Syncscan - set date format?

[Mike Read]

Hello,

UK based.

I have just received my EQ6R mount, (no tube yet - just a Canon 70D), first outing - could find a thing, roughly polar aligned (as at first I couldnt see a thing through the polar scope - until I released the balance rod). So, tried a 1 star alignment, miles out - and I mean miles......so gave up and decided to RTFM during daylight.

so , today, setup in the office, polar aligned (roughly - just pointing in the general North direction ) and used a star app to see if the scope was anywhere near the star - nope. Then , I noticed a minor "quirk". The hand controller was asking for mm/dd/yyyy, so I have been entering 04/01/2020 - which was according to the scope 1st April 2020....

Question : How can I change the date format from mm/dd/yyyy to the UK based format.....

Secondly, I was struggling to see through the polar scope (old age and dry rot), are there any addons that will help??

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

[david_taurus83]

Hi and welcome to SGL! The EQ6R is a good mount and once you nail down polar aligning and star alignment it will pretty much get you on target each time.

If you use an android smartphone there is an app called SynscanInit2 which will tell you all the settings you need to enter each time. It will also show you where to place Polaris in the polar scope reticle. You cant change the date format, as far as I know.

[Jiggy 67]

I don’t think you can change the format of the date, Skywatcher are American and they use the American format.

For polar alignment I use an an App called PS Align Pro. This has a daytime/can’t see Polaris routine using your phone. This routine will get Polaris within a few millimeters of where it should be in your polar scope and then, at night, it just requires a minor tweak, it is very easy. Just make sure your polar scope is callobrated, I have the same mount and it came factory calibrated so you should be ok. If it’s not, the same app has instructions on how to calibrate 

[Jiggy 67]

......Oh and if you’re struggling physically with the polar scope, you might consider this 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-right-angled-eyepiece-for-polar-scopes.html