HEQ-5 with wrong alignment scope?

[Edward Dewolf]

My equipment finally arrived.  I now have a Skywatcher Explorer 150/750 PDS and an HEQ-5 Pro Goto mount

I live in Belgium in the northern hemisphere, but when I look through the finder scope, I only see 'Octans' indicated and no indication of Cassiopeia and Ursus Major, nor do I see the big circle and the little circle to put Polaris in. 

Before I start complaining with the website where I purchased the mount, can anyone confirm I have an alignment scope for the southern hemisphere?  I am not doing anything silly or stupid here?  there is no magic switch to give me the alignment scope with the indications for the northern hemisphere ??

[Cornelius Varley]

The older version of the pole finder had the asterisms of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major, the new version doesn't .  

[Edward Dewolf]

@Cornelius Varley so I am not supposed to see something like this in the northern hemisphere??

 

Thank you for your help!

[Cornelius Varley]

You use the graduated circle to align the mount on Polaris. If you have an android pone you can also use SynscanInit 2 to determine the position of Polaris.

 

[Edward Dewolf]

Thank you !

[Anthonyexmouth]

you only need the inner circles with the new one. if you are using a ccd/cmos (not DSLR) its well worth getting sharpcap to polar align, its £10 well worth spending so you dont have to get on your knees and look through the polar scope. i used mine for the first 3 days of owning my HEQ5 and that was 3 days too many. 

[rockinrome]

This is all true, but you do have the incorrect finder for the Northern Hemisphere. The correct one which shows location of Polaris and NCP is the correct one.
You could make do, but it should be correct to start with!

Hope you get sorted.

[Anthonyexmouth]

17 minutes ago, rockinrome said:

This is all true, but you do have the incorrect finder for the Northern Hemisphere. The correct one which shows location of Polaris and NCP is the correct one.
You could make do, but it should be correct to start with!

Hope you get sorted.

Hes got the new style polar finder. the one he has is the correct one. 

[rockinrome]

20 hours ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Hes got the new style polar finder. the one he has is the correct one. 

Oh balls ......

I stand corrected Anthony ...... should have done my homework. I based my "help" on a mate's 'pod. He has the older style then.....
A recent change??

[Anthonyexmouth]

Not sure how recent. Best thing to do is get a camera attached to the finder and use sharpcap anyway. No fun on your knees using the polar scope

[Stub Mandrel]

The new reticule you have is vastly superior, when I got a second hand HEQ5 it came with one of the old ones and I swapped it over with the new-style one on my EQ3. Not only is is easier to use, but by using the right position on the rings it has vastly greater accuracy. I aligned using mine the other evening and started imaging Saturn, it went behind a roof and when I came back over an hour later Saturn was still virtually in the centre of the display.

My website has a link to Jason Dale's Polarfinder program that helps you align using a old reticle, but also has an image of the new reticle and instructions how to use it in Polarfinder.

http://www.stubmandrel.co.uk/astronomy/123-new-style-reticle-for-polarfinder

 

[Edward Dewolf]

thank you all !

[Owmuchonomy]

If you have a Synscan handset you don't need either.  In my view the handset Polar Alignment routine is much simpler to use and easier on my worn out joints than trying to look through a polar scope!

[rockinrome]

19 hours ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

Not sure how recent. Best thing to do is get a camera attached to the finder and use sharpcap anyway. No fun on your knees using the polar scope

I hear that!.......