Don't trust your polar alignment in an observatory

[Catanonia]

Thought I would do a proper strip down since my guiding was erractic. Now I have the tripod in the obs in drilled holes in the flag stones and I trusted it. Have done for a good 6 months since I checked.

Well, took the scopes off, set up the polar scope and was a full width of the EQ6 polar circle off !!!!!!!

Now the guiding is much better and some initial results from the SuperNewt are much better since the guiding is working as it should.

[dark knight]

Yep just shows it pays to keep checking everything periodically. I just set up my EQ6 and found after drift aligning the altitude gauge marks slightly inaccurate. Wonder how many folks trust them and never give them a second thought.

Do you now have another graph for comparison, would be interested to see them.

[RobH]

I check my alignment every few months, as my pier is set on a 1 metre cube of concrete which is itself sitting on the concrete plinth that the garage is on.....I've found that the whole thing is settling very slightly due to the weight of the big concrete block trying to get to the centre of the earth!

[Catanonia]

Yep just shows it pays to keep checking everything periodically. I just set up my EQ6 and found after drift aligning the altitude gauge marks slightly inaccurate. Wonder how many folks trust them and never give them a second thought.

Do you now have another graph for comparison, would be interested to see them.

No but imagine the rockies compared to the sahara

[Psychobilly]

I check my alignment every few months, as my pier is set on a 1 metre cube of concrete which is itself sitting on the concrete plinth that the garage is on.....I've found that the whole thing is settling very slightly due to the weight of the big concrete block trying to get to the centre of the earth!

Its all those GIANT OTA's you keep putting on it Mr. H

[Catanonia]

Its all those GIANT OTA's you keep putting on it Mr. H

LOL indeed

[RobH]

Its all those GIANT OTA's you keep putting on it Mr. H

True....true

[Komet]

I check mine every month or so and find that small adjustments are always necessary - this where the concrete block is attached to a layer of limestone 2 foot down. The rest of it is clay though which probably explains a lot!