Hi guys I'm pretty new at this and i just haven't quite got my head around how spot on my polar alignment is, and how to fine tune it.
I have a Celestron C8 on a EQ5 and i've read some newbie guides on how to do polar alignment. So i've followed all their steps by getting a compass and pointing the RA axis south and then correcting for true south, setting the correct latitude, having a level mount, and balanced telescope etc.
I look for what i think is sigma octantis and i dont know where to go from here it gets a bit difficult. How do i make sure i get some decent accuracy? Would the best thing to do is buy a polar scope? as my understanding is that it has a reticule which you can align sigma octantis with.
Then after it is aligned does it mean stars should stay in my field of view when i use the RA motor drive? because i cant quite figure out how it tracks things as i push both left and right on the control for it when i try to view a random star it never seems to stay in my eyepiece??
Thanks for your help, as its getting a bit frustrating i've tried to use the scope several times and i know i cant use it to its potential yet due to me being a newbie
BTW i dont have any goto system and dont plan on getting one as i want to learn it manually first despite it being harder
yes, i would get a polar scope - once you are aligned with this you're correct that when you enageg the Ra drive the stars should stay in the fov.
when you are using a compass & then correcting how long do the stars stay in the fov?
you could drift align but it would seem overkill for visual observation only
I would also find someone close by to show you how to find scp - much easier than trying b yourself
Matt,
If that's a skywatcher EQ5 mount, it should have a polar scope built in. Look from the front of it and there is a round flat plastic cap. Pull that off, that's one end of it. Unscrew the big round cap of the back of it and you'll see the eyepiece. Turn the scope 90 degrees left or right and that reveals a hole in the bar that goes from the scope to the weights. You should now be able to look through it.
Robin,
I am able to do what you said and look through it, but there is no polar scope attached, there is just the alignment screws. I did buy this second hand so i guess its not a skywatcher one. Nice equipment and pics btw.
If it has the right holes then maybe the scope is just missing Drift alignment is probably easier, once you get used to it. It's anything from hard to impossible to see those southern stars from the city anyway.
[edit]
Does the back of your mount look like this photo? That's a older skywatcher eq5.
Robin, after doing some more reading i believe i actually have a CG-5 mount, and it is a few years old and has the aluminum tripod. It does however look the same as the pic you posted as i think its a clone of the EQ5?
I think this mount needs a bit of work as it does feel quite stiff when adjusting the RA and Dec knobs, and im thinking my motor drive isnt working like it should because of how stiff it is. So i've found a guide on the net on how to pull the mount apart and regrease it which i am going to do today and then hopefully it will feel alot smoother.
Also looking through my finder scope last night, i found it quite difficult to locate the stars close to SCP, so i am thinking that a polar scope with less magnification is going to have a real hard time finding these stars so im going to try this drift method tonight and see how i go. Thats of course if i can get the mount back together
You'll need an Illuminated Reticle type eyepiece to drift align. It has double iluminated crosshairs so you set a star in the centre and turn the eyepiece so ra and dec line up with the cross lines and watch for drift. East-West star adjust for altitude (27 degrees), North-South star adjust for azimuth (south). You can also use a camera and software instead.
Well i just came across a killer deal on a HEQ5pro so now i own one of them
I have just set it up and i realise it needs 12v power from a ciggy lighter and i dont have a power supply.....and it doesnt have manual knobs?? i thought that was strange as i dont want to use the synscan.
So thats a bit annoying as the shops are shut now and i wont have a chance to use it properly tonight, at least its got a polar scope
I'll get that illuminated reticule you suggested Robin to do drift alignment. I got my head around how that works and with some practise I shouldnt have any more probs with polar alignment.
Heq5 is a goto mount, no manual knobs, but you can unlock the clutches and swing it around if you wanted to. I use an old car battery with a charger across it for power. A lot of people have bought those power pack things they sell at super cheap.
Once aligned, mark where the tripod goes with concrete or whatever and you'll only need to do a quick check in future.
I hear you guys are all going on about polar alignment. and well all the ways you have discribed are well quite right. but.!!!
If im doing visual work or even if im just getting the polar alginment in the ballpark for doing a proper drift align session this is my advice
1. Get your mount pointing in the rough direction of true south, the closer the easier things are. So try be close!
2. level your mount don't be too padantic but make sure its close.
3. turn your mount on and go to a 1 star align. Slew to a star close to the SCP, Rigel kenturas is a good one (double star), Acrux any of them will do.
4. Loosen your RA adjustments so you can man handle the mount to twist it, and loosen the top Dec so you can use the bottom to adjust up or down.
Use your Dec and RA adjustments to get the star in the middle of the EP, using a illuminated rectical will make your alignment closer but don't fret, using a defocused star as far as it will defocus will give you a big doghnut, center that the best you can.
5. Park the scope.
6. look though your finder scope you should see the shepards crook, and though the ep you should see the astrisim that you would capture in your polar scope there is a red giant star in the triangle.
Your scope should be that close to being polar aligned if you have taken due care and time. if you want to set it up for Photography then take the next step of setting home positions (goto) and drift aligning remember 2x the amount of time of the exposures you wish to take! aka 2 min photos require a 4 min no drift to make everything as close as possible.!
Brendan thanks for breaking down this process into an easy to understand format.
I tried your method and i just have a question about point 4. Did you mean to unlock the RA and DEC axis and move the mount manually until the star is centered in the eyepiece? What is the significance of this over using the synscan control pad to move the RA and DEC axis as thats what the controller says to do for alignment?
Also my HEQ5pro doesnt have manual knobs to make fine adjustments manually, as i found moving the mount manually by unlocking the axis seems a bit crude. I know there is two rubber plugs on the mount where im assuming you can put some knobs onto does anyone know where i can buy these, i've had a brief look at the bintel website but couldnt find it? Or is it not a common thing to do?
I like how the goto makes it easy to align but i dont want to use the goto system to find everything. Im still new at this and like the idea of hunting objects in the sky by learning to use setting circles or star hopping, i believe it will make me appreciate what im looking for as im in no rush to get to the destination
its not the RA and Dec axis you unlock as such, there are knobs where the head meets the tripod legs and it allows you to adjust your RA (true south direction)(not the one up the top of the head allowing you to rotate the axis's. and then theres 2 screws front and back that allows for your dec adjustment (up and down).
Yes it is crude but the idea behind it all is this. think of the sky as a white piece of paper with all the stars mapped out. then i come along with a map of the sky on a clear film. if i was to lay it over and move it around untill everything lined up you would be happy, thats what your doing when you do the 1 star align (you don't actually do a proper alignment process its just to find out where the mount thinks the star should be. and well hence the reason why you move the mount to the part of the sky it should be in manually (practically aligning the two maps as stated before).
Don't use the hand paddle to get the star in the ep as this will void this method from working as it should. all movements should be by hand.
it is the way to gain a rough alignment without spending hours. I can be fully polar aligned ready to go within 20 min for photography sure i can spend longer but it doesn't matter that much as guiding takes over anyhow!
brendan if your method works for me when i next get the chance i will fly all the way to perth and kiss you (my south pole is hiden behind a tree as seen through my polar scope and my neighbour won't cut it down). Also go me for reviving a long dead topic haha
Quickest and easiest method of polar alignment on a goto scope is alignmaster. Hook it up to a laptop 2 minutes later you are done. No need to find the pole no more stuffing around with drift alignment and you don't need a camera just an EP. The results are very accurate after only 2 iterations. Costs $20.00. Matt why wouldn't you use the hand controller.
Also looking through my finder scope last night, i found it quite difficult to locate the stars close to SCP, so i am thinking that a polar scope with less magnification is going to have a real hard time finding these stars so im going to try this drift method tonight and see how i go. Thats of course if i can get the mount back together
Matt, it seems like your getting things sorted out. I had the same problem locating stars around the pole. This thread, though not specific to your equipment, the Stellarium images might be of assistance?
Did you say that you now have a polar scope for your CG5?
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Quick question:Is there a free software that can be used to polar align a camera over a mount ? (No telescope involved)
Luigi. Free software. It's possible using live view, if you have it - let me know if you want the details.
Drift alignment is probably easier, once you get used to it. It's anything from hard to impossible to see those southern stars from the city anyway.
