How do you polar align in the suburbs?

[toc]

I live in the outer burbs of Melbourne. I dont get a chance to get out much, so most of my astronomy is done out in the backyard.

I would really like some advice/tips on the best way to accurately polar align, given that the octans is to faint to be seen.

[matt]

Have a go at this, for starters

http://www.myastroshop.com.au/guides/polar-align-basic.pdf

[EzyStyles]

Hi, I live in eastern suburbs of melb and do all my astrophotography in my backyard. you will need to adjust your eyes so you can see it. Turn all house lights off etc . Mark your tripod once you've got the octans so next time you can grab and plonk to the markers.

[Striker]

Just do a drift align.

I have never done a polar align in my life.

Bert posted a simple method on drift align here.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8630&highlight=drift+align

[Gama]

Ditto.
Do a drift alignment. Much more accurate and so much easier.
Do your rough as guts polar alignment (Point to south and set to 38 deg south) and go from there.

[matt]

I'd really like to learn the drift align method and Bert's instructions sound good and pretty easy to understand.

The only bit in those instructions which has me confused in is the bit that says to get the RA axis aligned with true north??

I thought we were supposed to align south???:help:

[Dennis]

Hi Matt

At a guess, I reckon he means the N-S line but with the business end pointing to the S of course.

Don't forget to allow for magnetic variation between compass and the true SCP axis of rotation.

Cheers

Dennis

[Hammerman]

Well lets see...... Polaris still stands out in fairly light polluted skies, so it really isn't much of a problem. Oh, wait! You guys are in that other hemisphere, aren't you? :lol:

[rmcpb]

Whenever I have set up an equatorial mount of any kind I have just used the 4.5 lengths off Crux to roughly align it then gone to drift align. Often, if the scope is only to be used for visual the inital alignment is more than good enough.

[toc]

SO if I use that method, and my tracking is still poor, I guess that I can blame my mount?

[JohnG]

OK, I will ask the obvious here, what sort of telescope and mount do you have. That will determine how you go about it?

JohnG

[toc]

I have a Celestron C8 on a beatup EQ5, with an autostar mod. Ive just done a bit of a strip down of it - and re-adjusted the worm gears. Now I will re-train tomorrow. :-)

[JohnG]

Hi Toc

My suggestion is to do a quick and dirty alignment for visual, then refine it by using the drift alignment method, when you are finished mark where your tripod legs are and, if possible, put three small cans with cement and a depression into the ground at the final alignment spot, if you are on cement (not good) just use a spray can of paint to mark the spot.

Cheers

JohnG