Polar Alignment Scope Problem

[NAFK]

So, I acquired a Skywatcher polar scope for my EQ3-2 mount. I've just had a chance to try it out just now and have encountered a rather perplexing, but somewhat obvious, problem - it's too dark to see the markings in the eyepiece!

Now, am I doing something stupid, or is this a preposterous design flaw?

My instinct is the former, because surely no-one would sell a piece of equipment so laughably unfit for purpose, but I honestly cannot think what I should be doing differently.

[Kevdan]

So many of us have found this problem, Look in the DIY astronomers section, there are loads of polarscope illuminator projects.

Kev.

[Stephen]

As above, though a quick alternative ....

Look up through the polarscope and hold a torch (turned on) in your hand. Put it "near" the exit hole of the polarscope and let your fingers sit over it.

You can (eventually) funnel the light along your finger and over the polar scope hole providing enough illumination to see the markings, but not too much that it white outs Polaris

[Tinker1947]

If your mount has a power connection connect up and turn on, if not then Kheldar has it typed out...

[JamesF]

As Kheldar suggests is the way pretty much everyone seems to do it with the EQ3-2 to start with. It's a royal pain in the derriere though, not to mention the neck, so I did this:

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/175561-eq3-2-polar-scope-illuminator.html

James

[NAFK]

Thanks for the responses! I managed to get it to work using the dim light from my phone to illuminate the markings without flooding out Polaris. I did notice that, later on, once my eyes had fully dark adapted I was just able to make out the markings without illumination.

It's ludicrous that these things are provided in such a fundamentally non-functioning state, though! Even making the markings white might make them slightly more visible to dark-adapted eyes.