leveling a German Equatorial Mount

[Waldemar]

I often read that leveling your mount is nonsense or a ‘myth’…

Although it is not absolutely necessary to level a GEM to achieve good polar alignment, leveling is a very easy and handy way to make the first step into polar alignment, for the simple reason there is a relation between level and latitude. Latitude is always measured as a deviation from level, so why not start with level in the first place? When leveled you can use the marks on the mounts latitude adjustment scale to get a rough alignment together with azimuth adjustment. Yes, without leveling you can get polar alignment as well, but it is a lot harder, because there is nothing to start with…

Especially when you cannot see Polaris at your favorite site, it is a good idea, to go to a site where you can see Polaris and prepare your mount for ‘blind’ pa, by leveling it as precise as you can, do a polar alignment as good as you can and leave the settings as they are for your next session at the ‘blind’ place. On that place point your mount roughly North with the tripod or azimuth adjuster and level again as precise as you can . Then slew to a star that you can see (preferably South)  about the same latitude as Polaris. You will need to adjust azimuth to get it centered, and maybe a little tweak with latitude (because of ‘flaws’ in your bubble level), but it should be very close if you did a precise leveling... Simple one star polar alignment on a place where you cannot see Polaris!

For imaging this alignment procedure together with  the use of PHD will be (reasonably) ok as well.

[jambouk]

I think it's important that new people know having the tripod level of an equatorial mount is not necessary.

If people want to spend 5 minutes levelling the tripod that is up to them, but it is not necessary.

James

[Waldemar]

I think I was very clear about that, but I still think it is a lot easier if you do. What is 5 minutes for leveling? Without leveling it takes a lot longer...

Merely impossible on places where you cannot see Polaris.
 

[iapa]

I put markers in the garden where I set up.

Took the tripods out and levelled them during daylight hours. When I tear down I do not collapse the legs so, a once only job.

If I go somewhere else, it's maybe 5 mins to get levelling 3' spirit level - that I have "calibrated" to minimise deviation.

I only do this for the sake of 'getting everything as right as I can'

Once I've the observatory sorted......

[mikey2000]

I don't sweat too much over perfect levelling.  My EQ3 mount has a built in bubble level which seems reasonably accurate and takes about 60s to get the mount close enough level (according to the bubble).    When it's level, the mount adjustments with the Alt and  Az bolt sbecome independent.  If it's not level, adjusting Alt will also make a small change in AZ too.    I imagine for a really un-level mount, this could make polar alignment rather tedious.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Are we talking about levelling the tripod legs on a flat surface, or aligning the scope to true north?. Setting up on a flat surface is pretty essential for many reasons. Having the scope pointed to true north (or even at Polaris), is not so important unless you are imaging.

[Cornelius Varley]

You should read this thread

I usually do level the mount, but even then finding Polaris can sometimes be difficult. And levelling the mount doesn't affect the tracking accuracy of an eq mount so there is no benefit in doing it.