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brickbots merged 2 commits into from
Sep 23, 2026
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docs(troubleshooting): put the condition first in the GPS lock note #653

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docs(troubleshooting): put the condition first in the GPS lock note
brickbots Sep 23, 2026
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docs(catalogs): a hand-entered location fills Planets and Comets too
brickbots Sep 23, 2026
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10 changes: 6 additions & 4 deletions docs/source/catalogs.rst
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Expand Up @@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ CM
Comets. The PiFinder computes each comet's position from orbital elements
published by the Minor Planet Center.

The catalog fills in once the PiFinder has a GPS lock, because a comet's position
depends on your time and place. Until then it appears empty.
The catalog fills in once the PiFinder knows your location and time, because a comet's
position depends on both. A GPS lock supplies them, and so does entering them by hand
in :ref:`user_guide:place & time`. Until then the catalog appears empty.

The PiFinder refreshes the orbital elements by itself. Whenever it starts up with
internet access in Client mode, it checks the Minor Planet Center for a newer set
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -83,8 +84,9 @@ Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, along with the Moon a
Pluto. The Sun is not included. The PiFinder computes their positions for the
moment you look, and updates them as the night goes on.

The catalog fills in once the PiFinder has a GPS lock, because a planet's position
depends on your time and place. Until then it appears empty.
The catalog fills in once the PiFinder knows your location and time, because a planet's
position depends on both. A GPS lock supplies them, and so does entering them by hand
in :ref:`user_guide:place & time`. Until then the catalog appears empty.

RDS
----
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9 changes: 6 additions & 3 deletions docs/source/troubleshooting.rst
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Expand Up @@ -188,9 +188,12 @@ If you would rather not wait, enter your location and time by hand and start obs
:ref:`user_guide:getting a gps lock`.

.. note::
A GPS lock is not needed to focus, align, or push to objects once your location and time
are set. It is needed before the Planets and Comets catalogs fill in, because those
depend on your time and place.
Push-To and the Planets and Comets catalogs need a location and a time. They do not
need the GPS receiver to supply them. Entering your location and time by hand works
just as well as a lock. With no lock and nothing entered by hand, Push-To shows
**Searching for GPS** in place of directions, and the two catalogs stay empty. The
Focus and Align screens work either way, because neither depends on where or when you
are.


An object has "disappeared" from a list (for example, M45)
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