jog
sage
Reged: 10/26/06
Loc: nj
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Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
#2982738 - 03/14/09 12:43 AM
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Hi all.
I recently upgraded my cg5 mount HC and MC to the new 4.15 and 5.14 versions but wasn't able to do a polar alignment because of the weather. tonight was partly cloudy so I was able to do the alignment. after the two star align and two calib star alignment I was looking for the polar align under the utilities menu but there was none, so I scroll through all the other menus still could not find it. did they remove the polar align from the new version? or is there a updated manual? if so where can I find it?
Anyway even without the polar alignment I was still able to slew to Saturn and the moon, Mizar and they all showed up in the eyepiece, but then the clouds rolled in so I had to call it a night.
Thanks.
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: jog]
#2983079 - 03/14/09 08:57 AM
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Quote:
Hi all.
I recently upgraded my cg5 mount HC and MC to the new 4.15 and 5.14 versions but wasn't able to do a polar alignment because of the weather. tonight was partly cloudy so I was able to do the alignment. after the two star align and two calib star alignment I was looking for the polar align under the utilities menu but there was none, so I scroll through all the other menus still could not find it. did they remove the polar align from the new version? or is there a updated manual? if so where can I find it?
Anyway even without the polar alignment I was still able to slew to Saturn and the moon, Mizar and they all showed up in the eyepiece, but then the clouds rolled in so I had to call it a night.
Thanks.
Don' feel bad, Beaudreaux...your old Uncle Rod had the same problem. It is accessed by the alignment key, not through a menu like the old polar align system. You'll find instructions toward the back of the manual (download a CGEM manual from Celestron) in the polar alignment section.
Oh, one thing...if you are just doing visual observing, there is not much reason to fool with the polar align procedure; just center polaris in the polar bore and let her rip. Go-to is not affected by the quality of the polar alignment.
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Luigi
Postmaster
Reged: 07/03/07
Loc: MA
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: rmollise]
#2983105 - 03/14/09 09:11 AM
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>>>just center polaris in the polar bore and let her rip<<<
Or even set azimuth with a little compass (correcting for variation)and set you latitude with the scale on the mount. I used Google maps to find that the road my house is on is oriented true north/south, so I just set the azimuth parallel to the street. For visual use, polar alignment isn't critical and trivially easy to do.
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jog
sage
Reged: 10/26/06
Loc: nj
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: Luigi]
#2983127 - 03/14/09 09:29 AM
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Thanks guys. I have a good view of polaris from my back yard so I just center polaris in the polar hole in the mount. tracking is improved so that's good. well thanks again guys.
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Dave H.
sage
Reged: 02/29/08
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: jog]
#2983193 - 03/14/09 10:18 AM
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It seems Rod already provided the answer you need, but assuming the operation is the same as on the CGEM as I would expect, the CGEM Polar Align Option is initiated by depressing the Align button after you have entered your calibration stars.
Aftering depressing Align at this point there should be a prompt "Polar Align"?
After you respond electing to initiate polar alignment the mount should then slew to where the last calibration star should be if the mount is properly polar aligned. You just adjust the mount Alt/AZ mechanical settings to center the last calibration star, and you are done. There is no need to realign the mount following this polar alignment routine.
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waassaabee
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/07
Loc: Central California Coast
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: Dave H.]
#2983317 - 03/14/09 11:59 AM
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Dave H., If I recollect correctly... I had updated my CG5 to 4.15 just days before it finally required maintenance. It seems to me I figured out that after you do your 2+4, you select a star (any star) in the recommended area of the sky for polar align, slew to it, _THEN_ press ALIGN and use the All Sta routine. This way it slews to the last star you selected, being in the recommended area of the sky. Adjust the mount as required to complete the Polar Align, then re-sync your alignment and calibration stars. You can also select different calibration stars to do the re-sync, letting you pick the area of the sky you will be imaging in if that is the case.
Make sense?
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Dave H.
sage
Reged: 02/29/08
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: waassaabee]
#2983412 - 03/14/09 12:53 PM
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Wasabee...
From the manual it seems you certainly can select any star in the data base. Having not yet memorized the manual, I guess I can really only recall my recent practical experiences, I must just always select the last calib star, and slew back to that star for polar alignment as it may be the first option to appear for the ASPA...
This is from the manual and describes the feature and how it works for less confusion:
Polar Align using the Hand Control
The CGEM mount has a polar alignment function that will help you polar align your telescope for increased tracking
precision and astrophotography. This feature allows you to choose any bright alignment star to assist in accurately aligning
your telescope's mount with the North Celestial Pole. Before using the Polar Align feature, the scope must first be roughly
pointed towards North and should be aligned with two stars in the sky. See the "Latitude Scale" section for help with
finding north and adjusting the mounts latitude.
Once your telescope is aligned on two stars, slew the telescope to any bright star in its Named Star database list. Once
there, press the Align button and use the Up/Down buttons on the hand controller to select Polar Align from the list.
The Polar Align feature has two options:
Align Mount- After performing a two star alignment and slewing your telescope to any bright star in the telescope's
database and select the "Align Mount" option. The telescope will then re-slew to the same star.
1. Center the star in the finderscope and press ENTER.
Figure 5-3
38
2. Then accurately center the star in your eyepiece and press ALIGN.
The telescope will then "sync" on this star and slew to the position that star should be if it were accurately polar
aligned.
3. Use the mounts latitude and azimuth adjustments (see figure 2-15) to place the star in the center of the
eyepiece. Do not use the direction buttons on the hand control to position the star. Once the star is
centered in the eyepiece, press ENTER; the polar axis should now be pointed towards the North Celestial
Pole.
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jog
sage
Reged: 10/26/06
Loc: nj
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: waassaabee]
#2983420 - 03/14/09 12:57 PM
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Thanks for the additional info guys. the next clear night I will redo the alignment.
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waassaabee
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/07
Loc: Central California Coast
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: Dave H.]
#2983429 - 03/14/09 01:00 PM
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Dave, I think that it will default to the last star selected. If you do not select an alternate it goes to your last calibration star. But you have to select the target you plan on 'polar aligning' on, prior to pressing ALIGN.
If my memory serves me right... 
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waassaabee
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/26/07
Loc: Central California Coast
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: Dave H.]
#2984126 - 03/14/09 07:26 PM
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I must just always select the last calib star, and slew back to that star for polar alignment as it may be the first option to appear for the ASPA...
You can do that, but what I did was let the software select ALL of the calibration stars, and wait for ALIGN SUCCESS. Then select the star in the recommended area of the sky that you want to do the ASPA on, and slew to it. Do not adjust position and press ALIGN and go to All Star. You now will do the ASPA on the star you selected, and your 2+4 is intact. Adjust the mount and resync. Done. 
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DrBuck
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/10/08
Loc: Susanville, No. Calif.
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Re: Can't find Polar Align on my cg5 HC
[Re: waassaabee]
#2985300 - 03/15/09 01:11 PM
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One method for polar alignment that is quite precise and done prior to the drift method for AP, is to mount a green laser to your telescope (or mount). Precisely align it parallel to your scope and set the mount at 90degrees declination. then loosen the RA lock and swing the scope from one side to the other. If the mount is parallel to earths axis, the end of the green laser will not move around. It will point to exactly the same spot whether on one side of the mount or the other. This method can also be used on a fork type scope mounted on a wedge. Its pretty useful for those mounts that do not have a polar scope in the mount. 
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