Polar alignment reticule or eyepiece

[krobbo]

Hi everyone not been on for a while! 

I'm looking for a polar alignment reticule or eyepiece that I can use on my 8" SCT?

Looking at images of the polar scopes on the Web they are engraved with constellations and a bubble to locate polaris for alignment. Anything like this over the counter for any scope? Done all the searching on the Web but can only find bespoke polar scopes for dedicated mounts? 

Cheers again! 

[emyliano2000]

Hi.

The reticle that you have seen is inside a polarscope that goes inside a equatorial mount like eq5, eq6 and many other. 

What mount are using?

[SonnyE]

I may be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time...

But Polar alignment scopes (got one) are for the mount. It give a rough guess when setting up the primary mount.

I very, very rarely use mine at all.

I rely on making my tripod as flat plumb level as I can with a digital level. Then use my guide scope as a way to get Polaris in the ball park. The markings on my mount are in a word, crude.

But when I was doing visual alignments I really like my illuminated eyepiece for the main telescope. I found it very valuable for centering. I had a cheap version at first, but the one linked has a much better brightness control.

I've caught a lot of grief for my views on Polar Alignment. Even got booted on one forum by a PO'd moderator. But my results can't be denied. I image, and it has taken a while to get my guiding to the point friends ask me for advice.

Polar Alignment is a beginning point. It is a rough, mechanical, set up of the mount to give it reference to a common point, Polaris.

My experiences have been that giving the mount a stable, level surface to work from gives it a plumb reference for the accuracies built into it. I was doing as well before getting a Polar Scope, as after.

It's a convenience, but not an end all, be all, necessity.

YMMV