Polar align without polaris

[scarecrow]

Ive just purchased a 200p EQ5 goto scope and im a little worried about polar alignment. My garden does face north but there is a 40ft tree in the way that covers that area of sky. Is there an easy guide around that i can follow to align it. I can see Cassiopria fine from my garden.

[Earl]

Drift alignment... i need to learn how to also

[Helen]

You could use WCS Polar Alignment - WCS - Fast and accurate polaralignment for astronomical mounts, using a CCD / webcam and drift alignment if you have a webcam and a laptop.

Once the mount is set up correctly its an idea to mark on the ground where the tripod legs sit, then you'll be pretty close next time you set up.

Helen

[runoffshed]

How about star drift aligning and marking the ground for future set up? If you are setting up on grass you can roughly polar align and note, within a few inches, the position of the feet with the tripod at the height you wish to use. Then get a small bag of ready mix concrete and make some 4" deep pads sunk slightly into the ground( so that you can mow over them). If you then make a small depression in each you can be sure to replace the tripod feet accurately each time. Then you accurately polar align by fine adjusting the azimuth and altitude of the mount and, assuming these remain unchanged and the tripod is replaced each time at the same height it was for the accurate alignment, you should retain good alignment. I realise this is only really of any use if you observe from the same place in the garden each time but it does produce good results. If you are already setting up on a hard surface you can drill depressions and save on making concrete pads.

Good luck.

[themos]

Is this any good for you? It's a photographic method without Polaris and it's not drift alignment.

Polar Align - No Drift

[brantuk]

If you can get the mount level and pointing magnetic north, then set your latitude, this is usually near enough rough polar alignment for observation purposes only. You'll be able to track in RA with small tweaks in Dec now and again. The more accurate you are the better.

But for photography and/or using a goto, then drift alignment is probably your best shot, or the camera/laptop method. Marking the tripod feet positions is a good idea for repeatability.

[Doc]

Depends on how accurate you need to be but a spirit level and compass will get you pretty close.

[TopHouse]

this may be a silly question but if you do the drift align using the linked WCS software and say a toucam, does the toucam have to have the slow shutter mod in order to be able to see the star or does a bog standard toucam work?

[GazOC]

I've managed it with a standard Toucam, an f6 scope and an Atik 0.5 focal reducer., you have to use bright stars though obviously.

[themos]

AstroSnap, Guidemaster and EQAlign also have webcam drift alignment procedures (and are all free to use).

[davy999]

I have the cg5 gt and after firmware update it has all star align.

You set mount to where you think Polaris is, do two star align and then align polar mount, the scope then slews to where the alignment star should be, you then move the mount until the star is in the viewfinder, this should then be ccurately set. You then do two star align again and you should then be polar aligned.

Further info.. All-Star Polar Alignment / Celestron.com

[themos]

That all-star polar alignment procedure, it would be great if other software could offer it.

[martin_h]

EQAlign can be found here>>>>> EQAlign Astronomical Suite

I use it and found it very easy.

[scarecrow]

can the eq5 do a all star align then?

[Steve_Max127]

I love this site once again I stumbled upon a link that answers a question I haven't yet asked. I can see Polaris from the back garden but not the front so very useful info and links. Thank you one and all.

[OptiGone]

I love this site once again I stumbled upon a link that answers a question I haven't yet asked. I can see Polaris from the back garden but not the front so very useful info and links. Thank you one and all.

Snap! Same issue for me.

Will also be using the above advice.

Thanks