A Polarie Polar Scope question

[pmrid]

I've bought a Lacerta adapter for my Polarie with the rather naiive expectation that the Polarie Polar Scope I bought with my Polarie would fit it. Not so. I see now that it is designed for a threaded Polar Scope having an external (male thread) of what looks to be about 27mm diameter. The Polarie Polar Scope has a nice smooth cone-shaped profile and is held in place magnetically. Now, I can spend another $300 or so and buy a Vixen GP Polar Scope but I suspect there are plenty of others out there that would be compatible. My HEQ5Pro IS NOT. Just checked that; but if anyone has an old polar scope handy and wouldn't mind throwing a micrometer across the thread, I'd be grateful. Better still if someone has one they want to sell.

Peter

[gregbradley]

Why don't you just use the Vixen one? Its very well made.

Simply setup your tripod. Put on the Polarie. Use a digital inclinometer and set the angle of the Polarie to your latitude.

Look through the polar scope pointing near LMC and pick up the only bright star there - Beta Hyrdus.

Look nearby and there are 3 stars that form an arrow. Follow the direction of the arrow a little ways and you'll see the Octans Trapezium.

With a dim torch illuminate the reticle. Turn the reticle so it matches the orientation of the Trap stars. Now adjust the Polarie until the reticle overlaps the Trap stars using the dim torch to illuminate the reticle. You are most likely kneeling to do this.

Now remove the polar scope and screw on the camera/ballhead unit and you are good to go. Takes me after a few tries in the past about 5-10 minutes. Mostly inhibited by the torch being too bright.

I use a pair of pliers to tighten the tightening screws otherwise with a decent sized DSLR and lens it can slip.

The Vixen Polar scope is very well made.


Greg.

[pmrid]

G'day Greg and yes, the Vixen scope is well made but it has the drawback of having to be removed in order to attach the camera after you have found the SCP. My record of delicacy in the dark is not good. If there is a tripod leg I can bump, I will, a cable I can trip over, an adjustment I can upset, I can do it all with a complete absence of effort. So I had hoped to make my Polarie me-proof as far as possible by using an external polar scope. Of course, I could always make an effort to be more coordinated, organised and careful. But I am a realist and know what is achievable and what is not.

Peter