VBScript user trying to learn PowerShell.  Can someone help me on how I can just test if a machine responds to a wmi connect and get the error code?

vbscript example

Set objLoc = WScript.CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")
Set objWmi = objLoc.ConnectServer(vServerName,DEFAULT_NAMESPACE,,,,,wbemConnectFlagUseMaxWait)
If Err.Number Then
  'wmi doesn't respond
else
  'wmi responds
End if

I understand using the get-wmiobject but don't really need to see the full details, only if it connects or not.  Doing this for a monitoring type of script.

Get-WmiObject Win32_LocalTime -computername server1 -ErrorVariable $myerror
Trap [system.exception] {$z=$null;continue}
write-host $myerror

Thanks a bunch
--Todd