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Polar alignment confusion
Hi folks, Bill here
I'm in the middle of upgrading some stuff and I found I've painted myself into a corner over polar alignment.
My old system was an NEQ6 with a refractor with a DSLR and a guide scope. The guide camera is an ASI120MM. I use ASCOM with Stellarium and PHD2 for guiding. All worked pretty well. I used SharpCap 2.9 for polar alignment using the guide scope (I don't know how many people use this, but it's brilliant).
I've decided to ease my way into narrowband, so I got myself an ASI1600MM-pro, and there's an off axis guider on back order from Bintel. I plan to put the 120MM on the OAG and then go through the 1.25" manual filter wheel I have already. It's looking OK so far, although no first light yet. The only things I need now is Sequence Generator Pro, and some variable spacers for the back-focus of my flattener (also on back order).
Then I discovered the problem. Using the 560mm focal length refractor and the 1600MM I can't use SharpCap for polar alignment. You need a much shorter focal length for that - I guess it's to limit the size of the database for plate solving. I think (unless some clever person out there can help me) that I'm forced to unscrew the 120MM from the OAG and put it back on the old guide scope, polar align with that, then move it back to the OAG for the rest of the night. Not an optimal thing to be doing in the field, with dust and moisture.
A secondary problem is that I "fully extended" myself with the upgrade. I can't get a Polemaster, as that's currently out of my range. Can anyone think of a solution? SGP doesn't (yet) have a polar alignment aid, which is a bummer, because that would have been perfect.
Any thoughts?
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