Alignment

[JannyD]

I have just bought a Skywatcher EQ3 Synscan equipped mount to use for photography. I don't have a scope on it, just an adaptor for the camera to do wide field shots. My garden is on a slope and the only place I can use the mount is close to the house, so I have the western sky visible but can't go east. I don't want to knock holes in the patio slabs to sit the tripod legs into so is it worth marking the patio in some way to try to get the feet in exactly the right place every time, or am I better using a compass and practicing the polar alignment, since if I take the mount away from home that's what I'm going to have to do anyway? I've never done a polar alignment so any tips would be gratefully received. Any other hints? Given how few nights I get when it's clear, there's no Moon in the way and it's not misty (a bit of a feature here), I'd rather learn by someone else's mistakes and try not to waste too much time on my own!

[Jessun]

Can you see Polaris from this location? Some marks on the slabs would help quicken things up, assuming you don't adjust the tripod legs between sessions, or else mark them too. Basic to good PA aligning in principle is very simple. To get is absolutely spot on is an art.

/Jesper

[JannyD]

Yes I can see Polaris. To add to the fun the patio is textured slabs, so they're not level. Reading other posts I'm beginning to feel I'll have to mark the slabs and the legs. Presumably I can do the levelling and north alignment by compass in daylight, if I can be accurate enough - there's very little adjustment in azimuth on the Skywatcher mount. Should it be aligned to true north? I can see hours of fun coming when I try this. I won't be too hasty in taking a chisel to the patio!

JD

[Jessun]

You'll soon find a clever way. I used a pier with wheels for a while with my HEQ5, and it was easy to roll around with everything on, and a few marks made it simple to find the same spot. I never liked tripods - too cumbersome to move around.

Yes, true north it is. But Polaris is really your friend here - together with some simple planetarium program, or 'Polar finder' or an app even you'll quickly dial it in with the polar scope. The only real problem is that the SW alt bolts cannot take much stress, so it's not adviced to adjust in alt with a full load of CW's and OTA - the bolts will bend or other parts will snap completely. This is a serious design fault with the HEQ5 and it's cousins. Proceed with care...

When I used the SW pier I only aligned using the alt bolt once, then I loaded it up and used the bolts by the pier wheels to fine tune frome then on. It worked - even for AP.

I know you mentioned the patio is leaning - but I'd bet a penny you'll level those slabs after faffing about with your setup a few times in the dark !

/Jesper

[JannyD]

Practice it is then. I did wonder about devising some sort of platform over the slabs - all something to think about while I wait for the skies to clear. No prospect of that this week. Thanks for the warning about the bolts. At the moment there's nothing on the mount except the dovetail camera adaptor but the ultimate intention is to get a scope, but that won't be for quite a while, and by then I'll be able to polar align in my sleep............!

JD

[Bizibilder]

You should have a "hole" up the polar axis (its meant for the polar scope) - if you sight through this and put Polaris in the middle you will probably be close enough for wide field shots.