Polar align

[steviemac500 1,021]

I'm getting really confused.......please can someone explain in really simple terms how Polar Align Apps work. I'm really unsure about the HA (hour angle) and clock position I get on the Apps and what the difference is in the alignment position info I get from my synscan when I use my EQ5 mount. Please, assume you are talking to a 5 year old......

Steve

[Guest]

HI Steve,

I am unable to explain to you, the TYPICALL POLAR ALIGNEMENT.. as you request in your thread with POLAR ALGN APP and, it is not really easy.. to explain..

But there are other methods for making POLAR ALIGN...

1) the D.A.R.V MethodI did my align.. wth the o my ALIGN.. with the DARV way.. takes a little bit longer than usual but is very easy and not comlicated..

http://www.cloudynights.com/page/articles/cat/articles/darv-drift-alignment-by-robert-vice-r2760

2) By using the software here.. is for free for few days.. else not expensive.. http://www.alignmaster.de/

3) Or look here, http://www.gvarros.com/polaralign_iphone.htm

4) By using this method also.. http://eqalign.net/e_index.html

I did try all above, the best is the DARV METHOD.. and eassiet also.. thogh time consuming.. ( 30-60 Minutes )

My problem is, I di not have view to the NORTH or POLARIS !!

Hope I was able to give you few alternates, though i did not answer your question..

Bye

Martin

[Scott 5,218]

I'm getting really confused.......please can someone explain in really simple terms how Polar Align Apps work. I'm really unsure about the HA (hour angle) and clock position I get on the Apps and what the difference is in the alignment position info I get from my synscan when I use my EQ5 mount. Please, assume you are talking to a 5 year old......

Steve

Ok Stevie weavie, , Sorry, couldn't resist.

To be honest though, trying to explain PA apps is like trying to describe a colour. can I suggest to serch you tube for tutorials for polar alignment? there are some very helpful ones there. I'll go and have a look.

try  this

 Just out of curiosity, are you doing visual or astrophotography? if photography, are you using a laptop?

[steviemac500 1,021]

Photography mainly and yes I have a laptop.

[Scott 5,218]

Photography mainly and yes I have a laptop.

If you will be using the laptop for mount control via eqmod, it has a brilliant alignment routine. Before I got a permant pier, I found it all I needed for very adequate polar alignment. Drift alignment in my opinion is a bit more accurate but for a mount that needs setting up every time its quite time consuming.

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/introindex.html

[matteboy 23]

Don't know if this helps on the apps you are using, but I spent hours once comparing the view through my polarscope and the view on an app, they never matched up, I started again and again, in short there was box I hadn't ticked which was 'scope view' and, once ticked, all looked the same, so I was aligned all along, by the time I realised my mistake and confirmed I was aligned the clouds had rolled in.

If you're just starting with the EQ5 I would strongly recommend a guide on YouTube by Astronomy Shed, it was the first one I watched when it all finally 'clicked'. Once it all 'clicks' write yourself your own steps down and follow them next time, I forget which order to set things up, even now (usually six months gaps between 'scope outings!) so it really helps!

Forgot about this as well... http://www.astro-baby.com/HEQ5/HEQ5-1.htm

If no one has beaten me to it yet!

[YKSE 2,144]

This is my understanding:

Deep Sky Objects'(DSO) positions are fixed (imostly in our lifetime), the Earth rotation (24 hours a day or 360 degrees) around its axle makes that we see different DSO in different time and location.

Polar align is to define the Earth's rotation axle, this axle is pependicular to a plane, so it's the same as to define this plane. As we learned in high school, a plane can be defined with three points, that's a reason a three-star-align gives a good whole sky alignment.

Therefore a good three-star-align will give you a good mapping of whole sky, while two-star-align gives good mapping od DSO only between these two stars (in RA, that's the plane) and DSO closely outside these two stars, and a one-star alignment will only good align precision close to that star.