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Old 22-02-2017, 11:50 AM
acotiga (Andrei)
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acotiga is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthernLight View Post
Hi Andrei,

I think it is a pretty cool idea. Often I wondered how to shorten the dreaded setup procedure by using my (legally owned) green laser. Your tool could work out for a number of people, especially in NZ, where lasers are legal and oodles of people do Nightscapes.

A few points of comment from me, since you asked for some:

1. Don't post ideas like that in the advanced Astro imaging section. People who know how to align by using isosolies triangles and how to make holographic reticles surely don't need another thingy to insult their intelligence . The beginner section surely looks different.

2. When the 3rd laser is pointed at the SCP, how do I align the Axis with it, provided I'm not having a pole scope? Using the main scope assumes that it sits dead straight on the mount and I think an eyepiece with reticule would be in order. Is that the idea?

3. Not sure where Bojan had the price point of $350 from but for that kind of money one can import a Polemaster from HK, which doesn't require a tripod and fits in a jacket pocket. Yes, you need a laptop for that.

4. What's the target group like? I have been doing a lot of low-medium power visual without polar alignment- just point the thing south and adjust the knobs every now and then. For AP it wouldn't be accurate enough and besides, people spending $2k plus on a mount usually either get a pole scope and some sort of inbuilt software routine or do advanced dark magic (I.e. Plate solving)

5. I could see applications for users of tracking mounts without pole scope, especially for nightscape photography.

Good luck with it!

Cheers,
Thanks for your input. Indeed, in hindsight, the advanced section was not probably the best section, but I went for it out of habit

Without a polar scope it is a bit more complicated but can be done. The key is that when looking at the pole (i.e. laser beam), a rotation in RA will have the stars rotate around the centre of the FOV (laser) rather than translate. That's when 90 DEC is spot on.

The target group...that's a good question. At the moment, I'm trying to eliminate PEC in my EQ6 and when that's done I'm pretty certain that one may take pictures anywhere across the sky without the need for for a guider on a 1000 focal scope. I don't know about other's, but I'm quite excited about setting up an EQ6 with a say 120ED, PA in 3 minutes, do a 3 star alignment and then start taking pictures. No laptops, no guidestars, no calibration. It would basically require a 2.5arcmin polar alignment error, which is achievable. This weekend is supposed to be clear so I'll come back next week with a result of this.

Also, the device started as my own personal project into trying to sort out a reliable and quick way aligning a barn door, but a Skywatcher adventurer would work as well.
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