Polar alignment...10, Me...0 - I surrender!

[Jiggy 67]

I've seen a couple of articles about needing to check the alignment of the polarscope with the tripod first but that seems to entail either finding a radio mast or building a scaffold tower a few hundred metres tall in the back garden..... Tried using a target on an upstairs window but if the target is in focus the polarscope isn't - and vice versa - so not sure what to do about that (I'm assuming if this is out of alignment then all else is folly?). Thank you for the step by step, bobgunnis - will give it a try. I had indeed looked at Astrobaby early on but the mount is sufficiently different to the EQ5 that I simply couldn't follow how to do the same thing. Hadn't thought about whether, once I am bent double under the polarscope, I would be looking at the right star - oh dear. I will let you all know how this pans out. Thanks again.

No, all else is not folly, it depends on whether you want to polar align for visual or photography. To date, I have only ever polar aligned for visual and I have never callobrated/aligned the polar scope to the RA axis, its not required as, for visual, you only need a rough polar alignement, I simply get Polaris in the centre of the polar scope view, by pointing the mount North, setting the altitude to my latitude (you will have to adjust this to get Polaris in view) and adjusting the azimuth bolts, by doing this, the scope will keep an object in ep view for 10-20 minutes or so, sometimes longer. You can adjust the focus of the polar scope by twisting the eyepeice end. To make sure I've got the right star (Polaris), after I have pointed the mount North and set the altitude, it will be off.......1) Because the altitude scale isn't that accurate and.....2) Because Polaris is True North and not Magnetic North and Iuse a compass to point thhe mount North. I just look over the top of the polar scope and adjust.....when you then look through the polar scope, chances are that the bright star you can see will be Polaris, then make final adjustments through the polarscope

[kirkster501]

Astrobaby's guide is very good and there are some great videos that are compulsory viewing for owners of these mounts.....

http://www.astronomyshed.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=900

Took me several hours to understand all this stuff and I am an engineer to boot....

[Astro_Baby]

Polar alignemnt using setting circles can be tricky AND its extremely counter intuitive when you calibrate the polarscopes date/time circles.

I am in the process of writing a more complete polar alignment guide which will take in the EQ6 and four methods of polar alignment; visual, setting circles, hour angle and clock methods PLUS a guide to the new polar alignment routine (if Synta EVER release the final version )

Astro is only one of my hobbies and one of the other ones has had most of my time of late.

[Andymac79]

polarfinder.exe takes ALL the hassel out of it, just look through the polar scope and match the pic!

[Astro_Baby]

Tough to do on a lonley hillside with no PC though doncha find ?

[Andymac79]

Mobile phone, printed copy, theres always a way

[VigdisVZ]

Yeah I found a very cheap iPhone app to verify that the clock based method works

[66mikeg]

With polar finder I find the difficult part is standing again up after peering through the polar 'scope

[NickK]

With polar finder I find the difficult part is standing again up after peering through the polar 'scope

Web cam on the polar scope

[mkwoods77]

I'm completely new to all this and am having probs with allignment also. This wikki link http://www.themcdonalds.net/richard/index.php?title=Polar_Alignment_of_your_Equatorial_Mount along with this link I got from someone somewhere http://www.astro-baby.com/HEQ5/HEQ5-2.htm might be of use. Thanks to all of you for being supportive, this is a great forum and VERY useful...thanks! I'm looking forward to heading out again!