Polar Scope Calibration

[pook]

I got a polar scope for my EQ3-2 today, and a RA motor. I've been reading about calibrating the scope using the setting circles etc... but realised I have Polarfinder on my PC. Am I correct in assuming that if I use polarfinder, I don't need to "calibrate" my polar scope? Instead, I just rotate my mount around the RA axis until the polar scope's reticle looks like the polarfinder print out and then adjust to get polaris in the little spot?

[pook]

Anyone?

[swag72]

I would say that you still need to calibrate your polar scope - Calibration is different to polar alignment. What you mention is a way of getting the polar alignment and works well. If you don't calibrate and it is not accurate then your polar alignment will not be as good as it could be.

[Mr Spock]

On my EQ3-2 the polar scope has a circular reticule with a dot for polaris and a central coss hair. I rotate the RA axis until the dot is near polaris and the centre cross hair is at the pole (you'll nee a star chart to know where it is). I then move the mount left/right and the altitude bolts up/down until polaris is on the dot.

[red dwalf]

when calibrating you will need to set the polar scope up so that when the ra axis is rotated the cross hair stays centered on a point and does not "wobble" around a point,

easy to do, set the polar scope cross onto a target then while looking through the polar scope move the ra axis 180 degrees and see if the cross moves off the target if it does you need to adjust the little screws at the botton of the finder to center it

[pook]

thanks guys.