Setting up Polarscope

[MaJiC79]

So SkyWatchers manual for the HM5 Polarscope is... thin.. bordering on non-existent.

I managed to glean more from the manual for EQ3-2/EQ5 mount. Anyway, I'm wondering if there's a "good" or "right" way to set it up? I mean - how do I align the reticle to the alignment mark on the date ring?

Knowing that Polaris is above the NCP on the 1st Nov, gives me a good guide position to work to - is the 0 position on the retical the right place to align to? The new reticle pattern doesn't have the little locating circle for Polaris now, it just says "put it on the ring"? Do I need to worry about it?

TIA

[M40]

Hello MaJiC79, the challenge with all polar scopes is that the info is very thin for all of them so more than a couple of online videos later and you may be one step forward in understanding what it all means.

As I understand it, if you didn’t have or couldn’t use the polar scope you would need to use the setting scales. As you have a polar scope you can largely ignore them so just use the setting scales to set the mount home position. 

Thinking of the polar scope itself, don’t worry about the type of reticule pattern you have just try to understand what the pattern requires. The reticule in my polar scope has the numbers 0, 3, 6 and 9 as in a clock face with three rings, nothing like the info that came with the thing.

First step is to make sure the polar scope is aligned with the mount correctly. During daylight, find an object that you can focus on, 50 - 100M away should be fine. Center the object in the polar scope, then rotate the mount in the RA axis by hand through the full 360'. The centered object should remain in the crosshairs through the full rotation. That tells you that the polar scope is aligned with the mount. If it doesn't you will need to adjust it.

Next step is to align with Polaris. Use one of the many phone apps to find the position of Polaris from your location. Lets say it says that polaris on the clock face is 8.45. Ignoring all info on the reticule other than the rings, locate polaris on the rings at clock position 08.45. Initially, you may need to rotate the RA axis 90’ to see through the polar scope, this hopefully will leave the reticule with 0 at the top making 8.45 obvious. The three rings relate to different years for the position of polaris. The center ring (on mine) is 2020 so initially adjust to that. And that’s it, job done. Set the RA back to its home position and you are good to go……. Allegedly 🤔😜

Enjoy

[MaJiC79]

Thanks for that M40, I've yet to check the axis alignment - I'll do that first. 

I'll not worry about the rest of the reticle for now