Alignmaster help

[Craigyboy3542]

Hey there

I was wondering if anyone can help advise me what i am doing wrong when using Alignmaster, i have watched Dion's very good and helpful guide however when i try to use it i get a problem.

I set up and get a rough polar alignment done then go through the program centering the relevant stars, when i come to the alignment part it never moves the star to a position that i can re center it using just the AZ or ALT bolts, see the below images for what i mean. 

These are not real time images just representation so you get the idea.

Star centered 

Star moved by Alignmaster

Only way i can get it back

[catman161]

My understanding is that you move the star as close to center as possible and then by running through the entire process multiple times you eventually get it centred. I may be wrong but that was my understanding.

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[Astroboffin]

Well as you have managed to,get it back to the centre line, you must be able to get it back to the centre, it will be a combination of Alt Az adjustments.

Regards

AB

[Craigyboy3542]

Well as you have managed to,get it back to the centre line, you must be able to get it back to the centre, it will be a combination of Alt Az adjustments.

Regards

AB

Hi 

I thought you were only meant to adjust the AZ for the first part and then the ALT for the second!!! .... or am i getting that wrong???

[Astroboffin]

Hi 

I thought you were only meant to adjust the AZ for the first part and then the ALT for the second!!! .... or am i getting that wrong???

Your making me doubt myself now, as it has been a long while since I used it.

I thought you slew to first star and centre, then the same on second star, then it computes the ALT AZ offset and moves that amount, and then you re-centre the star with the wedge or equatorial mount adjusters.

Or if you say it does the calculation twice, then yes you probably are correct and you do one adjustment then the other.

It maybe that when it computes the offset you do as you say and move one then the other, but you only get it as close as you can, you have to keep repeating the procedure and it will get closer and closer each time, till it is spot on, the amount of times you have to repeat will be down to how far it was out of PA to start with.

Regards

AB

[Craigyboy3542]

 I have what maybe a totally stupid question but just can't get my head around, the program picks up the system time from your laptop then you just have to select the bit highlighted below.... I just can't think for the life of me what I need to put in there for the UK at the moment ... stupid I know but hey...

[Astroboffin]

 I have what maybe a totally stupid question but just can't get my head around, the program picks up the system time from your laptop then you just have to select the bit highlighted below.... I just can't think for the life of me what I need to put in there for the UK at the moment ... stupid I know but hey...

Capture.JPG

It is now BST, (British summer time), so I guess you need to put 1 in the box, for plus 1 hour.......I think!!

So one may correct me, as I am not 100% sure this is correct.

Regards

AB

[Craigyboy3542]

It is now BST, (British summer time), so I guess you need to put 1 in the box, for plus 1 hour.......I think!!

So one may correct me, as I am not 100% sure this is correct.

Regards

AB

LOL... that is exactly what i was thinking .... :) 

Thanks for all your other advise also :) 

[Astroboffin]

LOL... that is exactly what i was thinking .... :)

Thanks for all your other advise also :)

Here are the instructions for using the software, from the owners site

The selection of a star pair should consider and satisfy any local user recognition and visibility criteria. Selection is accomplished by clicking on and highlighting the selected row.

The Alignmaster program calculates the Right Ascension and Declination position of the first selected star, given user location and time, and directs an auto-slew of the Goto mount to the indicated AZ and ALT angles.

Because of telescope misalignment error the selected first star's visible image is not centered in the telescope ocular. Use the handbox of the Goto mount to center the first star in the ocular cross-hairs. Upon proceeding to the Next step, the program stores the updated position of the Goto mount for the first star.

Repeat the above two-step procedure on the selected second star to center it in the ocular cross-hairs.

The program then calculates and displays the telescope's polar axis misalignment errors in AZ and ALT and asks if telescope/mount adjustment of the AZ or ALT axis, or both axes, is desired.

A "Yes" answer to either question enables a programmed auto-slew of the telescope/mount, first in AZ and then in ALT, to the program-calculated position of the second star at the current LMST time. (This auto-slew to the second star will off-center its image in the ocular a small amount because manual slewing to remove final misalignment errors is not selected).

NOTE THIS NEXT SECTION......

Manually turn the AZ and ALT alignment screws on the Goto mount, in succession, to move the ocular image of the second star, such that it becomes centered in the ocular cross-hairs, first in Azimuth and then in Altitude.

The telescope/mount axis should now be well aligned to the polar axis. This completes the alignment procedure. A second round of alignments may be done to verify the first alignment results or improve upon their adjustments.

[SteveA]

Have you tried using PHD2 for drift aligning? It works really well for me and is easy to use. I did try using Alignmaster in the past, but with some what restricted views from my garden I was always struggling with the target stars.

Steve