syntrek or synscan and alignment

[Rustysplit]

I am looking to get an Heq5, but which one???

How does the polar align work on the syntrek version?

And on the synscan, does polaris have to be visible? or is there an option of any star align such as on the celestron CGEM?

I am drawn towards the syntrek and an autoguider such as a synguider/lodestar whatever. Not sure I can be doing with lappys and web cams. Will be using dslr for imaging.

What say you, learned folk?

[Merlin66]

they both use a polar scope to assist alignment on the pole star. Whether or not it's Syntrek (basic handcontrol) or Synscan (computer handcontroller with GOTO) you still need to polar align.

The sync functions onlt refine the GOTO modelling, not the tarcking.

HTH

[Whippy]

The synscan and syntrek models are the same spec mounts, only the handsets differ so in terms of polar alignment and tracking, they're the same.

Not that I've used a stanalone guider, but there's a few people on here found them tricky to use and ended up with a guidecam operated by software on a PC.

Tony..

[Macavity]

I think I might almost (but not quite!) have been tempted to pay the extra for the Synscan controller polar scope LED dimming facility - over the Syntrek's permanent "Tomato Soup" view.

I am aware of (have contemplated making) the DIY hardware mod. But I still wonder if some of you <gasp> "younger" programmers could write a software(?) utility to do this. Maybe it could be part of the EQmod utilities even...