QHY PoleMaster

[Shelster1973]

1 minute ago, sloz1664 said:

I'll be using mine on a pier.

 

Steve

Interesting to know.....have been contemplating gettgin one but was wary of how much use would it actually get if used with a pier....which in theory should keep your dialled in PA for a long time before needing checking and adjusting.

[Singlin]

This is not a picture of my setup as my scope is in my observatory and it is +2 degrees outside and I don't want to roll my shed off the scope.

The picture is a copy of one on the mesu yahoo group. It shows where the polemaster is attached to the Mesu.

 

[gnomus]

OK that is interesting.  I thought that the Polemaster had to be on axis withe centre of the mount.  Clearly it doesn't at least on the Mesu.  Would you recommend I get one Singlin?

[gnomus]

Incidentally, can it go on the other side?   I use that hook from time to time.

[Singlin]

The polemaster can connect anywhere so long as it moves with the Ra axis. It does not have to be centered as the software only needs it to be moving with the RA axis and not centered.

One criteria that it does require in order to calculate the axis rotation in the correct direction is that the usb plug is on the left when looking at the mount from North to South.

Therefore it does have to be on the same side as the locking clip.This does not pose a problem, With the aid of a flat head screw driver you can still access the locking pin and lock and unlock the RA axis.

I have a fixed Observatory wiith the disadvantage of living in an area where I get big fluctuations in ground temperature from night to day especially in the Spring and Autum.

I have noticed that my polar alignment has to be checked quite regularly.

The Polemaster is going to save me a huge amount of time.

I am thrilled with it.

[gnomus]

Thanks Singlin.  

[Singlin]

If you do decide to purchase it read my above post on final tweaking when locking the mounts center plate bolt.

 

[Singlin]

I also found an easy way to calculate visualy the 30° required to move the star with the hand controls as asked in the software.

Every hour on the clock face is 30° so if the star is at 2 oclock move it to 3 oclock plus a bit to be sure.

[gnomus]

Will do.  One question - my roof rolls off to the north and there are some houses in that direction.  There may also be a tree or two.  I get a clear view of Polaris.  How much space around polaris do I need for the Polemaster to function properly?

[PeterCPC]

There is a screen capture on page 2 of this topic.

Peter

[mhard26339]

18 hours ago, Shelster1973 said:

Interesting to know.....have been contemplating gettgin one but was wary of how much use would it actually get if used with a pier....which in theory should keep your dialled in PA for a long time before needing checking and adjusting.

I have just got mine and it is fitted to an EQ6 on a pier which I normally operate remotely, first light was easy and so quick that the intention is to do a quick check regularly. OK I know that I will not be able to make adjustments but I like to know what is going on with my rig.

Regards

 

Mike

[mhard26339]

12 hours ago, Singlin said:

The polemaster can connect anywhere so long as it moves with the Ra axis. It does not have to be centered as the software only needs it to be moving with the RA axis and not centered.

One criteria that it does require in order to calculate the axis rotation in the correct direction is that the usb plug is on the left when looking at the mount from North to South.

Therefore it does have to be on the same side as the locking clip.This does not pose a problem, With the aid of a flat head screw driver you can still access the locking pin and lock and unlock the RA axis.

I have a fixed Observatory wiith the disadvantage of living in an area where I get big fluctuations in ground temperature from night to day especially in the Spring and Autum.

I have noticed that my polar alignment has to be checked quite regularly.

The Polemaster is going to save me a huge amount of time.

I am thrilled with it.

Hi Singlin

I don't know if I am missing something but why does the cable plug have to be on the LHS. Whichever side it is on the rotation will be the same. Mine is on the RHS as it is easier for the elctics pack connection and it all seems to work (very well) as advertised! Just a point, has anyone else "changed" the configuration?

Love the shot with the MESU, my next mount!

Regards

Mike

[Singlin]

In the instructions it states that it has to be on the left hand side.

 

[Pompey Monkey]

3 hours ago, mhard26339 said:

Hi Singlin

I don't know if I am missing something but why does the cable plug have to be on the LHS. Whichever side it is on the rotation will be the same. Mine is on the RHS as it is easier for the elctics pack connection and it all seems to work (very well) as advertised! Just a point, has anyone else "changed" the configuration?

Love the shot with the MESU, my next mount!

Regards

Mike

Correct: the rotation will be in the same sense.

The camera needs to be orientated with the connector to be on the left hand side if you want to use the correction for atmospheric refraction - The software does not know which way is "up", so to speak

This correction, if used in the wrong direction, could put Polaris up to approximately 2' out of position at Southern UK latitudes.

[Singlin]

Yeaterday at this time of day it was plus 3 degrees .This evening plus 15.

Here is my Mesu with the Polemaster attached.

 

[jambouk]

Is there an algorithm built into the software which compensates for the fact the Polemaster's RA axis isn't perfectly aligned with the mounts RA axis?

James

 

[Pompey Monkey]

59 minutes ago, jambouk said:

Is there an algorithm built into the software which compensates for the fact the Polemaster's RA axis isn't perfectly aligned with the mounts RA axis?

James

 

James,

It's not "compensation" as such. The software works out the axis of rotation of the mount when you take three images, rotating the RA axis a minimum of 30 degrees between each one. As long as the camera is aligned well enough to get the imaged stars in the screen overlay it will work.

The most tricky part is turning the Alt. and Az. adjustment bolts the very small amount needed to get the final level of accuracy!

It really is a clever, and time saving, little gadget

[StuartJPP]

37 minutes ago, jambouk said:

Is there an algorithm built into the software which compensates for the fact the Polemaster's RA axis isn't perfectly aligned with the mounts RA axis?

James

You have to be close (eyeballing it is enough) to being aligned with RA to begin with otherwise when rotating in RA you will find Polaris is no longer in the FOV. My PM is mounted on the imaging scope dovetail and I just home my mount, i.e. CWD, DEC in home position, 9/10 Polaris will be within the FOV through a full rotation in RA.

So all the software does is find the centre of rotation, if the PoleMaster is offset, it is still possible to find the centre of rotation.

[jambouk]

Thanks both. I appreciate that the mount needs to be roughly polar aligned in that Polaris needs to be near the centre of the FoV of the camera, but it seems to have quite a wide FoV anyway which is good.

I tried to make a drawing to show what I was asking, with the axis of the mount and the cameras sensor pointing in slightly different directions, but now I see that even in this scenario they share a common central point of rotation... Very clever!

I might agree that that overtime shift next week now

James

 

[Singlin]

I have just done a complete strip down and clean and re-grease of my EQ6.

I therefore had to do another Polar Align with the Polemaster.

As my EQ 6 is on it's own pier away from the observatory and (but connected to my pc in the observatory)I can't see the pc monitor when adjusting the AZ and ALT bolts.

I decided to use Team Viewer via my phone and zoomed in on the alignment circles to adjust.

Team viewer with a tablet or phone works great for this purpose.

[shamantanthew]

On 5/21/2016 at 11:39, StuartJPP said:

You have to be close (eyeballing it is enough) to being aligned with RA to begin with otherwise when rotating in RA you will find Polaris is no longer in the FOV. My PM is mounted on the imaging scope dovetail and I just home my mount, i.e. CWD, DEC in home position, 9/10 Polaris will be within the FOV through a full rotation in RA.

So all the software does is find the centre of rotation, if the PoleMaster is offset, it is still possible to find the centre of rotation.

@StuartJPP, you use the QHY miniguidescope, correct? Have you run into any driver problems with using the QHY-5LII and the Polemaster at the same time (e.g., disconnects within PHD?). That is, assuming your use both at the same time. Someone on the Astrotrac yahoo group mentioned this was a problem for them but I couldn't find more reports of this on Google.

[PeterCPC]

Version 132 is now on the QHYCCD website http://www.qhyccd.com/PoleMaster.html

Peter

[Droogie 2001]

Its a Beta so I may hold out for a bit, been burnt before with jumping straight in new software.

Is there any word on what the changes are?

[PeterCPC]

From the QHY site

PoleMaster Software 

 

Fixed：the issue that can not connect as '2016/11/23 is not valid date' in some PC.

Updated: star database update for the next 9 years;

Updated: translation of French

 

Peter

[StuartJPP]

On 26/05/2016 at 22:09, shamantanthew said:

@StuartJPP, you use the QHY miniguidescope, correct? Have you run into any driver problems with using the QHY-5LII and the Polemaster at the same time (e.g., disconnects within PHD?). That is, assuming your use both at the same time. Someone on the Astrotrac yahoo group mentioned this was a problem for them but I couldn't find more reports of this on Google.

Sorry I hadn't seen this post...I don't run PoleMaster and PHD2 at the same time, once I have polar aligned my mount that is it, the camera is then used as my guide scope