new starter needs help please

[rdempster]

i just brought a neq3 mount with skywatcher 127 scope, I have set the mount to 52" and the leg with N on is facing north, the mount never came with a polar scope so i brought one and when you look through the scope it looks like this  I have attached to my telescope but how do I align this with polaris thanks 

[ChrisLX200]

That's a Southern Hemisphere reticle - works well in Australia...

ChrisH

[Davey-T]

Ignore the stars, set it with 6.0 O-clock at the bottom and put Polaris in the appropriate spot by using a PA app or looking it up in Stellarium and putting it diametrically opposite in the Polar scope.

Dave

[barkis]

You may get some guidance from this thread.

  http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/252470-polar-alignment-what-am-i-doing-wrong/?hl=%2Bpolar+%2Bscope+%2Balignment

If you have a permanent mount on a pier, then OK.

If you are working from a tripod, and having to set up each time you wish to observe, then 

It's no big deal,  just do  do a rough polar Alignment  for viewing.

If you are going for serious deep sky imaging, then  good Polar alignment becomes more important.

  Also, you could look on the forum for 'Astro Baby's' Tutorials, and you will find one on Polar Scope aligning.

[Alien 13]

Use it with the "polar finder" app which has the new SW polarscope as a default.

Alan

[dweller25]

For visual just line the "N" mark to due North and it will be good enough.

[rdempster]

Thanks I brought this from wexphotography who are based in Norwich so would of thought they would of sent the proper scope out . Ok so basically turn scope so 6oclock is at bottom of finder and put Polaris in the centre of cross do I do this every time I go out observing. Sorry if sound as tho going on a it just new to this

[ronin]

I think they have sent the "right" one out.

Sometime back Skywatcher changed the reticule and removed the plough bit that we use in the Northern hemisphere.

What it seems you are supposed to do is determine where - in clock terms - polaris is and put polaris at that "clock" position on the graduated circle.

Does mean you need their software or similar in order to get good polar alignment, which I suspect is a bit of a backwards step.

You could ask if anyone has an old style polar scope with the plough engraved on it, I suspect a retailer or two will have one lying around in a store room somewhere.

Since the Sourthern hemisphere does not have a "polaris" they have to use Octans to get their alignment.

[Davey-T]

You don't need the Plough / Cas' pictures, just put Polaris in the right position on the clock with 6 at the bottom, plenty of app's to tell you where it should be.

The good thing about the clock face is you can have a squint up it every so often to see if it's tracking round the circle ( may need to rotate dec' to see through the hole)

Dave

[rdempster]

Thanks everyone for your advice really helped