NEQ6 Pro - Polar alignment (yes, again)

[iwatkins]

Hi All,

I've had my telescope and mount for one week now but still not got first light due to the weather and seeing. I was told this would happen but thought it was a myth.

Not totally wasted, I'm in no rush, and it has given me time to find my way around the telescope and more importantly the mount (this is my first "adult" telescope and mount).

So, I've read all the threads on here, websites written specifically and even the manuals by Skywatcher all about polar alignment.

I have to say that a lot of it seems to make it sound more complicated than it is? Or is it just me?

Anyway, can someone who really knows this stuff sanity check my method below please. When I do get some clear nights I don't want to be out in the garden messing with this stuff.

1. Set up tripod and get it level with the Azimuth "peg" pointing roughly to Polaris.

2. Put the mount on and connect up to tripod. Get telescope and counterweight on and do balancing. Check the mount is still level.

3. Get the handset connected and the mount powered up.

4. Run through initial setup of the handset and take note of where it thinks Polaris should be right now (in it's "clock" format).

5. Expose the polar scope and look through.

6. Unlock the RA clutch and rotate in RA until Polaris on the polar scope is at the "clock" position noted down during setup back in step 4. E.g. if the handset thinks Polaris is at 3:00, that would be to the right, e,g, 3 o'clock as on a watch. Relock the clutch.

7. Adjust Az and Alt of the mount until Polaris itself sits in the centre of the small, Polaris labelled circle that surrounds the larger circle surrounding NCP.

8. Then unlock the RA clutch and rotate the mount in RA checking that Polaris itself follows the arc of the circle surrounding NCP.

9. Now ready to go ahead and do your 1,2 or 3 star alignment and then normal viewing, goto's, tracking etc.

Can anybody see any flaws in that?

Cheers

Ian

[Digz]

Seems good to me.

Rather than using the clock position the handset gives you I use the transit time given. In order to do that you need to calibrate the dial around the polar scope eye piece (the RA scale). That is for a given Polaris Transit you need to set and lock the RA scale for the right time.

Using this should allow for a more accurate alignment as it will be easier to place polaris in the right place (the scale is divided into 10min increments) whereas if the clock time says 2:50 this can be difficult to get in the right place.

Just my 2p worth

[iwatkins]

Fair point Digz, I'll look into that. :-)

[Digz]

Your welcome. Let us know how it goes.

[Cornelius Varley]

The only thing I would change is to leave the telescope and counterweights off the mount until the you have polar aligned. This will make it easier to adjust the latitude bolts.

Peter

[NickK]

more accurate alignment as it will be easier to place polaris in the right place (the scale is divided into 10min increments) whereas if the clock time says 2:50 this can be difficult to get in the right place.

surely you just lock the RA to the scope so when the polaris point is at 0300 then the RA circle shows 0300.. Then just use the next division for 0310 etc

Just twigged what you mean here.. Ie set the polaris reticule circle at the bottom, set the setting circle to today's transition time, lock the setting circle to the RA axis then move the RA axis to the current time, lock the RA axis and then align the long/lat bolts to align with polaris?

[Dielectric]

I did my first run with the NEQ6 2 days ago. Ok, the back hurts but this mount is as steady as a rock!

I did the first polar alignment in a 'rough fashion' and imaged Saturn over a 3 hour period at f25. The mount kept the image centred on the CCD nearly perfectly apart from when a few huge trucks thundered down the road (a luxury of where I live).

Good luck and enjoy this superb (but very heavy) mount.

[Steve 1962]

Looks OK to me but do as Cornelius has already said - definately leave the scope and the weights off until you're polar aligned - if you attach them beforehand there's a significant risk you'll collide the scope with the tripod / pier. It's also a lot easier to adjust ith no weight on it.

Steve

[Digz]

Just twigged what you mean here.. Ie set the polaris reticule circle at the bottom, set the setting circle to today's transition time, lock the setting circle to the RA axis then move the RA axis to the current time, lock the RA axis and then align the long/lat bolts to align with polaris?

Mmmmm sort of. Set Polaris at the bottom of the reticule and adjust the RA dial until 12 is pointing at the marker and lock down. Thats it. Whatever time is given by the handset is then used - rotate the RA axis until this time is aligned with the marker and Polaris should be in the correct position. A simplistic explaination but that's the crux of it.

The only thing I would change is to leave the telescope and counterweights off the mount until the you have polar aligned. This will make it easier to adjust the latitude bolts.

Peter

Thats an interesting, and sensible thought. I must admit I do my Polar alignment with the scope and weights attached as I find, more often than not, when I attach the scope and weights the mount gets knocked. It can be difficult to attach a 10" reflector by yourself without knocking something, lol.

[OutThereSomewhere]

" Set Polaris at the bottom of the reticule and adjust the RA dial until 12 is pointing at the marker and lock down. Thats it. Whatever time is given by the handset is then used - rotate the RA axis until this time is aligned with the marker and Polaris should be in the correct position. A simplistic explaination but that's the crux of it".

Thanks for the great advice in this thread. Hope it's OK for me to ask a little more? I'm struggling with my NEQ6. Can someone confirm that it is the bottom set of numbers on the RA dial that I should use on the NEQ6 in the Northern hemisphere? Also, once I've polar aligned, presumably I must unlock the RA and dec clutches and go to the home position, then relock them. I think I've got myself confused by reading instructions for the HEQ5 .

[GrantEb]

The easiest way I have found, is to download a program called Polarfinder.

Once you have entered your co-ordinates, just create a chart, and it shows you exactly where Polaris is at that specific time. Then just duplicate what you see on the chart, in your polarscope.

HTH

[Psychobilly]

There a version for Android as well now... very handy

[Big Jim Slade]

You should also be able to get an idea of whether or not you're close by comparing the alignment of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major in the sky with the reticule. If you're using the wrong scale, they will be way out.

[Digz]

The easiest way I have found, is to download a program called Polarfinder.

Once you have entered your co-ordinates, just create a chart, and it shows you exactly where Polaris is at that specific time. Then just duplicate what you see on the chart, in your polarscope.

HTH

TBH Ive found using the information given from the handset much easier. As long as your RA Axis is calibrated as above you then roatate to the desired time given by the handset. Of course if you dont have a handset with this function then thats another matter, lol.....

Thanks for the great advice in this thread. Hope it's OK for me to ask a little more? I'm struggling with my NEQ6. Can someone confirm that it is the bottom set of numbers on the RA dial that I should use on the NEQ6 in the Northern hemisphere? Also, once I've polar aligned, presumably I must unlock the RA and dec clutches and go to the home position, then relock them. I think I've got myself confused by reading instructions for the HEQ5 .

This has been discussed here recently on the forum IIRC. For the northern hemisphere use the top set of numbers. Bottom for the southern hemisphere.

As Big Jim said, looking at the position of Cass and Ursa Major in the reticule will give you an idea.

HTH

[iwatkins]

Thanks Digz,

I tried your method last night with regards to using the RA setting circle and that works a treat and much more accurate than trying to rotate the RA axis to 3:10 clock position.

Well, seemed very accurate anyway, right as the clouds rolled in

I also prefer to mount and balance the scope/counters first as everything seems to move a bit if I do the polar align first.

Cheers

Ian

[Digz]

Thats good to hear Ian.

Lets hope yo get to try it again soon, its looking promising tonight