DIY Polemaster Equivalent?

[RyanParle]

Does anyone know if anyone has had a go at a DIY Polar alignment camera similar to the setup used for the Polemaster?

It looks like a simple thing to do from a hardware perspective, not much more than a camera with a lens and then some kind of bracket to install it on the mount. I wouldn't know where to start on the software side of things but it doesn't seem a particularly difficult thing to achieve?

[Skipper Billy]

You can use your existing guide camera and use the polar routine in Sharpcap - probably the easiest and cheapest solution??

https://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap/features/polar-alignment

[redtail]

https://wix443.wixsite.com/polemaster-emulator

 

[RyanParle]

On 13/05/2020 at 14:19, Skipper Billy said:

You can use your existing guide camera and use the polar routine in Sharpcap - probably the easiest and cheapest solution??

https://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap/features/polar-alignment

That looks like it has potential, however it would require that I set up another camera and optics as neither the FOV from my Guider or Imager are anywhere near the requirements. but thats not out of the question.

 

On 14/05/2020 at 07:27, redtail said:

https://wix443.wixsite.com/polemaster-emulator

 

that would be great if there was a wider choice of compatible cameras, I've also heard of people flashing certain QHY5 ii models with the Polemaster firmware to avoid hacking the software.

[saac]

As much as I am a massive fan of Polemaster I had problems with it the other week - software I think.  The camera didn't seem to upload quickly enough so the image in the viewing window on the screen lagged any movement of the camera.  I ended up switching to Sharpcap to do the polar alignment still using the Polemaster supplied camera - so it wasn't a hardware issue as teh camera itself worked fine. I have a feeling that I may just need to update to the latest driver , I hope so as I really liked how Polemaster worked 

Jim 

[StuartJPP]

On 17/05/2020 at 14:14, RyanParle said:

I've also heard of people flashing certain QHY5 ii models with the Polemaster firmware to avoid hacking the software.

I'd much rather hack the software than hack the hardware 😉

I use the above as my QHY5L-II-M guide camera doubles as my PoleMaster camera by swapping the lens of the camera from 25mm for polar alignment to 130mm for guiding. Works very well for my setup.

[Kevin Francis]

Here is a DIY source

https://kevinrfrancis.com/2020/05/polar-alignment-camera-install-polar-scope/

[Horwig]

here's an old thread on the subject, there's pictures of the PA kit on my AZ EQ 6 in it.  It's Sharpcap based like so many others.

What can I say, except it works 100%

If you need any more info PM me

Huw

Edited June 18, 2020 by Horwig
link missing

[malc-c]

On 17/05/2020 at 14:14, RyanParle said:

That looks like it has potential, however it would require that I set up another camera and optics as neither the FOV from my Guider or Imager are anywhere near the requirements. but thats not out of the question.

 

But you need to do this for polemaster or your suggested option in the first post.  What guidescope / camera combo do you have.  I used a QHY5 with a stock SW 9 x 50 finder to PA my HEQ5 using sharpcaps PA tool.  Worked fine.

[StuartJPP]

The simplest method I'd say is to use SharpCap with your guide scope and camera.

The PoleMaster equivalent is handy for people who already own the QHY5-L-II cameras and just have to purchase a cheap 25mm lens. I used this method long before SharpCap did polar alignment and iPolar was available.