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Old 09-07-2019, 10:58 AM
tileys
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tileys is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: NW Sydney, Australia
Posts: 88
I would like to give a shout out for the polar alignment routine in Sharpcap (paid version). I can see the area of the SCP - but only just - above a row of bushes but the polar alignment routine - from the parked position and then as guided by the software gets me an accurate alignment within a few minutes and only moderate fiddling with the EQ knobs - mostly the RA adjustments (left and right) as DEC typically doesn't change much after initial setup. I have to setup my EQ6 each session so once I got a good alignment initially I marked on my pavers where each of the tripod feet were with a permanent marker so I get setup the mount and tripod in the same spot each time and always now get a fairly accurate starting point for running the PA routine.

To get the initial bearing on the SCP I made up a template from a laminating pouch (clear stiff plastic sleeve) with little white correction fluid blobs for the pointers and Southern Cross (while the sheet was being held up at arms length facing the stars in question) and then afterwards drew the line down between the perpendicular from the pointers and the Southern Cross so the 2 lines converged about 4.5 times the height of the Southern Cross - that way I can just hold up the sheet at arms length - line up the white dots with the stars and instantly see where the lines coverge (to be honest - the lines converge slightly off an A4 page ).
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