Polar alignment up or down?

[Quatermass]

I have followed astrobaby's page on polar alignment and after much frustration got the reticule lined up in my polar scope. I down loaded Polar finder and managed to set the clock to find a time when polaris is in transit. However I am confused about what I see in my polar scope and what I see on polar finder. This first picture shows polar finder.

The next picuture shows whats on my reticule in my polar scope.

What Im not sure about is the image from the polar finder, and matching that in the polar scope what is the right way up??

Its no fun being dyslexic at times can anyone explain this to me please.

If in the first image polaris is right at the top in transit not off to the right as it is in this image ie when I find the right time so it is sitting at the top... then when I use that date and time to set my polar scope will polaris in my polar scopes reticule( the little circle on the big one) how will it look?... Im not exsplaining this very well am I ahhhgghh..

Let me try again.

Is the north star polaris in the first image like the view through my telescope or do I have to turn it upside down? Yes thats what I mean.. I think??

[MikeP]

I'm sure someone else will be able to help you with the software but I find it easiest to simply rotate the mount in RA so that the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia appear in the polar scope as they do in the sky. That puts the little circle in the right place. I then use the alt and az adjusters to move the mount so that Polaris is in the little circle.

Mike

[Quatermass]

Thanks Mike

I have now found the correct way up, the polar finder programme has a function to change the time and to see it in telescope view so it was a matter of ticking that box and all was well. Quite a useful little programme and its free as well.

I dont know about others and what they think about the sky watcher polar scopes but there is no way they can be considered a precision tool! the dials are loose and sloppy and the way that reticule sits in the polar scope is pretty daft if you ask me. You would think that they would make the polar scope adjustments better and the Latitude adjustment bolts are rubbish. I would make a big difference to the sky watcher range if they made improvements to these main areas of the telescope but I guess that would push the price up. The next thing I am going to have to get my head around is drift alignment I guess better get my thinking cap on again.

[cgarry]

To remove the guess work:

YouTube - chrisshillito's Channel

Cheers,

Chris

[Quatermass]

Thanks Chris I hope to build an observatory later this year and will then be able to get my laptop set up with my mount and this will come in very useful its just too cold in the winter months to be outside with my laptop at the moment. I froze my buns off imaging orion last month and made up my mind to get an observatory. Very helpful utube vid cheers.

[MikeP]

If you can't see Polaris - Alignmaster von Matthias Garzarolli - still needs computer control unfortunately.

Mike

[cgarry]

Thanks Chris I hope to build an observatory later this year and will then be able to get my laptop set up with my mount and this will come in very useful its just too cold in the winter months to be outside with my laptop at the moment. I froze my buns off imaging orion last month and made up my mind to get an observatory. Very helpful utube vid cheers.

Of course your observatory will a pier and polar alignment will only need to be done once. Joy!

[Quatermass]

As I have got more into astrophotography the need for a warm observatory is becoming a must have. I like being out in the cold observing but when your waiting for your camera to take shots and you have to take 30 or more then it makes sense to be in a warm observatory shed conversion. I have got Polaris alignment sussed now but all telescopes should come with a health warning .. This telescope will seriously effect your wallet and could result in obsessive behavior if safety measure are ignored.