Polar alignment help please.

[Starlord19]

Hello. I think I under the basic premise of polar alignment after doing alot of Web research, thanks everyone. However my polar scope reticle doesn't look like any I have seen before. I have managed to find some information but it says to place polaris according to the clock position given by the synscan handset. My problem is that I don't have a synscan handset and my question is how can I get this information without one?

[Davey-T]

Just rotate so that the "clock" is like the picture with 6 at the bottom, then consult one of the many PA apps to see where Polaris should be on the clock face and adjust the alt / az bolts to match.

Dave

If you look on Stellaruim, centre Polaris and zoom in with North at the bottom so it looks like your polar scope circle you can see where Polaris is at the time, you need to put it diametrically opposite in your polar scope as the image is reversed, so if it's at 12 O-clock on Stellarium put it at 6 O-Clock in the polar scope.

[Cornelius Varley]

A useful little programme for your computer 

 

polar204.zip

[Starlord19]

Thanks to all for the help. Problem solved, now for clear nights to check the effectiveness! 

[Dazzyt66]

A great IOS app is Polar Scope (PS) Align ?

[wimvb]

... and an Android app is SynscanInit (1.7)

Use it with GPS on your android device to "initialize" a synscan HC controlled mount. It will give you polaris position.

[Alien 13]

I find the polar finder app the easiest for me it has the SW graticule (and many others) as defaults.

Alan