Level, polar align, Home position

[Calzune]

Hi!

I have just bought a heq5 pro and I have some questions...

1. Level. 

I have watched many astronomy videos and almost all of them uses a small level tool to level out all three legs  on the mount. But on many mounts like the heq5 pro there is a built In bubble leveler.. 

Is it better to use a small level tool than the bubble?

 

2.  Polar align.

I have read and watched many polar align videos but I'm still insecure on how I should do it...

The mount has a RA index scale, and a date circle. What I have understood is that those are for enter date and time to find Polaris, right?

But do I have to use those scales if I use a polar finder app that  tells me were to put Polaris in my polar scope? Like the photo below

After this I should do 3 star alignment for more accurate tracking (I only have dslr to align with) right? 

 

3. Home position.

This is needed right? if so, how does it work and how do I do it?

Edited September 7, 2019 by Calzune
Edit

[Cornelius Varley]

The bubble levels mounted on tripods tend not to be very accurate, but this doesn't actually matter because you don't need to be super accurate with the levelling anyway. .

Polaris finder apps are definitely better than trying to use the scales on the back of the mount.

The home or starting position for a mount is generally counterweight bar pointing straight down and telescope pointing at the north celestial polar (northern hemisphere). The reason for the home position is that the handset requires a known starting pointing prior to initiating the first star alignment.

[Calzune]

4 hours ago, Cornelius Varley said:

The bubble levels mounted on tripods tend not to be very accurate, but this doesn't actually matter because you don't need to be super accurate with the levelling anyway. .

Polaris finder apps are definitely better than trying to use the scales on the back of the mount.

The home or starting position for a mount is generally counterweight bar pointing straight down and telescope pointing at the north celestial polar (northern hemisphere). The reason for the home position is that the handset requires a known starting pointing prior to initiating the first star alignment.

Thanks! 

[Captain Scarlet]

Although what Cornelius Varley says is right, if you’re like me you’re Irritated by supposed “instruments” being completely unfit for their one purpose in life.

All the _bubble_ levels I have, including the one in my very expensive Berlebach Planet tripod, are miles out.

Even most of my small rule levels I’ve had to throw out, being up to 0.8 degrees wrong. These things have but one job to do!

So I’ve resorted to paying a little bit up, £30 ish for a 6-8” one is about right, and getting ones that are accurate and survive being dropped. Stabila is good.

It’s not going to make much difference to my observing, alignment software can easily cope and allow for it, but it makes me feel better...

Cheers, Magnus

Edited September 7, 2019 by Captain Magenta

[Cornelius Varley]

14 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

Although what Cornelius Varley says is right, if you’re like me you’re Irritated by supposed “instruments” being completely unfit for their one purpose in life.

All the _bubble_ levels I have, including the one in my very expensive Berlebach Planet tripod, are miles out.

Even most of my small rule levels I’ve had to throw out, being up to 0.8 degrees wrong. These things have but one job to do!

So I’ve resorted to paying a little bit up, £30 ish for a 6-8” one is about right, and getting ones that are accurate and survive being dropped. Stabila is good.

It’s not going to make much difference to my observing, alignment software can easily cope and allow for it, but it makes me feel better...

Cheers, Magnus

There are some very expensive high end eq mounts that don't even have a bubble level. The reason being that whether the tripod is absolutely level or not makes no difference to the correct operation of the mount.

[Captain Scarlet]

6 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

There are some very expensive high end eq mounts that don't even have a bubble level. The reason being that whether the tripod is absolutely level or not makes no difference to the correct operation of the mount.

Yes quite.

I do however hanker after a Fell Bubble Level mainly because it’s a thing of beauty and engineering excellence.

[Calzune]

New question:

Do I have to adjust the screws on the polar scope to make an object in center of my polar scope before i use it to polar find? In my image below i have paintrd a radiotower, so what im wondering is does the white dot have to be complete still when I rotate the ra axis? Or is this just needed if I use the clock rings on the mount? I hope you understand what i mean.. 

Because yestarday when i finally pilar aligned and had a great focus i tried to photo andromeda galaxy, but after just 20-30 sec i had some star driftig... 

I have no guidescope yet but that shouldt be needed on so short exposers right? 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by Calzune
Delete image

[DaveL59]

not messed with the polar scope on my EQ5 as yet, but my understanding is that you need to collimate it to the mount. As in, during daylight aim at a distant static object and centre it, then adjust the retaining screws such that you maintain centre of the object as you rotate the polar scope (not the R/A - on the EQ5 that'd cause the axle to block the polar scope portal). Once the object remains centred the polar scope is collimated to the mount and ready to use for polar alignment, no further adjustment to its adjuster screws. Make sure you've nipped them up so things don't drift, then recheck alignment and redo as needed. You'd have to redo this process if you later remove and reinstall the polar finder tho.

Edited September 14, 2019 by DaveL59

[adyj1]

2 hours ago, Calzune said:

does the white dot have to be complete still when I rotate the ra axis?

Yes. do what @DaveL59says if it isn't.

Ady

Edited September 14, 2019 by adyj1

[Calzune]

I found a good video :

 

[wookie1965]

I used this when I swapped the grub screws for thumb screws on my polar scope really easy.

https://www.myastroscience.com/polarscopecalibration