My first deep space shot...

[Astrosurf]

Yep, use Polar Finder, put your scope RA accurately in park as much as possible, then place Polaris on the large outer circle where Polar Finder shows it to be. You don't need to faff about with setting circles or placing Polaris  into the little circle. After positioning Polaris, I always rotate the mount in RA while looking through the polarscope to see if Polaris deviates from the big circle. If it does, you've not positioned it correctly. Then I add scope and weights and check Polaris's position again if it needs a tweak.

With Polar Finder, ensure the set-up is for scope view, or whatever it's called! It needs to be inverted.

You can get apps for mobiles too.

[MeSeany]

Yep, use Polar Finder, put your scope RA accurately in park as much as possible, then place Polaris on the large outer circle where Polar Finder shows it to be. You don't need to faff about with setting circles or placing Polaris  into the little circle. After positioning Polaris, I always rotate the mount in RA while looking through the polarscope to see if Polaris deviates from the big circle. If it does, you've not positioned it correctly. Then I add scope and weights and check Polaris's position again if it needs a tweak.

With Polar Finder, ensure the set-up is for scope view, or whatever it's called! It needs to be inverted.

You can get apps for mobiles too.

Polar Finder.JPG

I meant the little bubble that sits on the big circle - Im to position Polaris in this bubble yes? 

Also - I cant seem to focus Polaris with the polar scope - how to I change its focus.... Im getting their

[Marky1973]

As Alexxx says, you don't need to worry about the bubble - at least I never do. I usually just rotate the RA axis so the crosshairs are vertical (just because it is easier to look at), the use Polar Finder to see where Polaris should be on the outer ring. If you have aligned correctly Polaris will travel around that ring and through the bubble....it doesn't need to be in the bubble, unless you are using the setting circles accurately calibrated to your location. I have an EQ3-2 which has about a yard of play in the setting circles, so I have never bothered with them.

If I have the time, I set it up this way and wait for a bit to see how the alignment is and then adjust.....works very well for unguided subs up to about 90s.

[MeSeany]

As Alexxx says, you don't need to worry about the bubble - at least I never do. I usually just rotate the RA axis so the crosshairs are vertical (just because it is easier to look at), the use Polar Finder to see where Polaris should be on the outer ring. If you have aligned correctly Polaris will travel around that ring and through the bubble....it doesn't need to be in the bubble, unless you are using the setting circles accurately calibrated to your location. I have an EQ3-2 which has about a yard of play in the setting circles, so I have never bothered with them.

If I have the time, I set it up this way and wait for a bit to see how the alignment is and then adjust.....works very well for unguided subs up to about 90s.

So - I line Polaris onto the outer circla - rotate and if Polaris goes around the outer circle then all is good.... how do I rotate? also - my polar scope is not focused that well is it easy to focus?

[Marky1973]

Pretty much! If you have set up your scope properly during the day, then it should go around wherever you put it on the line, but you want to make sure you have  it in the right place as shown on Polar Finder....Polar Finder essential tells you where you would line up the bubble on Polaris if your setting circles were accurate and you were using them to align. Just release the RA clutch and rotate the mount in the RA axis - the polar scope will go with it. 

They should focus by twisting the very end that pokes out of the mount - at least mine does on the EQ3-2 - again setting this up in the daytime is a much easier prospect. I also use a small red bike light that I hold just to the far side of the scope slot when aligning to help illuminate the reticule, but not wash out the stars!