heq5 polar alignment question.

[Elm0]

Just got a heq5 and am trying to polar align.

Read quite a few posts on here and watched some you tube videos.

What I'm struggling to understand is how the date circle works. It's goes up to 12 so assume these are the months but the markings do not match the days in the month.

What does each mm spacing represent please

[jambouk]

Just look through the polar scope, ignore any circles for the time being. I suspect they are 12 hours rather than months.

I wish someone would write a fools guide to polar aligning; it would have saved me several painful evenings and watching numerous not so useful tutorials.

Good luck.

Jd

[g0ibi]

Been PA'ing my HEQ5 sucessfully for 2 years and I have never looked at the dials ever!! I roughly align then using an iPhone app to check where Polaris should be on the PS circle, using the Alt/Azi bolts I place the star on the circle, done! If I am going to use the camera, after a 3 star align I use the Polar Alignment command on the handset and maybe just 'tweak it' to be spot on.

Cheers

Ron

[Elm0]

I thought the ra ring is the time and date ring the months?

Anyway how do you tweak it. Using the handset it screws?

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I've never used the dials either. Once you have set the latitude initially it is fairly easy to set up again as long as you haven't traveled far north or south. I use my HEQ5 mostly for imaging and use Polar Finder to find a more accurate position for Polaris:

http://myastroimages.com/Polar_FinderScope_by_Jason_Dale/

You may already have seen it but I think the Astronomy Shed series of videos on setting up an EQ mount covers use of the dials, from what I remember:

[Elm0]

I've tried the method on the video. . Never comes out like the results in the program you posted.

The manual is really confusing so have scrapped that. Who wrote that thing??!!

[jason.p]

http://www.astro-baby.com/HEQ5/HEQ5-1.htm

How about this. Comprehensive and easy to follow.

[jambouk]

Do you have any astro neighbours near by who could help?

Make sure you have aligned your polar scope in the day time first; numerous threads on sgl about that.

Can you see polaris through the polar scope?

If so, just use the altitude and azimuth bolts to position polaris on the large circle (imagining it is a 12 hour clock face) at the time the handset says (so if it says 20:15, put polaris roughly where the big hand of a clock would be at 8:15, so three quarters of the way between 6 o clock and 9 o clock). Then make sure everything is locked off tightly, re-check, and hey presto, roughly polar aligned.

Once you have mastered that, then you can start using setting circles, but from my limited experience of the heq5, the setting circles seem to rotate of their own free will so aren't much use.

But you don't need to use them. Just stick with the simple method.

Good luck, and remember if you haven't aligned the polar scope with the mount in day light first, then there probably isn't much point using the polar scope to align at night.

Jd

[Elm0]

Yes I collimated the polar scope in the day. Is there any way to focus the scope as everything is blurred.

No astro neighbours but my local astro club do a noob night. Not for another few weeks so don't want to wait.

I think the ha method seems to be the easiest so may stick with that

[jambouk]

You can rotate the "eye piece" of the polar scope, the but nearest your eye; be careful as it will unscrew out all the way and potentially fall on the floor and smash. Take it out all the way under a controlled situation to work out how much thread there is. Just make sure the polar scope reticle doesn't drop out too, but if you have aligned it and it's stable it will be held in place by the three grub screws.

What is the HA method? I'm rubbish with abbreviations.

I'm sure there will be SGL members near you who would be able to help. Post a thread with your postcode (first half of it) in the section listing all the areas, i'm sure someone would live near by.

If you are near nottingham i can help.

Jd

[wxsatuser]

I ignore the circles.

The only setting I have with my circles is the home position, scope up weights down.

I used Alignmaster and then DARV to check.

The DARV article on CN is missing, unless anyone knows where it's gone.

EQASCOM PA

[wxsatuser]

or you could try Astrobaby's

http://www.astro-baby.com/HEQ5/HEQ5-1.htm

[glowjet]

Yes I collimated the polar scope in the day. Is there any way to focus the scope as everything is blurred.

No astro neighbours but my local astro club do a noob night. Not for another few weeks so don't want to wait.

I think the ha method seems to be the easiest so may stick with that

Your Polar scope objective barrel can be adjusted for focus just as well as the eye piece. the barrel is threaded where it enters the main housing and is held in place by a small milled ring, if you slacken this, you will be able adjust the focus by screwing the barrel in or out, combined with the eyepiece adjustment, you should not only be able to find focus, but also bring the reticule into sharp relief. As has been said, make small adjustments at a time, you don`t want the thing falling apart by screwing the parts all the way out, this should not be necessary anyway HTH

[Elm0]

Ha method or hour angle. I use an app to find out when the last transit was. Set the ra ring to zero then whatever the amount of time the last transit was it what you set it to on the ra ring.

[Elm0]

You'll need to have the reticle at bottom to start with

[Elm0]

I have an android so decided to buy polar finder. Cost 370 and seems to be accurate. Gives you a reticle of the current position but also the last transit in hours.

I have an I pad too so bought polar align. Slightly more expensive at £1.49 and is a little more polished than the android app. Can only use this however with wifi to pick up coordinates, unless you have Internet built in or running on a iPhone.

Both seem a good option depending on what whether you an apple or a Samsung etc

[Elm0]

You can rotate the "eye piece" of the polar scope, the but nearest your eye; be careful as it will unscrew out all the way and potentially fall on the floor and smash. Take it out all the way under a controlled situation to work out how much thread there is. Just make sure the polar scope reticle doesn't drop out too, but if you have aligned it and it's stable it will be held in place by the three grub screws.

What is the HA method? I'm rubbish with abbreviations.

I'm sure there will be SGL members near you who would be able to help. Post a thread with your postcode (first half of it) in the section listing all the areas, i'm sure someone would live near by.

If you are near nottingham i can help.

Jd

Thanks for the offer. I live in Surrrey, so Notts is a tad far