That old chestnut - polar alignment

[whooshbang]

1. but using the az screws to move it horizontally was difficult - really tight to turn them (I did loosen the opposite bolt).
   

A couple of things to check.

Try to get the dowel on the tripod head lined up with north as best as possible to avoid running out of thread on the az screws.

Slacken off the primary locking shaft (via the knurled knob underneath) a little bit to allow the mount to move more freely. When you are lined up you can nip it back up tight again.

[whooshbang]

Good idea, I like that!

And lastly, for AP when I eventually get to it, I know drift alignment is what is required, but out of interest, if you get a "not bad" polar alignment with the polar scope, can guiding correct the remaining errors (assuming you're not trying to image at several meters focal length?

I'm not an imaging expert but i would say achieving good polar alignment even on a guided system is preferable, especially at several meters focal length. You'd probably get away with it a bit more with wide field stuff.

[AlistairHowie]

I hope to start imaging at 450cm focal length in due course, so I'm hoping my set-up will forgive me my sins and deliver me from the evils of elongated stars .... we will see!

[AlistairHowie]

Make that 450mm!!

[whooshbang]

so I'm hoping my set-up will forgive me my sins and deliver me from the evils of elongated stars .... we will see!

Good Luck

[Astro_Baby]

I wasnt being sarcastic but I have read over the AZ6 manual and its a waaaaay better pece of text than the previous Synta mounts.

My guide is more pitched at non GoTo mounts where you have to learn to use the polar circles if yo want an alignment. Well you could use a tablet or a smart phone but I dont own of those.

The AZ6 gives Polaris as a cloxk posution and an hour angle, both can be used but the clock position is the easiest. I prefer to use my polar setting circles as I finD them accurate and fast.

[cantharis]

At 37 degrees North I have to grovel 15 degrees LESS than all you Londoners !!!

[Valley]

• Challenge #5 - getting my eye up against the polar scope EP - why don't they make them with right angles??? Very uncomfortable crounched down in the mud, with a tripod leg right underneath the scope. Why wouldn't they make it so a single tripod leg faces north, so there are two behind the mount, giving enough space to get your head down and your eye up against the polar scope??
  

I don't think anybody else has mentioned this and I've not seen an AZ-EQ6GT but on the NEQ6 PRO you can move the dowel position so the single leg faces north

[AlistairHowie]

Doh! It's probably the same on the AZ-EQ6, I'll check that the next time I have the tripod out.

Speaking of tripods, is there such a thing as a nylon-type carry case for the EQ6 tripod? I saw one for the EQ5 on the TS website, but not sure if it would fit the EQ6 tripod.

[Zakalwe]

I don't think anybody else has mentioned this and I've not seen an AZ-EQ6GT but on the NEQ6 PRO you can move the dowel position so the single leg faces north

Yes you can. But you have to be careful with heavy scopes that it doesn't overbalance and topple in some orientations.

One trick that I use when polar aligning is to point a laser pen it Polaris when I'm peering through the alignment scope. Its a bit of a faff to hold the pointer steady, but you just want it roughly in the right place to confirm that you are actually looking at the correct star.