polar scope calibration help....

[stan26]

Evening folks, is there a newbie's guide to polar scope calibration anywhere ? IV looked on here and google and YouTube and can't find what I'm looking for.

I just got my first eq mount, a second hand EQ3-2, and soon realised that the polar scope ncp reticule was in back to front so all the words where backwards etc. I took out the PS and removed the little etched reticule thing and put it in the correct way. But I guess now I need to calibrate the reticule in the scope for accurate polar alignment.

How do I do this?

Thanks (apologies if IV missed the obvious here)

[spaceboy]

Picture speak a thousand words. I cannot understand why or how the PS would have been inserted incorrectly

Manuals and other info can be downloaded from TELESCOPE SUPPLIERS - SKY-WATCHER TELESCOPE

SPACEBOY

[stan26]

Cheers space boy.

You know its not the actual polar scope that was inserted wrong (is that even possible) but the little glass screen inside the PS was fliped round the wrong way. Heaven knows why, manufacturer assembly error? Previous owner not having a clue? .....

[MG1]

Hi there...downloading the manual is only the first step....understanding them, well let's just say I found outlining the minor themes of Kafta's 'the trial' a little easier!

One think I hadn't picked up (and maybe I read it too quick and missed something) was the need to re-centre the 'distant target' between the 180deg flips.

Doing this really helped me and therefore my polar alignment.

I centred the crosshairs on the top left of a telegraph pole around 400metres away.

Rotate the mount 180deg in RA.

The pole has moved so I use the three grub screws to move the cross hair half way back to the target.

Then re-centre the target using the alt & azi screws.

Rotate the mount back 180deg in RA.

Pole has moved

Move crosshair half way towards target using grub screws.

Re-centre using alt-azi.

Rotate mount 180 deg in RA.

Repeat until the target doesn't move when mount is rotated in RA.

Simples....

Michael

[vulcan]

It's all here - Astro Babys HEQ5 Polar Alignment - thanks to our Astro-Baby ;?)