Fitting a Polar Alignment scope

[Luke Inup]

Greetings folks:

 

When I bought my refractor the other day, (Skywatcher 90) I bought a polar alignment scope to use with it.

Problem is, I've never used a polar alignment scope before and I can't see where the scope fits onto the mounting.

There are no instructions with the Polar-scope to enlighten me.  I've looked online, but whilst I can find plenty of info, on adjusting it, none of the texts tell me where on the mounting to put the Alignment scope.  (Basic info missing as it seems they assume I should know this. ) I had an idea it could go in the finder mounting, as long as it's  parallel with the Polar Axis, but I am unsure. And having to fit and remove the finder every time I set-up seems a bit of a faff!

I don't want to appear stupid, but I am really struggling here, through lack of info. So could someone help me please?

If I can't solve this, I will have to go back to the old method of taking sightings and then going back 12 hours later to adjust..

Takes ages! Qwwwwcher!

Thanks in anticipation

 

John    

[MARS1960]

A polar finder scope goes into the mount, a finder scope fits on the OTA.

[John]

Which mount is your Skywatcher 90 on John ?

The smaller EQ2 mounts don't have the facility for a pole finder scope as I recall. In the EQ3-2 and EQ5 mounts the polar scope is fitted inside the right ascension axis. I'm assuming that we are talking about a polar finder and not the regular finder that is mounted on the scope tube.

[Luke Inup]

Thanks Mark. I just can't see anywhere on the mounting that a Polar scope would fit. So maybe I should have read the literature properly.

I thought I had the right mounting for the polar-scope, but it seems I don't.  I'm just going to have the job of doing it by eye. Close enough for a hand operated mounting!  Either that or lock my mounting as an altazimuth, and do it all by aim and eye! Lol!

 

It will do me until I graduate to a GOTO set-up!  (Saw a nice 6" GOTO refractor for less than £2,000 as it happens. )

John 

I am on the EQ1 mounting I think, but much smaller than  I thought it would be.

 

Anyhow, thank you gents. I am obliged.

 

John 

[Cornelius Varley]

The Skywatcher 90 is normally supplied with an EQ2 equatorial mount that doesn't have the provision for a polar scope. Is the mount black or white ?

[John]

I've posted pictures below of the EQ1 (top) and EQ2 (bottom) mounts to help you identify yours. The EQ1 and 2 don't have the provision to fit a polar alignment scope.

 

[rowan46]

you  can attach a polar scope using tool clips I put one on an eq 1 once

 

[Luke Inup]

Rowan...

 

I wonder if by tool clips, you mean the  'Terry-Clips', those sprung clips that grip around tool handles and the like. Strange, because I have quite a few in my workshop, and I did wonder if they might do the trick.  I'll have a think about it, and see what I come up with.

 

Thank you.

 

The mounting is n EQ 2 btw.

[John]

As long as the latitude scale on the mount is set to your latitude, pointing the right ascension axis towards Polaris should enable the tracking to be accurate enough for most visual observing. It's the imagers who need much more accurate polar alignment.

 

[Luke Inup]

12 hours ago, John said:

As long as the latitude scale on the mount is set to your latitude, pointing the right ascension axis towards Polaris should enable the tracking to be accurate enough for most visual observing. It's the imagers who need much more accurate polar alignment.

 

Thank you John.

 

I rather thought that might be the case. Which makes my Polar-Alignment scope redundant; because when I decide I can look at imaging, I shall probably be using a GOTO set-up, and for that I would align my scope in the time-honoured way as described in ATM!  Wasted a few quid on the Polar-scope then!

[Luke Inup]

On 01/12/2016 at 15:07, John said:

Which mount is your Skywatcher 90 on John ?

The smaller EQ2 mounts don't have the facility for a pole finder scope as I recall. In the EQ3-2 and EQ5 mounts the polar scope is fitted inside the right ascension axis. I'm assuming that we are talking about a polar finder and not the regular finder that is mounted on the scope tube.

Hi John.

 

My mount appears to be the EQ2, and doesn't have the facility to mount a Polar Scope... (Neither does the EQ1 it seems!)

I'll be doing it all by eye, once the weather clears a little!

 

Thank you.

 

John