Odd polariscope confusion.

[StormAurora]

Got my mount today and I can't work it out ?

It has a different reticle from what I expected. I don't know how it works. Should the 0 be at the top? It doesn't have the tiny Polaris circle, which is what I was expecting. I have found it so frustrating tonight, I'm thinking about taking the darn thing back tomorrow.

If it isn't exactly aligned, will the synscan goto still track accurately? 

I never even got to the synscan setup. Very fed up and £600 quid poorer ?

Mount is Skywatcher eq3 pro.

Thanks.

[ronin]

Really need an idea of what it is that you have or see in the polar scope.

At a guess you have a big circlar band, bit like a ring doughnut?

Well that is what I am going to assume. You set the mount up and then run a program or app or something on the handset that tells you where Polaris should sit in terms of 1 O'clock, 4 O'clock, 8 O'clock etc on the circle. The software will have to compensate for the assorted inversions of the polar scope.

I presume that the idea is to get Polaris in the centre, then adjust the mount slowly until Polaris sits at the indicated position.

They altered the reticule about 2 years ago and removed The Plough and Cassiopeia from it, allows the new one to do Nothern and Southern hemisphere - do wonder if you can get the "old" one as a replacement. Just thinking that if it is say £5 to £10 it might be a worthwhile purchase.

If you are doing visual and visual only then I think you should be able to just put Polaris in the centre and then do the goto alignment. I would half expect the software to be able to handle a 1 degree error and compensate for it.

[mikeyj1]

Hi Storm

sounds like you have the new circular reticle, take a look at this link i just asked some questions about it and posted a picture:  

So yes it does need to be vertical 0 and 6 like a clock.  also take a look at the app and this site as it tells alot about setting it up http://astro.ecuadors.net/polar-scope-align/#What8217s_New

its more accurate than the old one and should be easier to use with Synscan, 

HTH

Mike

 

[Owmuchonomy]

18 hours ago, StormAurora said:

Got my mount today and I can't work it out ?

It has a different reticle from what I expected. I don't know how it works. Should the 0 be at the top? It doesn't have the tiny Polaris circle, which is what I was expecting. I have found it so frustrating tonight, I'm thinking about taking the darn thing back tomorrow.

If it isn't exactly aligned, will the synscan goto still track accurately? 

I never even got to the synscan setup. Very fed up and £600 quid poorer ?

Mount is Skywatcher eq3 pro.

Thanks.

Hi there.  No need to panic this is easy to sort out.  Firstly, GoTo and mount alignment/tracking are separate entities.  Setting up GoTo 'teaches' your set up where things are in your sky.  So accurate polar alignment is not crucial for an evenings viewing and accurate finding of objects by the GoTo function.  What accurate polar alignment will do is make sure your  view (or a camera's view) doesn't 'drift' substantially during the evening hours.  If you have Synscan then its even easier.  Synscan has a function that will do a pretty accurate polar alignment for you without going near the Polar Scope.  That's what I use.  Make a rough polar alignment by setting the mount axis pointing roughly at Polaris.  Then use the Synscan handset Polar alignment routine to do the PA for you, its all in the manual.  When you do that make sure you do a 2 star alignment (not 3) using 2 stars on the same side of the meridian.  It takes about 10 minutes in all.

[StormAurora]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for your responses.

Great help and has made me feel much better about it today. I spoke to the guy at Tringastro and he was really helpful also, so I think I will be able to cope with it all on the next clear night....

Played with the synscan and mount tonight in the living room and found it very easy, so all's good now.

Thanks for the advice and links. I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers.