Hi Trish,
Welcome to IIS.
I think that quite a few of us have an SA2i tucked away in a cupboard somewhere. i know I do.
With regards to getting a good-enough polar alignment, a lot hinges on what focal length camera lens / telescope you are using.
For longer focal lengths (I'd call that anything past about 200mm) the polar alignment must be close to spot-on to avoid star trailing and/or having your target drift across the image as the night progresses. On the other hand, a 14mm lens will give good results with the SA2i pointed in the right direction.
The polar scope on the SA2i can be difficult to use and I've found that getting a good polar alignment is more a matter of luck than anything else. Unless you know the exact direction to aim, and that's really only something that comes with knowing your imaging location.
Cheers,
V.