Getting Started
Step 4: Basic ACP Checkout

1. Make sure your computer and scope are connected.
2. Make sure your telescope is turned on and aligned.
3. If you have a dome, make sure its controller is on and trained. Leave the shutter closed.
4. Confirm that you completed the reference catalog installation in Getting Started Step 1.
5. Read items a-c below, then start ACP from the Start menu, etc. A series of things happen at this point:
   1. You will be told that you need to enter the observatory site information. Click OK and the Preferences window will appear, showing the Observatory tab.
   2. Fill in your observatory lat/long, name, etc. West longitude is negative as stated just below the longitude field.
   3. Click OK, you may be alerted that the path to the PinPoint reference catalog is invalid, and the PinPoint preferences tab will appear. This shouldn't happen if you used the GSC Installer, though.

   This happens only when you first start ACP after installation. When you're finished with the above, you may see Merlin appear and greet you.

   	IMPORTANT! If you have one of these mounts, click its link now!
   	Mount with encoders using (e.g.) Sidereal Technology, PlaneWave STI, Astro-Physics Command Center
   	Paramount or other scope controlled through TheSky
   	Meade Telescope (except RCX-400)

6. In ACP, Select Setup... in the Telescope menu.
7. Select the appropriate telescope type from the list.
8. Click Properties, and adjust the settings per your specific telescope's needs. See the list of specific pages above. The most common problem arises from not knowing what COM port your scope is connected to. Another common problem is an incorrectly wired serial cable. Did you make yours? Are you certain it really works? For German Equatorial mounts, another problem is determining your scope's flip points. If you have a German mount, please read German Mount Flipping NOW!.
9. Click OK, and you'll be taken to ACP's Telescope preferences tab. Check this over. Perhaps you'll want to give your telescope a special name. Make any needed adjustments to the telescope info. Make sure that the focal length is at least close! Adjust the focal length for any focal reducer you may have installed. Later, ACP will display your true focal length once it plate-solves an image.
10. For now, turn off "Enable ACP telescope pointing correction".
11. For now, turn off "Consistent-approach slewing".
12. Most amateur and educational telescopes need local-topocentric coordinates. Unless you are certain that your telescope uses J2000 coordinates, leave "Telescope needs local topocentric coordinates" turned on. If you're unclear about what J2000 versus JNow versus local topo are see Coordinate Systems.
13. Some amateur telescopes have built-in refraction correction. You must determine whether yours does its own refraction correction or not. If it does not, then turn on "Adjust coordinates for atmospheric refraction".
14. Review the other settings and adjust as you see fit. Be certain to select the correct mount type (equatorial, German, alt/az). Select Simple Equatorial for "extended" (non-flipping) German mounts. Don't mess with the Flip Settings for now, and leave the polling rate at Normal. If your instrument package is large enough to prevent the telescope from moving freely, change the tilt-up limit to protect your instruments from hitting the mount. This tilt-up limit is smart enough to handle fork, German, and alt/az mounts. Click OK to close the Telescope properties window.
15. If you have a dome that must be slaved to the telescope in order to have sky access, you must now set up the dome. If you don't have a dome, skip to the next step. If you do, click this button to open the Preferences Dome tab. You must select the dome type and enable dome control. Do not select any of the automatic dome opening/closing options for now. You must enter the geometry settings now. If you don't know what they are, see ACP Dome Control. Return here when you have the dome control set up.
16. Now it's time to configure ACP for your imager. Click this button to open the Preferences Imaging tab. At a minimum, set up the imager name. If you have a filter wheel, fill in the slot number of the clear (the brightest or reference) filter. ACP filter slots start with number 0, MaxIm's start with 1, so (for example) if your clear filter is in slot 4 in MaxIm, enter 3 into ACP. During automated operations you will be using the clear filter for unfiltered exposures and pointing updates. Fill in the plate scale of your guider (arcseconds per pixel). This doesn't have to be exact, it is used to convert dithering amounts when guiding. A good guess will suffice. Click OK to close the Imaging properties window.
17. The moment of truth : Select Connect from the Telescope menu.
18. Within a second or two you should see the ACP coordinate displays activate, showing the telescope position, etc. If you have a dome, select Open in the Dome menu. The dome should open, then the slit should align to the telescope. Alternatively, you can click the Dome Control button on ACP's main window and use the dome control window to open.

    If ACP's displays do not activate, first double check the serial port and cable connections. If you know they're correct, the problem is either in the cable you are using, or that some other program in your system is using the serial port.

Congratulations! ACP is controlling the telescope (and dome). At this point, take a break. You deserve it!

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