HEQ5 Instructions for orienting polar scope - pointless????

[MartinH32]

Is it me or do the instructions for orienting the polar scope make no sense. Six instrctions just to end up back where I started.

1. Unlock the RA axis and rotate it until the rectule pattern show as picture. NO PROBLEM SO FAR

2. Unlock the RA setting circle and set to zero. NO PROBLEMS YET

3. Unlock the RA axis and rotate mount so setting circle indicator points to 1. PROBLEM - THE SETTING CIRCLE DOESN'T MOVE AND STAYS AT ZERO!

4. Rotate data / longitude scale so that Oct10 lines up with date scale indicator. PROBLEM - IT DOESN'T MOVE UNLESS I UNDER THE RA AXIS.

Given up after first 4 questions and thinking about going into something simple like brain surgery.

hELP!!!!!!

[geppetto]

Martin

Try this little proggy.. much less stressful

http://www.polarfinder.co.uk/

[daz]

Or look here

[Ben Cole]

Polarfinder looks good...think I'll store that for later use!!!

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Stop after step 1. Thats all there is to it. Line the picture up with how the stars appear i.e. the dots on the reticle are in the same alignment rotationally as the real stars.

Then line Polaris up in the little circle on the edge of the big circle. Done.

If you aren't comfortable with the 'scope posiition you can guess it at 180 degrees off putting Polaris opposite the little circle.

The rest of the steps are so that you can set the reticle to match without looking at the stars, what's the benifit there? If you can't see the stars you can't see Polaris so you should go inside anyway.

HTH

Captain Chaos