ASCOM-AWR Intelligent Drive System Pt.4. Early thoughts on ASCOM-AWR.

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Since Stellarium is proving so "difficult" to use with the ASCOM-AWR set-up I am moving my trainee's loyalties over to Cartes du Ciel. The Telescope function on C-du-C is much more "user friendly" than Stellarium's. I had Gotos right from the start though with a few delays and strange hiccups. The downside is the map-like sky rendition. The glittering transparency and realism of Stellarium's skies are noticeably absent.

I am continuing my education [improvement?] by watching umpteen ASCOM videos. Cartes du Ciel is proving more difficult because many of the YT guide videos are in French. Though not all. My memory of school French reminds me only of my inability to remember anything [at all] and and my appalling pronunciation. A skill [or lack of] I have, no doubt, carried over to my extended exile in Denmark. Some people are good at languages. I am not. Unless, of course, you count my endless blathering on in English.

Should I have expected to be able to simply connect up the AWR system, pay for and download ASCOM-AWR and have a fully functional Goto mounting? It is a commercial system after all. Neither AWR nor ASCOM-AWR are remotely free. ASCOM-AWR does not enjoy the freeby download status available to popular commercial mountings like EQ and others. I see that even Astro-Physics has an ASCOM version now. 

Stand alone AWR seems to work but lacks the immediacy of PC control without the ASCOM driver. AWR worked straight out of the box but I knew I wanted on-screen [click and] Goto long before I finally placed my order for AWR's Intelligent drive system. 

ASCOM brings all the [potential] bells and whistles at the expense [sic] of opacity. Though my intensive YT studies are certainly fleshing out its capabilities and even accessing its limited human interface. Despite my decades of "messing about" with computers and early success with Basic I make no claims to proficiency with the modern stuff.

By now I fully expect a computer to behave like a thermostatically controlled toaster. Perfect toast every time. That it does not, is IMHO ample testament to geeks having not the slightest clue about humanity's real needs. They seem to spend all their time trying to impress each other rather than producing helpful, multipurpose tools for the unwashed masses. Let's just say that ASCOM-AWR is not Plug'n'Play. It is still early days and I still have much to enjoy as I tame my own, inevitable expectations of instant gratification. After all, even a Ferrari needs a good driver.

Chris Lord became deeply involved in a one-off AWR makeover on his massive, antique telescope. He warned against the danger of thinking the customer had bought a finished product in AWR. Customer participation on the journey to success was to be expected. How bumpy that road would be seemed to depend on expectations. As the Irish are allegedly fond of saying: "I wouldn't start from here."  Though they were probably thinking of the vast tonnage of Lord's magnificent antique. Not to mention all the difficulties of converting a horse-drawn carriage to be self-driving, on 19th Century roads, with late 20th century technology! My needs are considerably less demanding. Though my knowledge, as I start my own personal journey, considerably more limited than Chris Lord's. 

The Danish winter has returned with a week of sub-zero temperatures and the threat of more snow. My enforced absence, from the walk-in freezer I call a workshop, will allow me to concentrate on training ASCOM-AWR. I hope to manage to get it to at least sit up and beg. But not drool at the dining table. Is that really too much to ask? I'll let you know. 😉