Hello.. I am new in this area.. I have been doing everything on my own.. since I have brought myself a Star Adv Tracker.. I having lots of difficult getting to set to the south pole.. as we have street lights really affecting to see the Octans Stars.. I have download an App Polar Finder.. I took it out for the first time last night.. it slightly off track.. got a bit of movements.. so just wondering anyone out there used one of these and got the thing right.. I have also have 600mm telescope and hope to set that up with this and shoot the comet lovejoy with it.. (photo..lol)
From limited experience, trying to polar align using a polar scope in the southern hemisphere is an exercise in frustration. The stars are faint and tiny little polar scopes have trouble picking them up.
There are other ways but as I am not sure what device you have, not sure what advice to give.
Hi and welcome,
I use this method for my star tracker.
Get a plastic disk or the top cover from a spray can, draw a line through its centre.
Get a orienteering compass and off set the inside lines with the magnetic offset.
Set the disk/can cover on top of a levelled tripod and set the compass on top.
Line up marked compass line with the centre line of the disk and one leg of the tripod (this will be your southern leg).
Slowly rotate the tripod so the needle of the compass points to the north/south on your compass outer ring.
Now you have your southern leg of the tripod pointed reasonably accurately to the scp.
Do some test exposures and adjust for drift.
Hope that helps
Bo
Thank you for your reply.. that's sounds helpful.. I will give that a go.. I am using my phone as a compass.. it just frustrated me a times.. tonight I can't do it.. due to rain!! I was having trouble getting to point to the south pole last night was the first time using it.. I was almost there.. .. I would love to put my 600mm telescope on it too.. have you try that???
You can also establish the Nth\Sth line using the solar noon method. A hanging weight on a string will cast a true Nth\Sth shadow at the solar noon time, normally a short period (10-20 mins) after noon. No worries about magnetic deviation or error. Google Solar Noon to find a website that will tell you when it is for your location.
I used it when I first set up my pier for the Ob and I haven't had to make any adjustment since.
You can also make a simple inclinometer with a printed protractor scale on a circle of ply or similar again with a hanging weight for a plumbob so you can set your declination angle correctly. And there are free inclinometer apps for your phone\tablet. Just be careful that your reference positions on the hardware are straight and parallel to the SCP axis on your tracker.
Star Adv Tracker..
.. that's sounds helpful.. I will give that a go.. I am using my phone as a compass.. it just frustrated me a times.. tonight I can't do it.. due to rain!! I was having trouble getting to point to the south pole last night was the first time using it.. I was almost there.. .. I would love to put my 600mm telescope on it too.. have you try that???
