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Baz,
Mate, I've got to agree with Steve H. I can see how your current alignment approach is compounded by any tube alignment error, but if you drift align, it doesn't matter whether the tube is parallel to the fork mount or not. I suggest drift aligning is the start of the solution to your problem.
My scope isn't a fork mount, but I'm guessing that the alignment procedure for your scope uses similar software to mine, offering options like Auto Align, Last Align, Quick Align, etc on start up.
The procedure I use on start up usually is to choose a Quick Align. i.e. the drive just models the sky with no real alignment on anything. I do this to save time.
Then I drift align.
When I'm happy with my drift alignment, I power down the mount, restart it and do an Auto Align. This then does the magic calcs that correct for cone error (misalignment of the OTA).
When I first started learning to drift align I found I could spend all night drift aligning and miss out on viewing. The key is to start by making big adjustments. Once you go too far, use the binary search method (i.e. halving your previous adjustment each time) till you are aligned.
Once you get your mount aligned, then I'd worry about the misalignment of the OTA... which shouldn't be so much of a problem to solve by itself.
Hang in there Baz. Take a break and settle down, and then have another go, but drift align first and ignore Octans...
Al.
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