Polemaster

[Stardrifter_WA]

Has anyone had any experience with the QHYCCD Polemaster for the Southern Hemisphere?

[barx1963]

Yes, best $500 or thereabouts I have ever spent on a piece of imaging kit. Works very well, easy to use and understand.

Have not met anyone who has one that doesn't like it! It was noticeable at the recent SV camp that nearly all the mounts had one.

Malcolm

[beren]

I reckon it's brilliant :thumbsup: If you have a portable set up it's a cinch to get a good polar alignment pretty rapidly. I have a pretty good polar scope on my Tak mount but the polemaster has made that redundant. I have a small jig and compass setup that gets my tripod aligned roughly and that's enough to have the SCP on the Polemasters FOV. If I don't recognise the starfield immediately and before starting the software a quick rotation on the RA axis lets me know if i'm close while watching the screen :)

[Atmos]

I use it a lot on my pre-Synscan HEQ5 for visual, LOVE it.

[AstroApprentice]

I concur - good quality, easy to use and best of all, works as well as everyone has described. I have adapters for 3 mounts.
Robin at Cyclops optics ships for free + has big range of adapters

[lazjen]

Another option to consider is SharpCap. It has a PA routine that I believe is similar to the Polemaster process. I've used SharpCap a couple of times and found it quite easy to use, and once you're used to it, you can get a good PA within a short amount of time.

An advantage of SharpCap is that you can use your existing camera/scope setup.

[glend]

Chris is correct, when Polemaster was first released it was a great concept for some mounts that were supported. However, it has been made somewhat redundant by Sharpcap 2.9 which provides SCP plate solving in its PA tool for free. Yes Sharpcap is a free download, and you get the star maps for northern and southern hemisphere built in. Runs on any lowend Netbook or laptop, and you just need any simple webcam to make work. Imagers can use their main camera or guide camera, visual guys can just stick a webcam or cheap ASI in the focuser. Works very quickly in a two step process, takes maybe three minutes to get sub 10 arc sec accuracy. You don't need internet access for the plate solve as its built in, and the mount does not even need to be powered up.
I was about to order Polemaster when i heard about Sharpcap and decided to try it. For me it is a perfect solution. However, if i had purchased Polemaster first then i would be happy with it, provided it could be used on my mount ( and on new mounts like the CGX that was not possible).

[bojan]

$500 is a lot of money... that could be spent for something that is used more frequently.
Some time ago a member of this forum (Ken) developed the method (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=143297&highlight=polar+alignment&page=3), similar to Sharpcap... which is excellent and cheap alternative to drift alignment.

[LewisM]

Sharpcap.

If you already have a guidecam or main cam, then really, why pay for the Polemaster (which is just a guidecam with a lens and software) when Sharpcap does it 100% free, and VERY VERY accurately, and so much easier than drift alignment.

Polemaster on a setup that already has a guidecam is pretty redundant actually.

[Atmos]

For me SharpCap isn't of any use as I use the PoleMaster for visual and wide field photography (DSLR) with both a HEQ5 and EQ6. Really depends on what your needs are, it certainly isn't cheap but it is considerably better than drift aligning or other methods for visual or with a 50mm lens.

[bojan]

Colin,
you must have a lot of money to spend... For 50mm lens, polar scope is more than enough.
I was using polar scope for up to 300mm lens without problems

[LewisM]

For me, a compass and a Synscan alignment was more than enough for an f/5 instrument, let alone just a 50mm lens :) Syscan got me to within sub-minute alignment (iterative 2 star alignments). In fact it is ALL I ever used before Sharpcap, including f/8 imaging.

[Mosc_007]

I started with a Polemaster but have switched over to Sharpcap. Besides being free, and you can use your existing camera. It's easier to use.

[SimmoW]

Sharpcap is ace, but it won't be completely free soon. Which is a good thing, he deserves the support.

[trent_julie]

+1 polemaster.

I think it is an excellent piece of kit. I can't speak for shapcap, I've not touched it. I am usually polar aligned very quickly. I had been using the drift align method prior to polemaster. I prefer the polemaster to drift alignment. It is dependent on being able to see the SCP, so keep this in mind.

Trent

[ChrisV]

Will be changing soon. A number of sharpcap features, such as flat subtraction and part of polar align, will only be in sharpcap pro - licence fee of 10 pondos p.a.

Well worth supporting.

[lazjen]

That still sounds a lot cheaper than a polemaster anyway - whatever "pondos" are. :)

[Stardrifter_WA]

Thank you all for your feedback on the Polemaster.

Polemaster will suit me fine, for now. Gamma Electronics has it for $425 with one adapter.

The price seems reasonable to me.

Cheers Pete

[AstroApprentice]

$395 from Cyclops Optics including adapter & shipping...

[issdaol]

Support from Theo at Gamma is excellent in my experience so I would go with them

[Nikolas]

Take forever to ship, still waiting for mine after 20 days!!

[beren]

Was it in stock when ordered ? Have you contacted them, Robin the owner is usally on the live help on the website or answers email promptly.

Will check out sharpcaps PA routine next time out.......so it doesn't matter if the camera isn't in line with your mounts axis?

[Stardrifter_WA]

Thanks Phil, that was going to be my next question.

Cheers Pete

[Nikolas]

It was in stock and was despatched from Hong Kong on the 17th
I'm a high school teacher and had it delivered to work as home delivery is hit and miss with some of the auspost muppets in our area , their site claims 5-9 days postage.
Last Friday was the end of term and I was anticipating installing it etc over the holidays and playing around with it. I got a notification it was delivered on Tuesday of THIS week, first week of the holidays, which means it is now sitting around either at the post office along with all the other school equipment, or in storage at our other campus which means I'll have to fish around for it. this takes way too much time!
So from the 15th when it was scheduled to be posted to the 17th when it left Honkers, it arrived on the 4th of April, not the 9 days.....
Robin was apologetic but not much else. If I can't find it I'll be requesting a refund via paypal.