QHY Polemaster pre-use

[04Stefan07]

I’m having a bit of trouble setting up my tripod before using the Polemaster. I pointed it true south (according to the MyAstroShop table it’s 11 degrees east from 180 so 169 degrees) and I wasn’t able to find sigma oct in the sky. It’s diffcult to find a reference especially in the suburban light pollution area. I had my planetarium software open but no stars matched. Later on I realised my QHY camera was roared the wrong way (USB connection needs to come out the right) which may explain half my issue.

Am I using the correct technique to setup my mount before using the Polemaster or am I missing something?

[Kunama]

Stefan, the cameras are not always focused on infinity, this makes finding Octans star impossible. There is a set screw that needs to be loosened then you can rotate the camera lens. We had to rotate it several turn to get it to focus.

Hook up the camera and point it at the moon, Sirius or M42 by hand and see if you have a focused image on your laptop, if not then turn the lens until you do. Without doing this you will end up with just some hot pixels showing up but chance of finding the asterism......

Once you have it focused put it back on your mount.....

[04Stefan07]

Ahhhh, focus! That may explain it.

QHY products are great but they need to work on their instruction manuals!

[rbronca]

The USB cable should enter from the left, looking from the front of the camera.

There have been a non zero number of not correctly focused Polemasters in the wild (mine was fine), so as mentioned above, if your not seeing stars and your time / gain is correctly set, that would be the likely culprit.

A DOA test would be to plug it in inside and see if it white outs with the cap off and is black with it on.

I use Sharpcap v2.9x (which is free to for polar aligning, not like 3.x) to platesolve the pole.

I get the alignment close then swap over to the Polemaster software.

From memory I use around 280ms and 80 gain in Sharcap. If the sky is dark, then the stars should be easily visible.

You have an 8 degree field of view, so somewhere pointing close should be enough to get it platesolved. From there it is easy to twiddle the mount knobs to get very close.

Sigma oct should then be easy to pick out within the center of the field of view of the Polemaster software.

Then it is simply matching the model and the actual stars and your ready to go.

You will become an expert after a few tries.

If you have a so so mount, you will need to back off the alignment a little bit so the mount can guide out a little drift. It will improve your guiding.

[JohnG]

Stefan

I see you are going to Snake Valley, if you are still having trouble or need a hand we can run you through the PoleMaster operation, quite a number of people use it at the camp.

Cheers

John G

[LewisM]

Instlucshun manwels no worky. $5 you get dimsum long time with USB.

Yeah, the Polemaster instructions are essentially useless. You either need to figure it out yourself, or someone make a useable manual.

I have heard people putting the USB cable in a manner CONTRARY to what is suggested and it working better.

I gave up on my Polemaster. It was focused, but it was just a royal PITA compared to Sharpcap (which then became a problem when I went back to Lodestar, but now working properly again after latest bug fix)

[kens]

You could try downloading the PHD2 snapshot release and use the Polar Drift Align tool to get an initial alignment within about 10 arcminutes. Once you are that close then any of the other tools: Polemaster, Sharpcap, Drift alignment etc become much easier.

[04Stefan07]

Thanks for the feedback and thank you John offering to help me at Snake Valley!

Just went outside again to give it another crack and still no luck. Focus looks to be fine and rotated the camera the right way. It has to be my initial placement of the tripod. Of course having the house block a my way as well doesn’t help. Just need to get that initial placement correct.

I am aiming it 169 degrees as true north. My compass could be out as I am using my mobile.

[SteveInNZ]

Use the Polemaster camera with the first part of the SharpCap Polar Align function to do the initial pole finding. It has 11 x 8 degree field of view and in my experience it solves even if the pole is just outside the FoV. You'll see some of the circles on the display and move the tripod to suit.

IMHO, having the rest of the Polar Alignment function in SharpCap is worth the Pro price over the Polemaster offering.

Steve.

[vlazg]

Be careful using your mobile near the mount, the metal in it will throw the compass out by quite an amount. Compare the reading with the phone near the mount and then further away, I usually stand back and align it, with 8 deg fov sigma Octans is usually visible

Note , same care if you are using the phone for altitude.

[LewisM]

I hope you meant south! Point it the same side of the celestial sphere as the southern cross :)

I use a good quality Silva orienteering compass, standing behind the polar axis of the scope about 6 feet away (minimal metal flux interference) sighting down the lubber line along the polar axis, with my bezel set at 168° (we are 12.3° mag var'n here). Make sure the needle though is aligned within the bars on the bottom of the compass (that also rotate with the bezel).

Every time I have done it this way (and sometimes check with my iPhone's compass, but it gives me a different reading each time you use it), I have been instantly good enough for long-duration visual with minimal drift. If I want to image, I then start with this initial position and run a SharpCap polar refinement, and it is always come up as at least "Fair" (usually "Good") for the initial solve - you then refine it - with tiny incremental moves - until it reads "excellent". I have had it down to mere seconds (around 4 secs or less) out in azimuth and alt in only about 5 minutes of fiddling.

It sounds like you have the compass basics wrong Stefan, so I'll see if I can find you a good tutorial.

[04Stefan07]

Holy crap, yep South not North. I really need to read over before posting, bloody was half asleep when I wrote that up!

Yep sounds like the compass on the phone is absolute crap. I will need to track down a good quality compass. Are there any good ones you can recommend?

[LewisM]

Silva Orienteering. Not cheap (about $35), but worth it. I have 2.

Don't settle on a cheap chinese one - stand in the shop and compare which direction the needles all point - you'll find 99% of the Silva ones will point the same direction, then see which variation of direction the cheapies have lol. Some of them aren't even properly adjusted for magnetic dip here! (the Silva's are)

[04Stefan07]

Yep thanks mate. I’ll have a look into one before the Astro camp next week. Definitely pointing in the wrong direction. Camera works, stars are in focus, camera right way around so that would be the only thing left!

[04Stefan07]

Something like this?

https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/equipment/hiking-accessories/silva-field-compass/p/BP90017897001

[Rigel003]

If you've used an inclinometer to get your altitude correct within a degree, then the problem must be in azimuth. The Polemaster field of view is a very wide 11 degrees so just adjust your mount's azimuth adjusters (or move the tripod feet if necessary) left and right until you recognise the trapezium asterism. It pops out pretty easily. Sometimes it's better to not select the larger exposure and gain settings. These can produce so many stars in the filed of view that the trapezium asterism is less easy to recognise.

[LewisM]

That one will do - it's the one I keep in my astro tool box as a back-up. Otherwise, I use this one: https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/equipment/hiking-accessories/silva-ranger-compass/p/BP90017695002 which I prefer for the sighting.

Up to you - both are generally really good compasses.

[LewisM]

Just remember when you are using the compass:
1. Set the bezel to the lubber line, indicating, in your case, 169°. This means the South indicator will be offset to the right, as will the central alignment bars.
2. Face SOUTH, then move so that the compass needle lies between the bars - the needle will be offset to the right. Move your hand (keeping it as level as possible) till the WHITE end on the floating pointer points south between the lines (the needle does NOT point to 169°!!!). IGNORE THE RED/NORTH END! Totally ignore it - north is of no use to you! (the tutorial posted here on Ice is confusing in that regard - just use south, ignore north)
3. Look along the compass, keeping the needle between the bars. Sight along the RA/polar axis of your mount (assuming it is a german Equatorial) - roughly move the tripod and mount to point in the TRUE position.

I'll take a few happy snaps to help

[LewisM]

A picture speaks 1000 words...

[Nikolas]

Stefan have you seen this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_LgUFZLqIM

[04Stefan07]

Thanks for the pic and description!!

[04Stefan07]

Hey mate.

Yep already seen that video. Followed it to the letter. He doesn't show the initial placement of the scope which I think is what I am having trouble with. After that the software seems pretty straight forward.

[04Stefan07]

So all my issues with the Polemaster are now resolved.

Down at Snake Valley John sat with me and spent a lot of time helping me identify the SCP (by star hopping) and to look for the trapezium shape as shown in the polemaster software. He also recommended the Silva compass like Lewis did which I went out that weekend to buy one.

The next challenge is to give this a crack in a light polluted sky at home!

[chromus]

If I can manage it with the Polemaster, 100m from a major freeway and shopping centre, you will be fine polar aligning dead easy

[AstroApprentice]

Hi Stefan,
Star hopping after an initial compass alignment is the way to go - I seem to be able to find the L-shaped apodis group easily and hop from there to the PM trapezium. If you have a regular observing spot, mark your tripod feet and using PM becomes super easy after that. e.g. I stuck adhesive felt furniture pads that exactly match my tripod feet onto tiles. I also have Sharpcap Pro, and have compared the two on numerous nights, but I prefer PM for ease - so I recommend persisting with it.