SynScan 2 or 3 Star Alignment

[Mikey0368]

I've recently got myself an HEQ5 Pro and I'm still finding my way around it. I've tried to do a 3 start alignment this evening and the most obvious targets from where I've set it up in the garden are Altair, Vega and Deneb. SynScan is only giving me the option of one of those stars (Vega), but not the others.

Is there any way that I can force it to slew to the others and remember that I'd like to use them again in future?

Those 3 can be seen nice and early and it would be good to be aligned before it's properly dark.

Thanks.

[Anne S]

If I remember from my days of aligning my EQ6, you need 2 stars on one side of the meridian and at least one on the other. I suspect all three stars are on the same side and not well placed for alignment.

[Mikey0368]

Thanks. That did cross my mind!

[Mikey0368]

I've just done a 2 star alignment using Vega and Dubhe and it worked fine.

[wookie1965]

If your planning on staying in one part of the Sky, I do when I am double hunting a one star is accurate enough.

when doing a two alignment pick two stars about half way up there is a list somewhere of alignment stars.

About half way down there is a doc file 5 pages of the alignment stars.

[cletrac1922]

The star list is not in alphabetical order

Scroll down, and will find star you looking for

I also use 2 star alignment with my EQ5 mount

As I am out a lot doing presentation is schools and scout/guide groups, have to set GPS location each time

Also remember, different time of the year, going to have different stars to align with

Currently I am using Antares and  Alpha beta, Southern Cross

As come more into our summer months, use Sirius and Canopus

John

[rockinrome]

I always do 3 star align (because why not?) and pick stars that are near the zenith (over head), furthest east and furthest west the best I can.
I got this advice from somewhere (may be here!?) and has worked every time to get superb tracking - I can easily do 4 mins. with no auto guiding (with a good polar align of course).
The theory is (I think) that as you align the stars the mount is making note of what corrections it needs to make to get the next target spot on. On each star you will see them getting to the centre more accurately.
If you only stick to a "local" arrangement of stars the mount will have poor tracking over the whole sky as it will not know how much it is out by ...... (hope that makes sense )

MJ
 

[rockinrome]

On 27/09/2018 at 15:53, rockinrome said:

I always do 3 star align (because why not?) and pick stars that are near the zenith (over head), furthest east and furthest west the best I can.
I got this advice from somewhere (may be here!?) and has worked every time to get superb tracking - I can easily do 4 mins. with no auto guiding (with a good polar align of course).
The theory is (I think) that as you align the stars the mount is making note of what corrections it needs to make to get the next target spot on. On each star you will see them getting to the centre more accurately.
If you only stick to a "local" arrangement of stars the mount will have poor tracking over the whole sky as it will not know how much it is out by ...... (hope that makes sense )

MJ
 

Ohhh and I also forgot to mention the dreaded cone error, which I believe 3 star align eliminates (?)

 

[dph1nm]

On 27/09/2018 at 15:53, rockinrome said:

I got this advice from somewhere (may be here!?) and has worked every time to get superb tracking

On an EQ mount the star alignment does not affect the tracking, only the polar alignment does that.

NigelM

[rockinrome]

Yeh thnaks, I get that ..... I also said .......

" (with a good polar align of course)."