Sophisticated, state-of-the-art POM

[Poita (Peter)]

Looks like a nice piece of kit, and handy if your phone battery goes flat and you can't use the clinometer app.

[hotspur (Chris)]

Originally Posted by Dennis

Hi Chris

I first set the system up at my home location and used it to set the altitude and azimuth as per the compass and protractor templates. I then fitted the German Equatorial Mount and aligned it using the built in Polar Alignment ‘Scope using the altitude and azimuth adjustment screws.

This gave me my baseline set up. I now only unscrew one of the azimuth adjusters to remove the mount from the tripod head; in my case, I selected the western azimuth adjustment screw.

Therefore, when I set up the mount again either at home or at a mobile location, after setting up the tripod with my home made templates, I fit the GEM head and only screw in the Western azimuth adjustment screw and this gets me within less than one degree of the SCP.

The Eastern side azimuth adjustment screw always remains untouched, acting as a fixed reference point. Thus, the mount always returns to the same position relative to the post that the azimuth adjustment screws push against.

Cheers

Dennis

Its great,Dennis.

As you know I have little stumps in ground with tiny holes to put tri pod legs in,and marks on the legs.This is all good for the GP mount.When set up I know it s close to PA.

I will set this up,and check PA through PA scope one night,and leave it,the next day I can build a POM or whatever you call it,and work 'by application' on the tripod mount bracket to take the POM,its a dandy set up Dennis!,and working 'by application',I'll get it working well,-great for in the bush trips in rough locations.

I'll just.make a note of the lats of where I am likely to be,and adjust mount as needed.

I like to avoid to much use of anything that has got batteries,and these whiz bang apps pods,have no appeal to me-just another piece of equipment I do not need,and batteries to go flat!

Cheers Chris

[Poita (Peter)]

I'm all for manual solutions as well, but seeing as I carry a phone anyway, it is handy that it can become a bubble level, inclinometer, gps, star finder, eyepiece camera etc.

I'm still getting my head around this whole POM thing, but it sounds like just the ticket for reducing setup times, and as you said, no batteries to go flat

[Poita (Peter)]

Quick question, why the spacers in the last image? Why not have the piece of timber flat against the top of the tripod?

I'm having trouble finding a straight piece out here too, I wonder if aluminium would work...

Originally Posted by Dennis

Hello,

Here are some photos of a sophisticated, state-of-the-art POM that I have just completed, aka:

• Pole Observer’s Module, (POM), or…
• South Polar Alignment Module (SPAM), or…
• Pole Alignment Template, (PAT), or…
• South Pole Alignment Device Enabler, (SPADE), or…
• Sigma Octans Acquisition Pointer, (SOAP), or...
• Sigma Octans Locator (SOL), or…
• Compass Assisted Pole Seeker (CAPS), or…
• Compass Enabled South Seeker (CESS)

The POM is not an absolute reference; it is calibrated relative to the position of my Takahashi EM200 and tripod in our back garden, so when I travel to another site, using the POM I will be able to set up the tripod in daylight to within ±1º of the SCP in azimuth.

Future enhancements may include a bubble level to set the altitude accurately as well.

Cheers

Dennis

[adman (Adam)]

Originally Posted by MrB

I remember hearing something about this a few years ago.
It would be interesting to see the affect it would have on electronic equipment. I know for a fact that everything using a CRT like TV's and old PC monitors would become useless overnight, unless they are sent off for service. Or we could swap TV's with the people in the northern hemi ;D

Why would this happen? I don't remember my old tv's being sensitive to their north/south alignment?? They didn't make northern and southern hemisphere versions of TV's did they....?

Adam

[Poita (Peter)]

Old tube TVs were setup for northern or southern hemisphere magnetic fields, otherwise you got colour and geometry issues on the screen.
Nothing drastic, but enough to be annoying and require you to degauss and adjust.

[adman (Adam)]

does that mean that they would have been sensitive to their orientation within your loungeroom?

[Dennis]

Originally Posted by Poita

Quick question, why the spacers in the last image? Why not have the piece of timber flat against the top of the tripod?

I'm having trouble finding a straight piece out here too, I wonder if aluminium would work...

Hi Peter

The wooden discs are not spacers. They are a push-fit circular disc that fits into the central hole of the tripod mounting head, so that when I locate the arm firmly in place, the long wooden arms sits on top of the tripod head and I can pick up the tripod and move it around to align it without the wooden compass arm slipping or falling off.

Hope that makes sense and answers your question!

Cheers

Dennis

[Poita (Peter)]

Ahhh... that all makes sense now.
I wish I had your woodworking skills, if you ever want to start making them for EQ6Pro's I'll be first in line to buy one!

-Peter