Hello, the documentation doesn't seem to include details on the Mount Model tool in Ekos yet.

1. Is the mount model tool an effective replacement for the hand controller's 3-star alignment?
2. Does the mount model compensate for cone error?
3. Although primarily for goto accuracy, is there any benefit to tracking or guiding (doubt it)?
4. Do recent iOptron and Celestron mounts support many sync points?  I saw Rob's note about writing this tool for the G11 and EQMOD, but can't figure out how many points my CEM120, CEM40 and CGX can store (my guess is, more than I'd ever need; I normally use 5 or 6).

Thanks!

1) The "Mount Model" dialog gives you the ability to define targets, that are slewed to and then a plate-solve is performed and the respective position is sent to the mount driver / the mount itself. Depending on driver/mount make, this can achieve better pointing accuracy on subsequent slews.

2) Whether Cone error is accounted for is a question of driver/mount. AFAIK EQmod does this.

3) No. Tracking accuracy is determined by the polar alignment and manufacturing tolerances of your mount. Guiding tries to get rid of the manufacturing tolerances by correcting imperfections in tracking by actively commanding the mount into the opposite direction of the imperfections.

4) I don´t know.

I think iOptron does indeed successively improve it's internal *pointing* model with many sync points. I routinely do many model points in Ekos and I get progressively better pointing with my CEM40. Not sure how many it can use.

What it does NOT do that higher end mounts do is improve unguided tracking via the mount model.