Polar alignment with SharpCap

[skogpingvin]

Has anyone used the SharpCap polar alignment tool?

I'm still pretty new at all this, and I'm at the point where everything is difficult. I'm making progress, and right now I'm looking at ways of getting polar alignment done faster, because currently it takes me about 45 minutes. Those stars are just so damned dim.:mad2:

I've heard good tips like putting bricks in your lawn where the feet of the tripod go, and marking lines on the azimuth of my NEQ6 in order to get a faster rough setup, and all that jazz.

I tried Astrotortilla, but I haven't been able to make it work yet - I think I've got rid of the indexes it doesn't need, as well as telling it roughly where my guide scope is pointing, but no go. Why does everything have to fight me all the time? :(

Then I found that SharpCap has some sort of polar alignment tool. I have to be pointing south, within 5 degrees of the SCP. This I can do, particularly if I'm mounted up on one of the piers at the ASV dark sky site.

My question is: has anyone used this before? Is it any good?

[glend]

Yes i use Sharpcap V2.9 which has the polar alignment tool. Its very fast, only takes a few minutes to get very close to the SCP. The star maps are built into the application so you don't need a separate plate solver, or internet connection. Heck your mount does not even need power. Simple two step process, where the app grabs an image, you rotate the scope 90 degrees and it takes a second image, then it gives you direction arrows and text advice on moving the mount Alt Az adjusters to centre RA and Dec. You do need a camera but just about any webcam will do, and a laptop obviously to run it but that is all.

[skogpingvin]

Thanks for that Glen, I'll give it a go!

Bill