it. \\
This allows to use more than one telescope, even with a different driver, each one connected to it's chart.

So if you want many charts to follow a single telescope do it in the chart with the narrower field of view, and [[menuwindow#link_all_chart|link]] the other charts to this one.