help with polar alignment HEQ5 mount

[Eri]

Hey guys,

Hope this is in the right forum

So I've been trying to figure out polar alignment, I have compass aligned the north tripod leg but my biggest problem is actually seeing Polaris through the polar scope, with the mount powered down I can very occasionally see a star through the scope and tonight I think i managed to find Polaris in the scope but the slightest smallest movement and i cant see anything at all, with the mount powered up it displays a lovely red engraving but I can no longer see any star at all.

do any of you have any tips or suggestions on how I can see through the scope properly

[beamer3.6m]

The red can be very bright. I used to do mine by shining a red torch across the hole which made it softer than the powered up illumination.

I am not sure why moving the mount a little causes the star to be lost. I assume you are moving the mount via the latitude and ra adjuster Bolts. You have to move this quite a bit to get the star outside of the polar scope.

Is it hiding under one of the red circles. They cab block the star.

[Tinker1947]

I gave up getting on my hands and knees, if you have the latest firmware 3.37, there is a Polar Alignment option that doesn't use the Polar scope, but a finder scope or in my case a telrad, just do a 2 star alignment and scroll through the option and Polar Alignmnet will show, choose a star from the list thats in a good position for you and run through the instruction that are shown in the handset....

[jambouk]

There is a setting in the handset to turn down the brightness of the polar scope LED; you only need it on the very faintest amount of illumination.

Make sure the star is in focus, so turn the eyepiece end of the polar scope to achieve this, but don't screw it all the way out as it will eventually come off. You could try focusing on something on the horizon very far away to get aproximate focus.

Have you aligned the polar scope with the RA axis of the mount? If not, and if you are aiming for reasonably acurate polar alignment you need to do this unless you are goin gto ise the handset routine to polar align.

James

[Eri]

thanks for the info guys, i'm not moving the mount but the slightest tilt of my head and the scope goes black heh i'll have to look into the 2 star alignment and polar option on the handset (my firmware is v4.something) and also see about turning down the brightness

I've been watching the mount and scope setup videos from

on youtube. The only thing I haven't done yet is align the polar scope wit hthe RA axis as each time I tried looking through the polar scope I couldn't see anything at all but now I know about the dimming option I'll give that another go and just hope that it's going to play ball and be easy to align not a right git for once

[rockystar]

Maybe stating the obvious, but have you had a go in the day time, trying to align it with a distant chimney or lamppost? At least it will give you some confidence of what is visible through the scope and that you can move it around correctly.

First time I tried it at night I had no luck, until someone suggested this to me.

[Eri]

Yeah rocky I have just tried that about 15mins ago, this time I could actually see everything clearly I lined up with a church roof a few hundred yards away and the crosshairs line up virtually 100% when I turn the RA axis so pretty happy with the scope alignment now. I'm hoping for clear skies tonight so I can take my 8 yr old niece out she wants to see the moon so i'm sure that when I get to the site I wont be able to see anything again (thats the way my luck runs heh) but now I know how to adjust the redlight led I've set it to 30% for now.

Now I need to read up on how to tell where to put polaris once I've found it as I know you dont line it up in the centre but along the circle ring depending on stuffs

[rockystar]

Now I need to read up on how to tell where to put polaris once I've found it as I know you dont line it up in the centre but along the circle ring depending on stuffs

http://myastroimages.com/Polar_FinderScope_by_Jason_Dale/

[rockystar]

I find that getting it in the circle is good enough for visual observing. I think you only need to be this accurate when doing long exposure photography.

[Eri]

ahah thanks rocky that bit of software was what I was looking for earlier but couldnt find it yeah in the circle is ok for now but I am starting to take exposures, my main aim once I have got to grips with the setup of the mount and alighnment is to get some photos of M31 and a few nebulae