15 replies to this topic

[Jim Waters]

I currently have my PoleMaster mounted on my mount’s RA axis.  The PoleMaster and SharpCap arrangement works well.  If I remount the PoleMaster on my Losmandy Dovetail Plate will SharpCap still be able to polar align my mount?  PoleMaster will no longer be optically aligned to the mount RA axis.

[Dynan]

I believe it will. It calculates the arc from one position to the next, 90° apart. As long as your camera is pointed along the polar axis, it will work with SCPA. The better aligned with your scope, the better also.

[Jim Waters]

Thanks Dynan.  What concerns me is that even with bubble leveling the RA and DEC axis you can still be off several degrees.  I check out the SharpCap site and they have a forum site so I posted this question there too.

Edited by Jim Waters, 02 November 2024 - 12:28 AM.

[DuncanM]

Thanks Dynan.  What concerns me is that even with bubble leveling the RA and DEC axis you can still be off several degrees.  I check out the SharpCap site and they have a forum site so I posted this question there too.

Sharpcap doesn't require accurate alignment of the camera with the polar axis of the mount; it calculates the scope alignment error as part of it's algorithm that determines the location of the true pole and the deviation of the mount's polar axis from the true pole.

[Jim Waters]

Thanks Duncan.

[Arie]

The polemaster will work just as well.

Don’t worry.

[Jim Waters]

Thanks all for your inputs.  

[Jaylab]

I use my Polemaster on a variety of mounts and have it mounted on a C clamp. As long as you afix it so when you rotate the polar axis you can see polaris make an arc on the screen it will work.

-Jay-

[jon97]

I just got my EQ6-R pro mount last week. Have used a Meade 12 inch on a pier for years inside of a sky shed pod but I sold that.  Too hard to climb in and out of and then shift the dome off on the PZT. Roll off roof in the planning.   Coupe of things:

 

I think I understand the polar mount alignment necessity but  i don't relish being on my knees and trying to align it each time.  Is the Polemaster worthy of its $300 price tag including the adapter? How often would it be used?  Right now I have no  shed to permanently place the telescope set up so I will probably being taking the mount outside when the weather and time allow. Once its in the shed and on its tripod or pier do you need to re-allign regularly?  May well go to Sharpcap once I have the finderscope and camera.

 

Second:  The manual states that all the equipment being mounted needs to be on it before polar alligning but then there are youtube videos showing alignment with out the OTA being mounted.  Will it matter ?  

 

Thank you

[OregonAstronomer]

I currently have my PoleMaster mounted on my mount’s RA axis.  The PoleMaster and SharpCap arrangement works well.  If I remount the PoleMaster on my Losmandy Dovetail Plate will SharpCap still be able to polar align my mount?  PoleMaster will no longer be optically aligned to the mount RA axis.

Hey Jim,

I've always used my Polemaster screwed in to my Losmandy G11's RA axis. When I got a G811, the tucked motors blocked the Polemaster from fitting in that space. I 3D printed a bracket to attach the Polemaster to the top rail on the scope, merely eyeballing the alignment. Works beautifully.

 

Arnie

[OregonAstronomer]

I just got my EQ6-R pro mount last week. Have used a Meade 12 inch on a pier for years inside of a sky shed pod but I sold that.  Too hard to climb in and out of and then shift the dome off on the PZT. Roll off roof in the planning.   Coupe of things:

 

I think I understand the polar mount alignment necessity but  i don't relish being on my knees and trying to align it each time.  Is the Polemaster worthy of its $300 price tag including the adapter? How often would it be used?  Right now I have no  shed to permanently place the telescope set up so I will probably being taking the mount outside when the weather and time allow. Once its in the shed and on its tripod or pier do you need to re-allign regularly?  May well go to Sharpcap once I have the finderscope and camera.

 

Second:  The manual states that all the equipment being mounted needs to be on it before polar alligning but then there are youtube videos showing alignment with out the OTA being mounted.  Will it matter ?  

 

Thank you

The cost for the Polemaster is one of the best expenditures I've ever made in this hobby (and there have been a LOT of expenditures!). Instead of stooping behind the scope or doing other procedures for up to twenty minutes sometimes, since getting the Polemaster I am polar aligned within 2 arc-minutes of the pole in two minutes! Since I have a tendency to lose adapters, I even got extras so that each of my mounts has one permanently attached. All I have to do is move the Polemaster from scope to scope. In my hands, at least, it is faster and more accurate than SharpCap or NINA's TPPA.

 

Arnie

[DuncanM]

I just got my EQ6-R pro mount last week. Have used a Meade 12 inch on a pier for years inside of a sky shed pod but I sold that.  Too hard to climb in and out of and then shift the dome off on the PZT. Roll off roof in the planning.   Coupe of things:

 

I think I understand the polar mount alignment necessity but  i don't relish being on my knees and trying to align it each time.  Is the Polemaster worthy of its $300 price tag including the adapter? How often would it be used?  Right now I have no  shed to permanently place the telescope set up so I will probably being taking the mount outside when the weather and time allow. Once its in the shed and on its tripod or pier do you need to re-allign regularly?  May well go to Sharpcap once I have the finderscope and camera.

 

Second:  The manual states that all the equipment being mounted needs to be on it before polar alligning but then there are youtube videos showing alignment with out the OTA being mounted.  Will it matter ?  

 

Thank you

Yes, all your gear should be on the mount when it is PAed. The EQ-6R will move quite a bit, especially when mounting the OTA. If you use a guidescope and guidecamera with your OTA, then you can save money by using Sharpcap instead the Polestar.

Edited by DuncanM, 03 November 2024 - 02:21 PM.

[jon97]

Thank you all for your answers.  I guess I will see how much "trouble" I have when I try using the built in mount scope first.  That will drive me to another solution pretty quickly I imagine.  

[andysea]

it is faster and more accurate than SharpCap or NINA's TPPA.

 

Arnie

That's interesting, have you measured the error with Polemaster and with Sharpcap? I actually have both but I use sharp cap for the convenience of polar aligning using my main imaging camera. However if the Polemaster is more accurate I may rethink that strategy.

Edited by andysea, 03 November 2024 - 10:19 PM.

[DuncanM]

That's interesting, have you measured the error with Polemaster and with Sharpcap? I actually have both but I use sharp cap for the convenience of polar aligning using my main imaging camera. However if the Polemaster is more accurate I may rethink that strategy.

I've never used NINA but Sharpcap's PA is extremely accurate with the error remaining being less than atmospheric refraction, and I don't think Polemaster can be more accurate as they both have that same limitation.

Edited by DuncanM, 04 November 2024 - 01:15 AM.

[OregonAstronomer]

That's interesting, have you measured the error with Polemaster and with Sharpcap? I actually have both but I use sharp cap for the convenience of polar aligning using my main imaging camera. However if the Polemaster is more accurate I may rethink that strategy.

Hi Andy,

The few times I compared the two, they both got me to within a couple of arcminutes of the pole. I don't think the Polemaster is more accurate, it's just having had the Polemaster for so long it is much faster for me.

Arnie