EQ6 altitude scale, how accurate

[milan]

Having just purchased our first GEM i set the altitiude scale to 51 degrees as per the info on google and setup for the night. Having taken everything in, i noticed the day after that to get Polaris in the right place i had adjusted the alt to 54 degrees (it was dark outside!) is this a problem? Normally how accurate are the scales?

having set up (at 54 deg) and followed a 3 star align everything was fine and viewing was great.

[JohnC]

I had the same thing.

Set to 53 degrees but once polar adjusted the dial read 51.

Useful as a rough guide only.

Use the polarscope and you will be ok.

[themos]

If you make sure the mount is level (does your have a bubble?), you shouldn't need to adjust it by much each night.

[milan]

Yes it does have a bubble. It was only that i set it at 51 degrees and expected to see polaris but it was not in field of vision of the polarscope.

Thanks for the clarification.

[TheThing]

Don't worry, they are not highly accurate on any mount, more of a guide!

My EQ3-2 reads closer to 58 and the Tal about 52, but side by side they are at the same angle!

[athlon]

the scale on them is woefully inaccurate. i use a digital inclinometer, gets it bang on.

[Lerxst]

My EQ3-2 is accurate, set it to 59 degrees and polaris was smack in the middle..

[SteveP]

Milan

Regard the dial as indicative only! Mine is aligned at 53degrees and the scale shows 55.

The important thing is to get a good polar alignment irrespective of what the scale says. I use drift alignment for that purpose but some use the polar scope whilst others use the various software aids. Use whatever you're comfortable with and then use it consistently. That way you'll do it quicker and better over time

Steve