[edited Sept 2023] Thanks to Alan Sliski at the 2019 SAS conference, I now know of some better (less sensitive and simpler) dome geometry algorithms. See the attached. After looking at the Vermes one, I eliminated it because it is a simplification of the John Oliver one (http://www.astro.ufl.edu/~oliver/DomeSync/ ... dead link) I've been using for years in ACP. I also eliminated the RNAAS one (Lowell Obs) as it is a crude polynomial fitting scheme hard wired to their setup.
Anyway, evaluate these especially for unusual situations such as the Kitt Peak Visitor's Center where the pier is almost at one side of the dome, way off center. There are three main issues:
- How to make it backward compatible so that I don't force everyone to change settings (preferable), or give it a mode switch so existing customers aren't impacted unless they want to change to the new algorithm and re-do the measurements (fall-back), and
- It must also output an altitude (up-angle) so as to provide dome opening Alt/Az for clamshell leaf optimizing etc. ACP already does this so I can't remove that feature)
- Accommodate the Planewave L-Mount
