Polemaster and PA question

[Len281249]

Another newbie question I'm afraid, looking for some answers please.

My Polemaster is securely mounted on my SW EQM35 Pro mount with the correct adapter.

 

My mount is always in the same position on a concrete base so no movement. I polar align with the polarscope and then with Polemaster very easily using the SAM app Polar Clock Utility and start imaging and then switch everything off. 

 

When I switch on the following night and check my polar alignment using the Polar Clock Utility app SAM console Polar Utility, the position of the position "dot" on the SAM app clockface is always quite a way away from Polaris position I see on my "clockface" reticule in my polarscope and of course I have to PA again with Polemaster before imaging

 

Can someone give me any clues please to explain why this should happen???

 

I have to re Polar Align with PM every night because of this

 

Thankyou

 

 

[jambouk]

I’m unsure exactly what you are describing, but if you are having to polar align each night on a static set up, either your set up isn’t static, or you are not polar aligning.

I would stick with just one means of polar aligning; I’d got for pole master.

If you successfully complete the polemaster routine, you are polar aligned. As long as you lock down the azimuth and altitude knobs down tight after polar aligning, and as long as the tripod or pier isn’t moved, and as long as no one adjusts the azimuth and altitude knobs on the mount, and as long as you are leaving the telescope on the mount from one night to the next, it will be polar aligned the next night. 

[Shimrod]

10 hours ago, Len281249 said:

Another newbie question I'm afraid, looking for some answers please.

My Polemaster is securely mounted on my SW EQM35 Pro mount with the correct adapter.

 

My mount is always in the same position on a concrete base so no movement. I polar align with the polarscope and then with Polemaster very easily using the SAM app Polar Clock Utility and start imaging and then switch everything off. 

 

 

 

 

When you say 'switch off', do you mean remove power from the mount completely? I have to set up each night, but my understanding of your situation is you would normally leave the mount parked with power (or return to home then park) so you can resume the following night. If you switch off, the mount has no idea if it has been moved or not, which is why you would need to redo your polar alignment. Some of this will be dependent on the exact features of your mount.

 

edit: Might  be worth checking you are following the process for parking on p37 on the Synscan manual here: Synscan V4

Edited October 10, 2020 by Shimrod

[Len281249]

Hi both, many thanks for replying to my question/concern.

When I say switch off after a session I mean: Park the mount to to its normal park position which I have marked on my mount to cross reference by me for my sanity.

Shutdown all programs, by individually disconnecting from Camera/Scope/Focuser etc in APT, Disconnect All in PHD2 and then ASCOM Disconnect in Toolbox, (Using EQDir cable, don't use the handset

Then I power down everything by switching off my 12Volt power tank.

I cover the complete mount setup with scope and everything and thats it for the night

I'm not quite sure that if the mount is in the exact same condition/position/no interference or movements whatsoever, why when I check via polarscope and Polemaster the next night/session, the "dot" position in the clockface reticule of the SAM app which is the same clockface reticule as my polarscope aren't in closely the same position on both clockfaces, and Polemaster also confirms this and hence the need to re PA with Polemaster

If this is normal that's fine and I will repeat PA every session

Just cannot understand why it can change if everything else is static

Thanks so much...like everything in AP, probably over-thinking it!......AGAIN!!!!!!

[Shimrod]

1 hour ago, Len281249 said:

Hi both, many thanks for replying to my question/concern.

When I say switch off after a session I mean: Park the mount to to its normal park position which I have marked on my mount to cross reference by me for my sanity.

Shutdown all programs, by individually disconnecting from Camera/Scope/Focuser etc in APT, Disconnect All in PHD2 and then ASCOM Disconnect in Toolbox, (Using EQDir cable, don't use the handset

Then I power down everything by switching off my 12Volt power tank.

I cover the complete mount setup with scope and everything and thats it for the night

I'm not quite sure that if the mount is in the exact same condition/position/no interference or movements whatsoever, why when I check via polarscope and Polemaster the next night/session, the "dot" position in the clockface reticule of the SAM app which is the same clockface reticule as my polarscope aren't in closely the same position on both clockfaces, and Polemaster also confirms this and hence the need to re PA with Polemaster

If this is normal that's fine and I will repeat PA every session

Just cannot understand why it can change if everything else is static

Thanks so much...like everything in AP, probably over-thinking it!......AGAIN!!!!!!

Here is an extract from the synscan manual for parking the scope. Are you doing  "Park to" before you switch off, and do you get the 'Start from Park' option when you turn back on? If you're not using the handset, could it be that the park commands are not being sent correctly to the mount?

 

[Len281249]

Hi, yes that was my procedure exactly when I used the handset but now I go direct so no handset.

When I finish I always Park the mount to my normal Park position using EQMOD Toolbox or direct from APT and Unpark directly from Tool ox or APT

I check that the mount is always Parked both visually on the laptop screen, checking alt/az numbers and physically looking that it has parked exactly on my mount marked lines for my Park/Home position so I do not see how this is any difference to when I used the Handset and used the routine you suggested and which I always did.

Had a quick check around today between the rain and all looks good including the Polemaster mounting adapter as I thought it might be either loose or not sitting flush on the mount but all look good. I also checked the polarscope was centralised at any RA

 

Really have no idea why this is happening,

 

Thankyou so much for your inputs

 

Len

[jambouk]

I’m still unsure what you are describing. If you polar align with polemaster then don’t bother checking with any other means. Once polar aligned, unless the tripod/pier or azimuth or altitude knobs are adjusted, the mount will remain polar aligned. If you subsequently check with another method says the polar scope, the polar alignment may look off, because the polar scope itself is likely off. Just stick with pole master and ignore everything else. I don’t think you have a problem to solve.

[michael8554]

If you have not moved the mount or tripod, then incorrect Park/Unpark will only impact the accuracy of GoTos.

PA is entirely down to the mechanical Az and Alt settings of the mount.

Michael

 

[Shimrod]

17 hours ago, Len281249 said:

Hi, yes that was my procedure exactly when I used the handset but now I go direct so no handset.

When I finish I always Park the mount to my normal Park position using EQMOD Toolbox or direct from APT and Unpark directly from Tool ox or APT

I check that the mount is always Parked both visually on the laptop screen, checking alt/az numbers and physically looking that it has parked exactly on my mount marked lines for my Park/Home position so I do not see how this is any difference to when I used the Handset and used the routine you suggested and which I always did.

Had a quick check around today between the rain and all looks good including the Polemaster mounting adapter as I thought it might be either loose or not sitting flush on the mount but all look good. I also checked the polarscope was centralised at any RA

 

Really have no idea why this is happening,

 

Thankyou so much for your inputs

 

Len

Like @jambouk I am confused. When you check your polar alignment with the Polemaster, does it indicate it has moved, and if so by how much? If you are relying on the SAM App to tell you PA is incorrect, then you might jsut want to stop using it. I've had a brief look at the reviews on Google Play and they are mixed, tending towards negative.

People seem to have issues with GPS, location not being read correctly depending on device, and that could be the source of your mismatch. If your mount is not being moved or adjustment between sessions then I don't understand how the PA can change between sessions (Apologies for not understanding your original description of the issue).

Are you seeing a shift in altitude and azimuth, or one axis only? I don't expect it to be happening, but could you put markers on the mount to see if either adjustment knobs are changed between sessions?

[StevieDvd]

Check the basics:

• Is mount securely bolted to the pier?
• Are the PA bolts tight after PA set/corrected?

If the mechanicals are correct then PA should not change as dratically as yours in a fixed mount setup.

User Polemaster to avoid any confusion with date/time/location.

Once PA set do a goto and if off adjust that using the clutches, then do a park and mark that on the mount with tape. Then further goto should be accurate.

After that as you are using via computer rather than handset include platesolve sotware to do the goto and adjust them.  With guiding and platesolve the PA can be a little off and you should not need to PA each time.

 

 

 

[Len281249]

Thanks to all, now sorted very simply and no fault of mount or movements etc.

I took the advice and just used Polemaster and no apps. Set it up perfectly with PM, checked through session all good, switched off left over night rechecked with PM, absolutely bang0on and has remained that way since.

Classic case of "too many cooks....or apps"

 

Thanks all