Polar alignment software and DSLR

[White Rabbit]

I'm trying to find some polar alignment software that will work with a DSLR in live mode. They all seem to be for CCD's. Does anyone know of any out there?

Thanks

[madwayne (Wayne)]

You could try the article below. It isn't software but there is logic in it. Would I use it? Probably not. Learn to polar align it really isn't that hard. It is a little daunting initially but not that bad once you get the hang of it.

http://www.astrophotoinsight.com/node/568 it is written for the northeners so replace references to South with North. I wouldn't start with 2 minute exposures, try 30 or 40 seconds and then go longer otherwise it will take forever and I would still put a reticle in it at the end just to see how close you get.

Regards
Wayne

[White Rabbit]

Thanks, polar alignment I can do but I was looking for something to speed up the process. Now that it's summer the days are longer so it doesnt really get dark until about 8pm, I go to my bed at about 1030/1100 because I'm up at 600am. Doesnt leave much time for taking pictures when good polar alignment can take an hour.

I'll check out he link you left.

Thanks again.
Sandy

[White Rabbit]

That looks like it will do the trick. Of course there is 100% cloud cover atm, aarrgghh.

Thanks

[madwayne (Wayne)]

Hi Sandy

Happy to help and I hope it does get you to where you want to be. I hear you about the setup and pull down time as I get to do this every time I am out.

Have you thought about marking out your area and leaving your mount head and tripod together at the end of the night? That way you can get a great polar alignment mark out where your tripod feet are and then come out the next night plonk your mount straight down do a quick check of your polar alignment once you have mounted your scope and away you go.

And in my initial reply I meant to type replace North with South, but I think you got where I was coming from.

Good luck and please get back to me/us to let us know how you get on.

Regards
Wayne

[TrevorW]

Polar alignment sucks, I can never find the stars that are supposed to be there through the polar scope and it's a back breaking excercise in futility.

Oh! for a robotic mount the you can drop down anywhere push a button and it will do it all for you, I'm a dreamer.

I make sure the mount is level, it's pointing true south and the latitude is set spot on. Then do a three star alignment with the mount (EQ6), turn off the mount to check drift in a reticle EP. Make slight adjustments then do another three star alignment, check drift again.

I probably like a lot of others without permanent sites don't have the time during the week to spend trying to get the polar alignment 100% spot on.

One thing though mark spots on your patio or where ever for the tripod legs this for sure cuts down on the time spent setting up.

[AlexN]

Trevor, You dont have to do a star alignment before, or in between drift alignment iterations.

Fire up the mount, enter all the usual info time/date/viewing location etc. it asks "do you want to perform a star alignment, hit 2 (no) unlock the mount axis, point it to the star you intend to drift align on, lock the axis.
Hit setup on the hand controller, scroll through the list untill you find "tracking" hit enter. scroll through until you find 'Sidereal tracking' hit enter.

Drift align as usual. (this should save you plenty of time!)


Also, it should not take longer than an hour to get the alignment pretty spot on... even for a beginner (like myself) making rather massive adjustments at the beginning is key to making the process swift..

Using K3CCDTools' "drift explorer" you can within seconds see both the direction, and amount of drift via a webcam.. and from there, make the necessary large or small adjustment (dependent on the amount of drift), recenter the star in the webcams field of view, and within seconds, get a live readout of how my better or worse that adjustment made the alignment...

I saw this performed for the first time last weekend, and Paul '[1ponders]' was polar aligned within 20 minutes turning on the mount...

If thats not THE best way to do it, I dont know what is.

[TrevorW]

Thanks Alex I might have to spend $50 and buy a webcam

Cheers

[AlexN]

To answer the original post, Startarg 2.0 will work with a DSLR that has live view, provided that the live image is displayed on the computer screen, Startarg should have you on your way in no time... (google for it... I know the name, its on my fingertips.. but I just cant think of the site..)

[White Rabbit]

http://www.andysshotglass.com/StarTarg.html

Thanks Alex. I've posted a link to the site so when someone does a search the info is in this thread.

I've ordered it, $30 AU, damn the exchange rate really stings at the moment. 4 months ago I'd have got it for about $22.

[allan gould]

The easiest and best procedure is given in this webpage
http://www.users.on.net/~pbl/art_sh_polar_alignment.htm
The use of a 8x50 finder scope and then the main scope to align is the simplest method for polar alignment by far. I use this and then a 10min drift and Im perfectly polar aligned

[White Rabbit]

The Startarg is pretty much a glorified iluminated reticule. It doesnt calculate how far off you are which is what I was looking for.

Oh well, I'll be buying a guide scope pretty soon anyway so...

Thanks for the help guys.

[jolasa]

Try Backyard EOS, released late 2010.

Info here:
http://backyardeos.binaryrivers.com/

Jon