Polar alignment with your phone/tablet

[emadmoussa]

Hi there,

I experimented today with the Polar alignment using Google star map and GPS. I had my phone act as a compass and polar alignment scope in the EQ5. It worked a treat and managed to lock on Polaris, which is usually behind the house if I'm observing from the back garden. Having fixed the alignment I used the motor to track a star for 30 minutes (again using phone star map). I have to say, the result was pretty good.

Basically align the mount roughly, then use Google maps to search for Polaris, then adjust the alignment accordingly until the star is the middle.

Attached are a bunch of photos of the process...

[midnight_sky_watcher]

Great idea there.

Grant....

[knobby]

Doesn't the mount effect the accuracy of the phones sensors?

Great idea though

[emadmoussa]

Doesn't the mount effect the accuracy of the phones sensors?

Great idea though

Not at all, the motor was off during the alignment set-up.

[nephilim]

Thats a great idea mate

[knobby]

Not trying to be a killjoy but surely the mount has some residual magnetism or motor windings... I know that when I use a compass anywhere near mine it goes mad :maybe my mount is just very active!

[Scott]

I was wondering about having the phone near such a chunk of metal too but hey, if it works it works. nice one.

[emadmoussa]

Not trying to be a killjoy but surely the mount has some residual magnetism or motor windings... I know that when I use a compass anywhere near mine it goes mad :maybe my mount is just very active!

Understandable - normal compass tends to go crazy when very near the motor. But the GPS enabled one doesn't seem to have a problem.

[Extreme Fencer]

My Eq5 and HEQ5 both effect a magnetic compass and the compass on my iPhone.

So it's not that accurate.

I guess if you line up the star map on the device with the sky it might work ok.

If it works for you why not.

[knobby]

Its A great idea though, I just tried my HTC One X near the polar scope on my EQ5 and it went mental

I guess it depends on the mount / phone combination

[emadmoussa]

Its A great idea though, I just tried my HTC One X near the polar scope on my EQ5 and it went mental

I guess it depends on the mount / phone combination

Lol

Lol, did it really?

[knobby]

Perhaps mental is an exaggeration but it certainly made it go wobbly!

What phone are you using?

[gkec]

Understandable - normal compass tends to go crazy when very near the motor. But the GPS enabled one doesn't seem to have a problem.

GPS only provides location but if this is coupled with a mems gyroscope that should be unaffected by magnetic fields.