How to polar align the avx mount quickly?

[SonnyE]

For me and my AVX mount, Polar alignment quickly came when I decided to keep my mount set up and 'anchored' in a divot in my bricks on the North leg, and in slots on the concrete for the opposing legs. I prefer a single leg North to the way mine came.

I look at it thus, we are trying to look at objects very far away, from a spinning ball of jello. So the better our mounts foundation, the easier to get better results faster. So I worked to get my mounts tripod as solid, and as level, as I humanly could. A good base for the head to mount to. I use a digital level and get it less than 1/10th of one degree of Plumb.

Then mount the Go-To head, and get a basic Polar Alignment. I use to do that by merely peering through the hole that a polar scope mounts into. Getting desperate to remove human error from my processes, I sought out a Polar Alignment Scope for my AVX. I was quite disappointed with the scope itself, but at least I then had the option of using it. I suppose that if you do a lot of field setting up, where you either move the mount to dark sites or travel about with it, then having the Polar scope to check with is a good starting point. But not the end all, be all that we are lead to think it is.

Since I leave my mount set up and then cover it when not in use, I merely mount my telescope and its equipment, plug the harnessed cables in to telescope cameras (guide and main) and the ST-4 cable. Then connect the computer end. At that point I do my alignment (2+4 alignment stars), and when it's complete, I push the Align button and do a Polar Alignment check, Click Undo, scroll up to Polar Alignment in the display, and do a polar alignment which sets the computer then has me adjust the manual Alt/Az and Elevation to center the target star. At that point when the Polar Alignment is checked, I will usually have all Zero's. If I don't, I do a second Polar Alignment and have always gotten all zero's.

 

That is as good as it gets. The base for the mount is level. The mounts head then has a good starting point. If the head was to rotate 360 degrees, it would be level at any degree around the compass. Polar alignment gets the head roughly in the correct Alt/Az and Elevation for the place it is at on the Earth. All basics.

Then when you do your Alignment, the mount is learning and fixing its bearings where it is pointing in its computer (which is the NexStar handset, and why it is the most expensive part of the mount package). I want to get every advantage I humanly can, so I always do a 2+4 alignment stars alignment. It only takes minutes more and gives the mount more accuracy. As the alignment progresses when the mount seeks the next, and the next, stars, it gets closer and closer and the less and less corrections are needed. So, to me, it is worth the extra time.

Then the All Star Polar Alignment fine tunes the adjusted mount to the Celestial Pole. Think of that as fine tuning what you were doing at set up peering through your polar scope. It's fine tuning and training the guiding systems computer to the current location, Longitude and Latitude, time and date so it knows where the 40,000 objects in its data base should be. Seconds of Time error count, thousandths of inches off count, so the more you put into it, the more satisfaction you can get in return.

Yeah, all of that. It's work, but as you become more and more learned at it, the faster it goes. I cut out the setting up, leveling, and rough Polar Alignment by having my mount set and protected from the weather. So I can go right to the Alignment and Fine tuning.

My rewards for being patient for over a year and a half, persevering even when things got wack or had to be returned for repairs, and trying to fine tune my methods are that I am getting the images I dreamed about in January of 2015, when a dreamy eyed old man was peering through his spotting scope trying to find The Great Orion Nebula, and finally did.

Hunting the night skies. Sure, clouds may come and go, dew might drip from your equipment, and condensation might freeze on your mustache, but all you need to do is to look up. The Night Sky is there, quietly calling to your eyes. Get your equipment in order, take your time learning to use it, take more time to fine tune yourself to the equipment, and sooner than you know you will be wrote in getting it set up and working. Right now it is new and confusing. Given time and perseverance, you will be looking up and admiring the nights wonders and able to call them by name.

We crawl before we walk, walk before we run, ran before we drove. Time, patience, and walk away from it when it frustrates you. Then come back and conquer it.

[PeterCPC]

13 hours ago, Nuka said:

This is Spot on Peter!

I was struggling to get anymore than about 30 secs @ 585mm (130PDS) but after reading the manual carefully and doing the ASPA twice, I'm now hitting 60secs ish. Significant improvement

Still not sure how to use the "Display Align" I may be reading it at incorrect times, but the error seems bigger now the mount is more accurately aligned lol? Must be something i'm not doing right.

You only use Display Align right at the end to show the actual PA error.

Peter

[Nuka]

Thanks Peter! Will remember that next time.