Polar alignment for Visual Astronomy

[Startrek (Martin)]

I saw this quick method of polar aligning your mount for visual astronomy, let me know if it will work -

I have a Skywatcher HEQ5 mount

1/ level the mount with boat type bubble level or digital inclinometer like Accumaster Angle guage
2/ use a 600mm long x 50mm wide x 3mm thick aluminium flat bar and fashion a tight square hole one end to fit over the azimuth post or lug in the centre. Centre align the flat bar to north/ south on the tripod base and drill a hole on the opposite side of the mount base through the flat bar and mount base.Secure flat bar to base with nut and bolt
3/ use a good quality compass like a Silva Ranger 3 and sit compass on end of flat bar centre scribed line
4/ move tripod so compass is pointing magnetic south then adjust tripod again to line up with magnetic declination value of viewing site
5/place mount head on tripod and install telescope
6/ balance telescope with counter weights
7/ set latitude of mount using a digital inclinometer

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Yes that will work for visual.

[skysurfer]

Try this which is rather similar.

https://www.skysurfer.eu/eqmount.php

[xelasnave]

You have a camera.
During the day make sure scope via camera points at the same place as polar scope.
At night to align leave scope in home pos and take timed photo to show star trails...the mount is not switched on and stationary...the trails show part of a circle and the center of that circle is CSP.
Adjust mount until the center of the projected circle is in middle of photo.
Its relatively fast and close enough...Thats generally all I do pre astro photos.
Alex

[astroron (Ron)]

4/ move tripod so compass is pointing magnetic south then adjust tripod again to line up with magnetic declination value of viewing site
You should point your scope to True south,Not Magnetic south.
I think the difference is about 11°.

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

Or just use your compass and mark 1 eyeball. It is close enough for visual.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by jenchris

Or just use your compass and mark 1 eyeball. It is close enough for visual.

+1 You only need to be within a couple of degrees of true south.

For elevation I just have the tripod level enough and set the elevation to 34* on the mounts little scale.

For azimuth I use a nice Suunto mirror compass. Look along the RA axis from the north side from about 6-8 steps away using one eye to make sure you are straight behind the axis and then sight up the compass. If the magnetic needle doesn't line up with the guidelines rotate mount to left or right as appropriate. Repeat until it's near enough. That works fine for me.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by jenchris

Or just use your compass and mark 1 eyeball. It is close enough for visual.

+2 on this one, no need for all that rigmarole.
If you have setting circles, or a go to system then only a reasonably flat piece of ground is all you need to visually observe.

Cheers

[Startrek (Martin)]

When I set my latitude on the HEQ5 to 35deg using my high quality inclinometer, the mounts scale shows approx 40 deg ( which one has the error of around 4 to 5 degrees )

I tend to trust my digital inclinometer

Has anybody else experienced a similar discrepancy ?

[skysurfer]

Originally Posted by Startrek

When I set my latitude on the HEQ5 to 35deg using my high quality inclinometer, the mounts scale shows approx 40 deg ( which one has the error of around 4 to 5 degrees )

I tend to trust my digital inclinometer

Has anybody else experienced a similar discrepancy ?

Is this such a device ? This one is very reliable, has 0.1 degree accuracy, much better than a smartphone.

[Startrek (Martin)]

My inclinometer is a AccuMaster with accuracy of 0.1deg

I just tried the smartphone, it was out by a few degrees

Sticking with the AccuMaster digital inclinometer

Thanks

[Amaranthus (Barry)]

Has anybody else experienced a similar discrepancy ?

Absolutely, those printed gradations are for very rough guidance at best.

[Wavytone]

I'll add:

- replace polar scope with a laser pointer aligned with the polar axis (figure that out in daytime)
- assemble mount and switch on laser
- adjust mount to point at the SCP (use Sky Safari or similar to locate the star field).

First really decent application I've found for a laser pointer.

[raymo]

I have never heard of the scale on a SW HEQ5 or NEQ6 being more than
a degree or two max. inaccurate. Four or five is IMHO extremely unlikely,
bordering on impossible; you would be able to see the irregularity just by
looking at it after the mount was accurately levelled.
raymo

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

The Accumaster specs quote +/- 0.2 deg accuracy away from the zero points....
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Accu...l-Angle-Gauge-

[ZeroID (Brent)]

My EQ6 is about 3 deg out on DEC, useless for anything.