Hi Miker and everyone.
I have had the AZ-EQ6 GT for nigh on two years. In all that time I have never once polar aligned successfully. Even in Alt-Az mode, I have only had two evenings when the mount tracked accurately. The instruction manual verges on the appalling, especially for the Synscan hand controller - e.g step 6 on polar alignment - 'Display Polaris Position' - on page 9. This is clearlyirrelevant for the southern hemisphere, so if you press 'enter' to get on with the next step, it must assume you are aligning with the NCP. There is no other option in equatorial mode.
Matt's comment illustrates a particular beef I have with telescope mount makers: NOBODY on planet earth has devised a self-aligning mount (that will work here, down south!), yet here we are in the age of GPS readings accurate to within 5 metres or less on the earth's surface! Some telescope mount maker will make a fortune when such a device is manufactured and actually works.
There are times when I have contemplated taking a (figurative) sledgehammer to the AZ-EQ6 because I all want to do is actually just observe (let alone do deep sky photography), but its tracking accuracy for me, is hopeless.I just don't "get" this mount at all.
