Just wanted to say this is one of many tutorial videos I’ve watched of martins and he gets it bang on each time! Easy to follow and simplistic rather than him assuming you know exactly what everything does and need to do for it. Perfect channel for starting out and getting everything sorted before your first clear skies! Cheers Martin
You are the only one that I found who actually shows this process. Spent all day and couldn't get it right. 🤣 I'll have another go tomorrow ☺️. Thanks heaps.
Hi Martin, now that Santa has brought me a Heq5 pro, your channel is the first port of call to help me get set up ! Excellent and informative as ever - Thank you
He did well getting it down the chimney!! Hope it goes well. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be glad to help, or just let me know how you get on. Clear Skies!
Here’s my experience: First off, thanks for the explanation. My scope was off on my new HEQ5 Pro and this helped me calibrate it. Now onto my problem. My grub screw on one side was stripped. In order to centre the reticule one screw had to be turned in so much that it was only holding by barely 1 thread in the scope. It would keep turning as the last threads were stripped. The grub screws need to be longer so they make contact with the full thread on the scope. So I simply used some longer screws (coincidentally, the new screws for the Rowan Belt Mod to hold the motor cover are the same thread). This brought a huge, unexpected benefit. Instead of fiddling with an Allen key to turn the grub screws I could use my fingers to turn the bolts while looking through the scope. This is much easier/quicker. I was able to align my scope perfectly in 2 minutes as I didn’t have to keep looking away to adjust a single grub screw. Being able to turn two bolts at the same time while watching the reticule move is far more intuitive. Even though the bolts stick out they’re hidden when you put the cover on so no chance of accidentally bumping them.
Thanks Martin! I used this tutorial to calibrate the polar scope in my Heq5 pro. I have just got it, my first EQ mount, so still trying to get my head around it. It was explained in a much easier way than in the manual, literally took me a few minutes to do it. Love your channel, so informative, thank you.
I've spent 2 hours today trying to calibrate my SW Adventurer's polar scope. I've panicked when lens with radical droped and eyepiece was mowin on the thread... Nightmare. But with this video you've assured me a bit that I did a good job after all that struggle. Cheers :)
Ugggh! Thank you! I was reading the manual and had no idea what they wanted me to "rotate half way." Glad I stopped and came looking before I screwed it up!
Maybe I’m just lucky but mine was aligned perfectly right out of the box! I wouldn’t have realized this if I hadn’t watched this video - thanks, Martin!
Very informative. I've just done this focusing on the point of an oasthouse nearby. I'm pretty happy with the alignment. I guess we'll see when I actually manage to get out with some clear skies!
An alternative system to be performed indoors and at any time is the following: 1-Illuminate the polarscope from the *objective* side with a flashlight (counterweight bar horizontally) 2-the light coming out of the eyepiece side of the polarscope produces a nice projected image of the polar reticle 3-collect this image (almost in focus) on a white sheet (A4 for example) placed on the floor 4-mark on the sheet the central point of the grid (point A) and make sure do not move anymore the sheet 5-rotate the RA by 180 degrees and mark the new center of the projected grid on the sheet (point B) 6-Mark the center (C) of the segment between the two points A and B (this is the rotation axis of AR) 7-Using the adjustment screws, bring the projection of the center of the reticle to point C 8-Rotate the RA again 180 degrees to check the alignment, should be ok
I used this and holy shit. Absolute banger of a solution. So lemme build up on it a little. If you are struggling to find the center accurately, you can do more points. Place point A on the paper. Then rotate 45 degrees and place point B Another 45 degrees to get C Another 45 to get D You will see that now you have a + pattern between all points. Draw lines between point AC and point BD, you will see that the lines intertwine and form a cross. The middle point of the cross is absolute center of the points you made. Which we can call point E. Using the calibration screws, move the center of the reticule to point E. Please note: The further back from the surface of projection you are the more accurate your calibration will be. (I did it on my wall so it was much easier to move it further) Just make sure you dont move it so far back. You can focus your reticule so far before you run out of threading on the polar scope eyepiece.
@@TheNorseStargazer I don't recommend touching the eyepiece focus because, at least in my case, this changes the alignment quite a bit. That is, if I refocus on the sky, then I lose the alignment of the reticle. However, even if the reticle projection is slightly out of focus you still get a good result. I'm not sure but I think since it's a circular rotation, two points at 180 degrees should be enough, but may be you are right. Clear skies!
@@mauriziorvt that's a little odd though. How does focusing the polar scope change the reticule calibration? It shouldn't unless you screw it all the way in, in which case you can press on the reticule ring itself and kick it out of calibration. Do correct me if I am wrong. May I also ask which mount you have?
@@TheNorseStargazer The mount is an iOptron iEQ45 pro. I suspect it's due to the loose thread of the screw of the focusing eyepiece . Very loose and since, greased a lot! Touching the eyepiece in some way changed it's alignment and I could see it projected right on the screen. I managed to reduce the play removing the grease and filling the gap with some teflon plumbing tape. It worked great... But if you don't experience such an issue, is good for you and just ignore the warning.
Thanks Martin, finally a video that explains rectical alignment in great detail, Thank you , question, how loose should the silver dial be, mines very loose, could you do another video on the date, time setting, and what all the dials mean ?
If you follow the polar alignment and home position finding process in my setup and polar alignment videos you never need to use the dials, other than to help you rotate 90 degrees, which is a simple rotation from 6-9 or 9-0 on the RA, or 0-90 on the Dec, for example. Things have moved on so much these days that the dials are virtually not worth having.
So is the orientation of the graticule critical when the mount is in the Home position? I bought an HEQ5 in the Northern Hemisphere and was surprised to see Octans, rather than the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. I use an app that shows where on the graticule compass Polaris needs to be.
@@MrGp3po I get asked this a lot…it’s a very good question. No, it is not critical. This is because you can simply unlock the RA clutch and rotate the mount in RA until 12 is “at the top”. There is a clever approach you can do to make sure it actually is “at the top”. I explain this in my polar alignment tutorial. I hope this helps.
Thanks for this! I have two further questions: 1) I see in the video that the image from your scope shifts a little bit as you rotate your RA axis, and I see the same thing in mine, is this a problem? To me this suggests that even though the crosshairs are properly aligned, the optics are not. 2) the 0-6 o'clock axis of my crosshairs don't perfectly line up with my DEC axis, maybe 5 degrees too far clockwise, does this need to be fixed or can I just align it how I want by rotating my RA accordingly before polar aligning?
Hi Martin, Great tutorial. Can you tell me what the markings represent on the edge of the graticule (the small circles with adjoining lines and the word 'Oct' )?
Thanks! Those circles are for use in the Southern Hemisphere where there is no convenient bright star close to the south celestial pole. The alignment then has to be based on getting a group of four nearby stars in the right place for the centre of the graticule to be on the celestial pole. In the Northern hemisphere we are lucky to have Polaris as a very bright star close to the celestial pole.
@@123psper You have two choices. Rotate the RA until 12H is at the top (see my Polar Alignment tutorial) or risk rotating your polar scope reticule. Be warned, it can easily drop out and break!! I left mine as it is and simply rotate 12H to the top as part of my polar alignment process. You will anyway have to do this because if you rotate your reticle it will almost certainly not have 12H perfectly aligned to the top.
Looks like the polar scope needs culminating as well as the rectice centred. There are three more Allen grub screws further up the tube for this purpose.
Thank you Martin for your useful tip. A missing element in the assembly would be a kind of Grower washer to prevent the ocular to reach reticule plan or to avoid reticule plan to fall on the ocular...what do you think? Best regards. Eric K.
The design is very crude…but it is a low cost commercial product for mass production so no surprising. Not sure I fully understand what you are suggesting, but I am sure there is room for improvement!
Great video. Quick question, once calibrated is the slight movement of the image as you rotate (as seen at 5:07) normal? Mine does this too, just curious. Thanks
Being "all alone" at 70 degrees north (Tromso, Norway) I am (againg) trying to start up my hobby. Newbie to say the least. I have not yet managed to se the Polaris thrue the polarscope. Yesterday it was awsome clear skys and I made a new attempt. For learning purposes I just mount my mounting without the telescope ane weights on a selfmade pier. However bringing my eye in the right position is a though task. I do own a 90 degree optics - Do you think I will get enough light thru this prism (do not know the correct name) so that I can align to Polaris? It is o'course difficult to find Polaris when I only can see small blue lights and the cold makes me produce mist from breathing. Any tip?
I would expect the prism (called a 'diagonal' I believe) to reduce the light very little. Perhaps direct your breath sideways somehow...or wear a face mask...I suspect you have one of those!!!
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you for your response. I will try out the diagonal as soon as the wheater allows it. Again - thank you for your respons. Is it generaly difficult to align correctly to Polaris?
Hi Martin. Thanks for the video. I have had my HEQ5 mount for a few months now and I did this when I first got it. However, I could never understand why when I finally got it correct, the crosshair of the reticule rotates in a circle instead of rotating directly around the crosshair. I see yours does the same in the video. This doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something? Thanks, Tom
Hi Tom. Thanks. I think I know what you mean, although I don’t think you quite wrote what you intended (“crosshair … rotates in a circle…..about the crosshair”). The strange way it moves happens because the polar scope is not parallel to the RA axis. This in itself is not a problem so long as you can get the crossing point of the crosshair to stay in one place in the scene you are viewing when you rotate the RA (by adjusting the grubs screws). Once that is achieved you know the line through the crossing point is parallel to your RA axis. It would be much better in my opinion to have adjustment screws on the whole polar scope so it can be made parallel to the RA axis rather than just on the reticule. Then it would not behave in this rather surprising and unwelcome way. Clear skies.
Thanks Aaron. Depends what you mean by “align”. I check my polar scope calibration about twice a year. Polar alignment must be done every time if you pack away your kit each time, or even if you just knock it slightly. If you have a permanent installation where you leave your kit set up, for example in an observatory, then polar alignment only needs checking occasionally, such as every few months.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks for that. i'm brand new to all of this so terminology and preparation is a bit daunting. Having re-watched the video, i think i get it now. I checked the crosshair alignment and that seems fine. its going to be a steep learning curve haha.
Brilliantly easy, and so important, me at 77 now getting my head around a goto mount, eq3! I get that if it this ain't right, nothing is, but something is really bothering me. I've seen all this messing with spirit levels to set the home position, though I have to ask myself, does this really align the telescope with the mount, I don't think so, yet I can find no mention of aligning the scope with the mount anywhere. Also there is no provision on say a dovetail bar to make adjustments without some imagination. I'd love your thoughts on this!
Hi there! Thanks for the great question. The simple answer is ‘no’. Setting the home position does not properly align the telescope with the mount. It is just a rough alignment so that when you switch on and slew to an object (E.g. bright star) for the first time it is not too far off. You can then use a Telrad or red dot finder to get the star in the centre of your eyepiece or camera field of view as a star alignment or use plate solving instead to create a sync point, which is just like star alignment but uses the pattern of stars you are seeing instead of a selected star. Once you have completed your star alignment (or done a plate solve & sync) your mount has a much better knowledge of how the telescope is aligned to the mount. A 3-star alignment gives a more accurate knowledge than a 1-star alignment…. But plate solving is the ultimate weapon in this battle and once you master it you will never go back to star alignment!! I hope this helps you. Clear skies.
@@martinsastrophotography Well thanks for all that, defo confirmed my thoughts, and now for what I hope will be a solution. Firstly I have a concrete pier set up, so intend to leave the mount set under cover of course. I'll follow your instructions as far as the rough alignment, at which point the scope will be roughly pointing at the pole star, I'll then use the red dot finder and adjust the dec axis to get the star mid point, then by means of jacking screws and packing alter the telescope altitude to finally centre the star by changing how the dovetail sits on the mount. Hopefully then a quick check at every fresh use to ensure the scope is sitting the same, away we go, and get on with the 3 star setting. If this reliably works it might be worth machining a decent wedge or even modify the dovetail to save time in the future, and hopefully avoid the need for plate solving at least most of the time. Now please if you spot a flaw in my thinking, please tell me, I have thought that cross hairs would improve accuracy . Thanks for you help Martin
@@leyburnhealeyman There is some confusion going on here. Let me try to clarify by providing the sequence of steps you need to follow: 1. Set up mount with telescope, camera, cables, dew shield etc… 2. Balance in RA and Dec. 3. Polar align using polar scope and alt/az bolts. 4. Open clutches and move telescope to home position. Lock clutches. 5. Cycle power on the mount. 6. Initiate 1-star alignment and choose an alignment star not too far from your intended target. Mount will attempt to slew to that star. 7. Adjust pointing to get the selected star in centre of camera sensor. 8. Confirm alignment star is in centre of field of view to complete star alignment. 9. Refine focus. 10. Slew to intended target. 11. Start imaging. I do not know what you mean by “jacking screws and packing”. You do not need to modify your dovetail at all. I hope this helps.
@@martinsastrophotography Sorry if I've confused you Martin, going back to my first question to which you relied 'no' and your video really. You have done the best you can to ensure that your polar scope is accurately set in the mount, I wonder just how many just assume it's correct as bought, and by so doing you have improved polar alignment. My problem is I fear that I was a precision engineer, and that is maybe why I asked the question about the telescope alignment, which we agree is hardly likely to be correct. Maybe this is not as important as I tend to think, and it's only when I get my mount polar aligned with I know whether the error is small or large, I just feel that when in the home position, that if the pole star is actually in my field of view through the telescope then I have a reasonable set up.If it's not then to add to the precision I'm happy to modify things, like the dovetail, tube rings etc to ensure that I get the best telescope alignment I can. Surely this can't be wrong to try to achieve this, maybe as everyone seems to say it's not needed and as adjustment is not a built in feature then maybe not, I'll find out in time. So confusion, sure, and maybe it's just the precision engineer in me that says there is an error that is not in the normal way able to be cancelled out. anyways, I'll be following your set up method and I'll learn, hopefully. Thanks for time and input Martin, copied and pasted for future reference.
@@leyburnhealeyman See my video on Polar scope calibration. Also, precision in the mounting is actually not important at all. What matters is that it is firmly attached and well balanced. It could be 20 degrees off and it wouldn’t matter, so long as it is firmly attached and well balanced. It is important to understand this aspect of your setup. The two steps after assembly and balancing serve two very important but totally separate purposes. Polar alignment ensures the tracking works as well as possible. Star alignment enables the Goto system to understand what position of its RA and Dec axes is needed to point your telescope at a given object. It is this step that corrects for whatever angle the telescope is mounted relative to the mount.
Thanks. You do not need to fix it. This is normal. During polar alignment you will unlock RA clutch and rotate RA u til zero is at the top. See my polar alignment tutorial. Clear skies.
@@martinsastrophotography Ok than after rotation and position on the North Star than do I luck in that position and than start 3star alignment Or I put it in home position before I start 3 star alignment? Thanks.
@@AstroRef68 Here are the steps: 1. Assemble your mount, telescope, camera, dew heater, cables etc… 2.Balance in RA. 3. Balance in Dec (horizontally). 4. Balance in Dec (vertically). 5. Polar align then switch off the mount. 6. Unlock RA and Dec clutches and move to home position. Lock both clutches. 7. Power up the mount. 8. Skip through inputs on hand controller and go straight to Star Alignment. 1-star is usually ok. Once successfully star aligned you can select an object and slew to it.
Hi Martin. Another great video. Quick question. I followed your video in marking the home position and aligned the polar scope using a distant land object to the RA Axis. I have the HEQ5 Pro mount. However, my reticule does not read 0 at the top and 6 on the bottom. The 0 is actually just above where the 9 would be. Thoughts? Am I missing something? Thanks for your help and great work on your channel. You are helping so many people.
Hi Yervant. This question is asked by a lot of people!! The position of 0 when the mount is in the home position is totally arbitrary. The polar scope graticule is a circular ring held in by 3 grub screws. Therefore 0 can be anywhere. No orientation is wrong! If you want to change it you can....unscrew the polar scope and carefully loosen the grub screws, holding the polar scope so that the graticule can not fall out, you can then rotate it to be where you want. You must then secure the grub screws, re-fit the polar scope and re do to polar scope calibration process. I have set mine up to have the 0 about 20 degrees away from the top when my mount is in the home position. This choice is simply to get the back of my telescope out of the way so I don’t bump my head on it during polar alignment!!! Whether you makes this adjustment or not, when you polar align, follow the process in my polar alignment tutorial and you should have no problems. Hope this is clear and helps!
John's Garage Yes. It is the bottom half of page 12 in the manual, but I think most people prefer to learn from videos rather than reading a lot of text!
Thanks! No, I have not made a video about the date circle. My polar alignment technique does not use the date circle, as I use the PS Align Pro iPhone App. I recommend you do the same. See my polar alignment tutorial. Clear Skies!
@@martinsastrophotography I actually have that same app and have been using it for about a year now. It's great. I also recently modified my Orion Sirius EQ-G polar scope with the reticule that has the graduated circle versus the Cas/Dipper asterisms but haven't had a chance to try it out due to weather. Clear skies!
Do you also have a video on calibrating the polar scope's rotation? The manual for the Star Adventurer 2i makes absolutely zero sense. This procedure is explained pretty well, but the second part of their calibration reads as follows: * Turn the date graduation circle to align Oct. 31 to the 0 of the time graduation circle. * Hold the date graduation circle and turn the eyepiece/mounting platform to align the time meridian indicator to the 0 of the time meridian circle. * Looking through the eyepiece, the reticule should be aligned as shown in fig. 4 (which shows the reticule aligned with 0 at the top, 6 at the bottom) * If the pattern is orientated differently, scales need readjustment. * Turn the date graduation circle to align Oct 31 to the 0 of the time graduation circle. * Hold it (I assume the the date graduation circle, which is the only thing that can move independently of the rest) and turn the eyepiece/mounting platform to orientate the reticule as shown in fig. 4 (why do I need to hold the date graduation circle? It moves independently from the reticule, and can be repositioned to Oct. 31 at any time. But why would I need to align it to Oct. 31 in the first place? Apparently, what we want, is to align the time meridian indicator to the 0 of the time graduation circle, and have the reticule display an upright image; the position of the date graduation circle is completely irrelevant as it rotates independently of all the rest). * Loosen the time meridian indicator calibration screw and move the meridian indicator to align it to the 0 of the time meridian circle, without turning the date graduation circle and eyepiece/mounting platform (again, who cares about the date graduation circle? It moves IN-DE-PEN-DENT-LY!!!) * Tighten the time meridian indicator calibration screw, and look through the eyepiece to verify the image is still upright. From my interpretation of this confusing mess of instructions, I can simplify all that faff to: "align the time meridian indicator with the 0 position on the reticule when looking through the polar scope", or as a list of instructions: * Disengage the clutch on the RA axis * Rotate the RA axis so the image through the reticule is orientated upright, with the 0 at the top and 6 at the bottom * Loosen the time meridian indicator calibration screw * Rotate the time meridian indicator so the indicator is at the top, aligning with the 0 on the time graduation circle * Tighten the time meridian indicator calibration screw. Can someone with more knowledge on the subject confirm that this is the correct procedure?
@@EvenTheDogAgrees I have good news for you. You can ignore all that gobbledygook!!! There is no need to calibrate the rotation of the polar scope’s rotation. Watch my polar alignment tutorial which explains a really easy method for getting 12 o’clock to be uppermost. Any questions, let me know.
@@martinsastrophotography I've already watched that one. You use the polar alignment app on your phone. With the app, you're not using the settings circles on the back of the telescope, you just need to rotate your RA axis to put the image through the polar scope upright, and put Polaris where the app tells you to on the circle. At least, that's how it works with the Sky Adventurer 2i and its companion app. I'm interested in the principles behind it though, so I'm looking for info on how to polar align "old-school", without using software. And for that, you need to have the reticule orientated correctly w.r.t. the time meridian indicator. So that's my first step. Afterwards, I'll continue my (so far fruitless) search for info on how to polar align with just the local sidereal time and the settings circles on the back of the mount. Everyone has a smartphone now, and it appears all the old codgers who were doing this stuff back when I was nothing but a mischievous smirk on the milkman's mug haven't figured out this whole Internet thing yet. No disrespect to people who prefer the convenience of an app. It _is_ more convenient, quicker, and you don't have to perform math. But I'm interested in learning to cook, not simply follow Sky Watcher's recipe, so to speak. Thanks for the reply though. Always appreciated when people take some time out of their day to respond. Have a nice day.
@EvenTheDogAgrees Hi again. Understood. I wish you well in your quest for the original approach. I can’t help you with it though as I wanted the simplest reliable approach and once you find something that works you tend to stick with it. That said, I now use a PoleMaster as the polar scope approach was hurting my back and neck!!!
Thank you Martin for this helpful tutorial! With my EQ6R Pro, I am having the problem that the 0-6-axis of the reticle is not vertical when the RA axis is vertical. Do you know if the reticle can be turned using the same method?
Hi Sekar. Many people ask me this question! It does not need to be vertical when the RA axis is vertical. You just need to be able to turn the RA until 0 is at the top when you polar align. If you really want to, you can loosen the three grub screws that hold the polar scope graticule in place, turn the graticule around, then re-tighten and re-do your polar scope calibration, but it really is not necessary and it risks damage to the fragile graticule.
I have EQ6R too, my Polar scope is also not correct. But I live 52 degrees north and I did that with my altitude so the scope looks directly to the Polaris. Am I right? Does I have to to bring it in position like you show us in your video? And does the Dec have to be in home position, when I want to bring the 0⃣ in Polar scope upwards? And than rotate 180 degrees and check like in your video if it's correctly vertical? Am I correct?
That’s right. When rotating the RA, the centre of the reticle should stay in the same place relative to the scene you are looking at. If it does, your polar scope is calibrated.
@@martinsastrophotography Yes I did in the end. It was on extremely tight and needed a towel and a pair of pliers to remove it. Thanks for asking and clear skies
@@graemebrass2968 Glad you got it off. Might be worth putting a little grease on the thread. Mine is only very lightly screwed in, just until it stops and a tiny bit more. Then very easy to remove. Hopefully yours will be the same now.
Just got my HEQ5 PRO today, when I rotate RA to get the 0 on top and 6 at the bottom, the Counter wt shaft is pointing upwards to the sky, However, I thought it should point downwards to the earth, as it is shown in your video. Am I supposed to remove the polar scope and then put it back with 0 pointing up with the counter wt shaft pointing directly down.
Hi Ramesh. No, the 0 is not intended to be at the top in the polar scope when in the home position (counterweight down). You only need 0 at the top during Polar alignment. Take a look at my tutorial videos on HEQ5 setup and on polar alignment.
@@martinsastrophotography In home position with counter weight rod horizontal, the 3 is on top with 0 to the left, and in Polar Alignment position, counter wt rod pointing down, 6 is on top, 3 to the left, and 0 down.
@@rameshtahlan That’s right. The goal of polar alignment is to put the celestial pole at the crossing point in the middle of the polar scope reticule. The PS Align Pro smartphone app shows you where polaris needs to be for a given date/time/location on the reticule assuming 0 is straight up. So you have to get 0 at the top before you can achieve this. Best way to do that is to put Polaris on the cross in the middle (using azimuth and altitude bolts) then use altitude bolts to move Polaris upwards. Then open RA clutch and turn RA until 0 line is on top of Polaris. Lock RA clutch. Now you move Polaris to the position shown in the app using azimuth and altitude bolts only. Then you’re polar aligned. Then you unlock RA and Dec clutches and put mount in home position. Lock the clutches. Now you do the star alignment (start with 1-star align using nearest bright star to the area you want to view). Then you are ready to slew to an object!!!! Enjoy!
Is this the Default Polar Scope? Or did they update the Reticle? Other videos i have seen just show a single ring with a small circle and the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia
Hi Martin. In your video you show the polar scope completely removed. I have just received my new EQ6R and the polar scope reticule appears to be 180 degrees out. With the RA axis in the park position and the counter weight straight down the 0 is at the bottom and the 6 at the top. Is there a way to correct this? Having waited so long I don't want to send it back just for this.
Hi Richard. I have good news! …There is nothing wrong with it! ..,It is a very common misconception that 0 should be at the top in the home/park position. This is not the case. I recommend you use my polar alignment method. This has a step where you put Polaris at the centre of the polar scope graticule, then move it to the top of the rings using the altitude knobs, then rotate the RA to get 0 at the top. If this means turning your telescope too far, you could remove your polar scope, carefully loosen the grub screws that hold the graticule in place (take care that it does not fall out and break!) and rotate the graticule roughly 180 degrees, then gently tighten up the grub screws. This will reduce the amount of RA rotation needed to get 0 at the top.
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks for the reply Martin. The reason that I have always assumed that the polar scope would be aligned with the home position is that I find it difficult to judge accurately that the axis are exactly perpendicular to the horizon by eye. I can see how I can get around it but it’s kind of annoying that they went to the trouble of fitting it exactly 180 deg out. I am a member of an Astronomy discord server and have been amazed by the number of people with similar complaints. Maybe you could do a video of setting the axis to 0. I’m sure it would be very popular. Thanks again
Yes, but it is not necessary for the reticle to be “12 up” in the home position. Follow my polar alignment tutorial for details. There is a step where you unlock the RA clutch and turn the RA until 12 is at the top where Polaris is. If this means turning all your kit upside down and you don’t like doing that then you may want to rotate the reticule. There are 3 grub screws holding it in. Be very careful as is can fall out and break, and do not touch the surface of it with your fingers.
Machinists adjust their lathe 4-jaw chucks using 4 jaw screws, very quickly. Polar scopes always seem to use only 3 set screws which makes it much harder than it needs to be.
Hi Dennis. Sorry for the slow reply...I did not spot your comment. You just open the RA clutch and turn the RA until 12 is at the top. If you consider rotating the graticule be warned...it is very easy for it to fall out and get damaged! I would advise against doing this, as there is no need to.
@@ilvalerio It’s a graticule (disc of glass with markings on it) not a lens. No, it’s not about rotation it’s about aligning the centre of rotation of the RA axis with the centre of the cross-hair on the graticule.
Hi there. I get asked this a lot. This is normal and does not need to be ‘fixed’. Take a look at my polar alignment video. If you follow my polar alignment process there is a step where you raise Polaris above the centre of the reticule using the altitude adjustment and then open the RA clutch and rotate in RA to get the 0 marker aligned with Polaris. It therefore does not matter what orientation the reticule is in when your mount is in the home position. Here is the link : ruclips.net/video/AlCq_TDYDGg/видео.html Hope this helps.
Hi Douglas. Having “12 at the top” is not necessary during polar scope calibration.because a key step in subsequent polar alignment is to rotate the RA axis to get 12 at the top. Clear Skies.
@@dugy40 It actually isn’t mandatory. Take a look at how I do polar alignment (separate video called “Astrophotography Polar Alignment Tutorial”) that I have used every time for the last 4 years. It’s a great way to do it. 🙂
@@martinsastrophotography I seen that. Interesting. But when start tracker pros come from factory 0 is at top 6 at bottom when you out meridian on 0 and date on oct 31st. But there’s a ring with two grooves that came loose on the end of my scope. It threw it out of whack. I couldn’t get it to line up like factory.
@@dugy40, It does not matter what orientation your Polar scope graticule is in within the polar scope if you use my polar align process. I start by putting polaris in the very centre (on the +) using Altitude and azimuth bolts. I then adjust altitude bolt to move Polaris up to top of rings. Then open RA clutch and turn RA to get 0 at the top. Then lock RA clutch. Then adjust azimuth and altitude bolts to put Polaris in the position shown by PS Align Pro app on my phone. Done! It’s all in the tutorial video.
Question: can you also align the polar scope reticule with the scope in home position? Mine is off by approximately 20° - when my polar scope 0 is straight up, the RA axis is not straight up (or straight down if you look at the weights) at all. I was told it's not a big deal but I can't stand it... is it really not a problem?
I get asked this question A LOT!!! It really is not an issue AT ALL. If you really want to rotate it you can but you risk breaking it as it can fall out very easily, and unless you do it perfectly you will still need to rotate in RA to get 12 o'clock at the 'up' position. Think of it this way...how will you know where 'up' is when you try to rotate the graticule??? When I polar align, I put Polaris on the centre crosshair first, then use the altitude bolt to move Polaris up to the top of the rings. Then I rotate in RA until 12 o'clock and Polaris are in the same place...that way I make sure Polaris is really at 12 o'clock. Check out my Polar Alignment video to see me doing this. Clear skies!!
Just wanted to say this is one of many tutorial videos I’ve watched of martins and he gets it bang on each time! Easy to follow and simplistic rather than him assuming you know exactly what everything does and need to do for it. Perfect channel for starting out and getting everything sorted before your first clear skies! Cheers Martin
Thank you so much for your kind words.
You are the only one that I found who actually shows this process. Spent all day and couldn't get it right. 🤣 I'll have another go tomorrow ☺️. Thanks heaps.
Glad you found me! Hope it goes well. Clear Skies.
Hi Martin, now that Santa has brought me a Heq5 pro, your channel is the first port of call to help me get set up ! Excellent and informative as ever - Thank you
He did well getting it down the chimney!! Hope it goes well. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be glad to help, or just let me know how you get on. Clear Skies!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! We new heq5 users are so lucky to have your videos👍
Cheers Bob! Great choice of mount!!! Clear skies!
Here’s my experience:
First off, thanks for the explanation. My scope was off on my new HEQ5 Pro and this helped me calibrate it. Now onto my problem.
My grub screw on one side was stripped. In order to centre the reticule one screw had to be turned in so much that it was only holding by barely 1 thread in the scope. It would keep turning as the last threads were stripped. The grub screws need to be longer so they make contact with the full thread on the scope.
So I simply used some longer screws (coincidentally, the new screws for the Rowan Belt Mod to hold the motor cover are the same thread).
This brought a huge, unexpected benefit. Instead of fiddling with an Allen key to turn the grub screws I could use my fingers to turn the bolts while looking through the scope. This is much easier/quicker. I was able to align my scope perfectly in 2 minutes as I didn’t have to keep looking away to adjust a single grub screw. Being able to turn two bolts at the same time while watching the reticule move is far more intuitive.
Even though the bolts stick out they’re hidden when you put the cover on so no chance of accidentally bumping them.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks Martin! I used this tutorial to calibrate the polar scope in my Heq5 pro. I have just got it, my first EQ mount, so still trying to get my head around it. It was explained in a much easier way than in the manual, literally took me a few minutes to do it. Love your channel, so informative, thank you.
Thanks for the nice feedback Kris! Clear Skies.
That's the best polar scope calibration explaination on RUclips. Thank you.
@@ah6475 Thank you for the nice comment!
This video was exactly what I needed. Thank you for helping me so much. 🔭
Great to hear that. Thanks for going to the trouble of commenting. Much appreciated.
I've spent 2 hours today trying to calibrate my SW Adventurer's polar scope. I've panicked when lens with radical droped and eyepiece was mowin on the thread... Nightmare. But with this video you've assured me a bit that I did a good job after all that struggle. Cheers :)
Thanks for the positive comment! Sorry you had such a fight without, but well done for sorting it. It is a fiddly process for sure. Clear Skies!
Ugggh! Thank you! I was reading the manual and had no idea what they wanted me to "rotate half way." Glad I stopped and came looking before I screwed it up!
Best of the videos out there explaining how calibrate the reticle in you Polar Scope. Thanks.
Thanks for the positive comment Gene. Clear Skies!
Clear. I meant just a blocking ring inside between the cross hair mount ant the ocular...Thanks again Martin.
Maybe I’m just lucky but mine was aligned perfectly right out of the box! I wouldn’t have realized this if I hadn’t watched this video - thanks, Martin!
You were one of the lucky ones! Clear Skies.
Very useful. Glad you're out there . Preparing for the delivery of my EQ 5 . Many thanks
Thank you so much. Your tutorials are far the best I ever seen. I am a beginer and find them very helpfull
Thank you for your nice feedback. Clear Skies!
Very informative. I've just done this focusing on the point of an oasthouse nearby. I'm pretty happy with the alignment. I guess we'll see when I actually manage to get out with some clear skies!
Thanks for the feedback Robert. Glad it was useful. Clear Skies....one day!!!
Thank you, your videos are extremely helpful. I have been a dob user for a while now and switching to an EQ mount is really something else haha :)
Glad to help. Welcome to EQ land!
An alternative system to be performed indoors and at any time is the following:
1-Illuminate the polarscope from the *objective* side with a flashlight (counterweight bar horizontally)
2-the light coming out of the eyepiece side of the polarscope produces a nice projected image of the polar reticle
3-collect this image (almost in focus) on a white sheet (A4 for example) placed on the floor
4-mark on the sheet the central point of the grid (point A) and make sure do not move anymore the sheet
5-rotate the RA by 180 degrees and mark the new center of the projected grid on the sheet (point B)
6-Mark the center (C) of the segment between the two points A and B (this is the rotation axis of AR)
7-Using the adjustment screws, bring the projection of the center of the reticle to point C
8-Rotate the RA again 180 degrees to check the alignment, should be ok
Thanks for that. An interesting alternative. Clear Skies!
I used this and holy shit. Absolute banger of a solution.
So lemme build up on it a little.
If you are struggling to find the center accurately, you can do more points.
Place point A on the paper.
Then rotate 45 degrees and place point B
Another 45 degrees to get C
Another 45 to get D
You will see that now you have a + pattern between all points.
Draw lines between point AC and point BD, you will see that the lines intertwine and form a cross.
The middle point of the cross is absolute center of the points you made. Which we can call point E.
Using the calibration screws, move the center of the reticule to point E.
Please note:
The further back from the surface of projection you are the more accurate your calibration will be. (I did it on my wall so it was much easier to move it further)
Just make sure you dont move it so far back. You can focus your reticule so far before you run out of threading on the polar scope eyepiece.
@@TheNorseStargazer I don't recommend touching the eyepiece focus because, at least in my case, this changes the alignment quite a bit. That is, if I refocus on the sky, then I lose the alignment of the reticle. However, even if the reticle projection is slightly out of focus you still get a good result.
I'm not sure but I think since it's a circular rotation, two points at 180 degrees should be enough, but may be you are right. Clear skies!
@@mauriziorvt that's a little odd though. How does focusing the polar scope change the reticule calibration? It shouldn't unless you screw it all the way in, in which case you can press on the reticule ring itself and kick it out of calibration. Do correct me if I am wrong. May I also ask which mount you have?
@@TheNorseStargazer The mount is an iOptron iEQ45 pro. I suspect it's due to the loose thread of the screw of the focusing eyepiece . Very loose and since, greased a lot! Touching the eyepiece in some way changed it's alignment and I could see it projected right on the screen. I managed to reduce the play removing the grease and filling the gap with some teflon plumbing tape. It worked great...
But if you don't experience such an issue, is good for you and just ignore the warning.
Very helpful. No one else describes this. What is the likelihood that the scope needs calibration?
Thanks! Hard to say Philip. But very easy to tell if it’s needed or not, thankfully.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks for answering.
Thanks Martin, finally a video that explains rectical alignment in great detail, Thank you , question, how loose should the silver dial be, mines very loose, could you do another video on the date, time setting, and what all the dials mean ?
If you follow the polar alignment and home position finding process in my setup and polar alignment videos you never need to use the dials, other than to help you rotate 90 degrees, which is a simple rotation from 6-9 or 9-0 on the RA, or 0-90 on the Dec, for example. Things have moved on so much these days that the dials are virtually not worth having.
Thank you Martin, you've just salvaged for me a second hand Equatorial Mount I thought was a broken piece of junk.
I’m delighted to hear that! 😊
Thank u Martin for your instruction videos. They help me a lot.
Great to hear that Peter. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Clear skies.
So is the orientation of the graticule critical when the mount is in the Home position? I bought an HEQ5 in the Northern Hemisphere and was surprised to see Octans, rather than the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. I use an app that shows where on the graticule compass Polaris needs to be.
@@MrGp3po I get asked this a lot…it’s a very good question. No, it is not critical. This is because you can simply unlock the RA clutch and rotate the mount in RA until 12 is “at the top”. There is a clever approach you can do to make sure it actually is “at the top”. I explain this in my polar alignment tutorial. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your tutorials sir. Greetings from Czech republic. 🔭
Glad you like them! Clear Skies.
Thanks for this! I have two further questions:
1) I see in the video that the image from your scope shifts a little bit as you rotate your RA axis, and I see the same thing in mine, is this a problem? To me this suggests that even though the crosshairs are properly aligned, the optics are not.
2) the 0-6 o'clock axis of my crosshairs don't perfectly line up with my DEC axis, maybe 5 degrees too far clockwise, does this need to be fixed or can I just align it how I want by rotating my RA accordingly before polar aligning?
Hi Martin, Great tutorial. Can you tell me what the markings represent on the edge of the graticule (the small circles with adjoining lines and the word 'Oct' )?
Thanks! Those circles are for use in the Southern Hemisphere where there is no convenient bright star close to the south celestial pole. The alignment then has to be based on getting a group of four nearby stars in the right place for the centre of the graticule to be on the celestial pole. In the Northern hemisphere we are lucky to have Polaris as a very bright star close to the celestial pole.
@@martinsastrophotography Doh! ... of course... 'Octans' . I didn't even think about the Southern hemisphere... Many thanks!
Very good. Thanks! What about how to correct the hours position? My 12H are on the left. Thanks
@@123psper You have two choices. Rotate the RA until 12H is at the top (see my Polar Alignment tutorial) or risk rotating your polar scope reticule. Be warned, it can easily drop out and break!! I left mine as it is and simply rotate 12H to the top as part of my polar alignment process. You will anyway have to do this because if you rotate your reticle it will almost certainly not have 12H perfectly aligned to the top.
Thank you very much! Well explained, straight to the point video.
Looks like the polar scope needs culminating as well as the rectice centred. There are three more Allen grub screws further up the tube for this purpose.
Thank you Martin for your useful tip. A missing element in the assembly would be a kind of Grower washer to prevent the ocular to reach reticule plan or to avoid reticule plan to fall on the ocular...what do you think? Best regards. Eric K.
The design is very crude…but it is a low cost commercial product for mass production so no surprising. Not sure I fully understand what you are suggesting, but I am sure there is room for improvement!
Great video. Quick question, once calibrated is the slight movement of the image as you rotate (as seen at 5:07) normal? Mine does this too, just curious. Thanks
Thanks Nathan. Yes, that’s normal.
Being "all alone" at 70 degrees north (Tromso, Norway) I am (againg) trying to start up my hobby. Newbie to say the least. I have not yet managed to se the Polaris thrue the polarscope. Yesterday it was awsome clear skys and I made a new attempt. For learning purposes I just mount my mounting without the telescope ane weights on a selfmade pier. However bringing my eye in the right position is a though task. I do own a 90 degree optics - Do you think I will get enough light thru this prism (do not know the correct name) so that I can align to Polaris? It is o'course difficult to find Polaris when I only can see small blue lights and the cold makes me produce mist from breathing. Any tip?
I would expect the prism (called a 'diagonal' I believe) to reduce the light very little. Perhaps direct your breath sideways somehow...or wear a face mask...I suspect you have one of those!!!
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you for your response. I will try out the diagonal as soon as the wheater allows it. Again - thank you for your respons. Is it generaly difficult to align correctly to Polaris?
Hi Martin. Thanks for the video. I have had my HEQ5 mount for a few months now and I did this when I first got it. However, I could never understand why when I finally got it correct, the crosshair of the reticule rotates in a circle instead of rotating directly around the crosshair. I see yours does the same in the video. This doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something? Thanks, Tom
Hi Tom. Thanks. I think I know what you mean, although I don’t think you quite wrote what you intended (“crosshair … rotates in a circle…..about the crosshair”). The strange way it moves happens because the polar scope is not parallel to the RA axis. This in itself is not a problem so long as you can get the crossing point of the crosshair to stay in one place in the scene you are viewing when you rotate the RA (by adjusting the grubs screws). Once that is achieved you know the line through the crossing point is parallel to your RA axis. It would be much better in my opinion to have adjustment screws on the whole polar scope so it can be made parallel to the RA axis rather than just on the reticule. Then it would not behave in this rather surprising and unwelcome way. Clear skies.
@@martinsastrophotography Hi Martin. Thanks for the explanation. I think I got it now.
thanks for this! very useful. quick one... do you allign every time you use the scope or every now and then? thanks
Thanks Aaron. Depends what you mean by “align”. I check my polar scope calibration about twice a year. Polar alignment must be done every time if you pack away your kit each time, or even if you just knock it slightly. If you have a permanent installation where you leave your kit set up, for example in an observatory, then polar alignment only needs checking occasionally, such as every few months.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks for that. i'm brand new to all of this so terminology and preparation is a bit daunting. Having re-watched the video, i think i get it now. I checked the crosshair alignment and that seems fine. its going to be a steep learning curve haha.
@@aaronholt6595 No worries. It can all be a bit confusing at first!! Feel free to ask if you have other questions. Clear Skies!
Brilliantly explained!!
Brilliantly easy, and so important, me at 77 now getting my head around a goto mount, eq3! I get that if it this ain't right, nothing is, but something is really bothering me. I've seen all this messing with spirit levels to set the home position, though I have to ask myself, does this really align the telescope with the mount, I don't think so, yet I can find no mention of aligning the scope with the mount anywhere. Also there is no provision on say a dovetail bar to make adjustments without some imagination. I'd love your thoughts on this!
Hi there! Thanks for the great question. The simple answer is ‘no’. Setting the home position does not properly align the telescope with the mount. It is just a rough alignment so that when you switch on and slew to an object (E.g. bright star) for the first time it is not too far off. You can then use a Telrad or red dot finder to get the star in the centre of your eyepiece or camera field of view as a star alignment or use plate solving instead to create a sync point, which is just like star alignment but uses the pattern of stars you are seeing instead of a selected star. Once you have completed your star alignment (or done a plate solve & sync) your mount has a much better knowledge of how the telescope is aligned to the mount. A 3-star alignment gives a more accurate knowledge than a 1-star alignment…. But plate solving is the ultimate weapon in this battle and once you master it you will never go back to star alignment!! I hope this helps you. Clear skies.
@@martinsastrophotography Well thanks for all that, defo confirmed my thoughts, and now for what I hope will be a solution. Firstly I have a concrete pier set up, so intend to leave the mount set under cover of course. I'll follow your instructions as far as the rough alignment, at which point the scope will be roughly pointing at the pole star, I'll then use the red dot finder and adjust the dec axis to get the star mid point, then by means of jacking screws and packing alter the telescope altitude to finally centre the star by changing how the dovetail sits on the mount. Hopefully then a quick check at every fresh use to ensure the scope is sitting the same, away we go, and get on with the 3 star setting. If this reliably works it might be worth machining a decent wedge or even modify the dovetail to save time in the future, and hopefully avoid the need for plate solving at least most of the time. Now please if you spot a flaw in my thinking, please tell me, I have thought that cross hairs would improve accuracy . Thanks for you help Martin
@@leyburnhealeyman There is some confusion going on here. Let me try to clarify by providing the sequence of steps you need to follow: 1. Set up mount with telescope, camera, cables, dew shield etc… 2. Balance in RA and Dec. 3. Polar align using polar scope and alt/az bolts. 4. Open clutches and move telescope to home position. Lock clutches. 5. Cycle power on the mount. 6. Initiate 1-star alignment and choose an alignment star not too far from your intended target. Mount will attempt to slew to that star. 7. Adjust pointing to get the selected star in centre of camera sensor. 8. Confirm alignment star is in centre of field of view to complete star alignment. 9. Refine focus. 10. Slew to intended target. 11. Start imaging.
I do not know what you mean by “jacking screws and packing”. You do not need to modify your dovetail at all. I hope this helps.
@@martinsastrophotography Sorry if I've confused you Martin, going back to my first question to which you relied 'no' and your video really. You have done the best you can to ensure that your polar scope is accurately set in the mount, I wonder just how many just assume it's correct as bought, and by so doing you have improved polar alignment. My problem is I fear that I was a precision engineer, and that is maybe why I asked the question about the telescope alignment, which we agree is hardly likely to be correct. Maybe this is not as important as I tend to think, and it's only when I get my mount polar aligned with I know whether the error is small or large, I just feel that when in the home position, that if the pole star is actually in my field of view through the telescope then I have a reasonable set up.If it's not then to add to the precision I'm happy to modify things, like the dovetail, tube rings etc to ensure that I get the best telescope alignment I can. Surely this can't be wrong to try to achieve this, maybe as everyone seems to say it's not needed and as adjustment is not a built in feature then maybe not, I'll find out in time. So confusion, sure, and maybe it's just the precision engineer in me that says there is an error that is not in the normal way able to be cancelled out. anyways, I'll be following your set up method and I'll learn, hopefully. Thanks for time and input Martin, copied and pasted for future reference.
@@leyburnhealeyman See my video on Polar scope calibration. Also, precision in the mounting is actually not important at all. What matters is that it is firmly attached and well balanced. It could be 20 degrees off and it wouldn’t matter, so long as it is firmly attached and well balanced. It is important to understand this aspect of your setup. The two steps after assembly and balancing serve two very important but totally separate purposes. Polar alignment ensures the tracking works as well as possible. Star alignment enables the Goto system to understand what position of its RA and Dec axes is needed to point your telescope at a given object. It is this step that corrects for whatever angle the telescope is mounted relative to the mount.
Nice video. I didn't even know they needed calibration. I'll be trying this in an hour or so when my kid is in bed.
Great tutorial
Question
Mine is of with zero is like 11 clock when I have in home position
How can I fix it ?
ThNks
Thanks. You do not need to fix it. This is normal. During polar alignment you will unlock RA clutch and rotate RA u til zero is at the top. See my polar alignment tutorial. Clear skies.
@@martinsastrophotography
Ok than after rotation and position on the North Star than do I luck in that position and than start 3star alignment
Or I put it in home position before I start 3 star alignment?
Thanks.
@@AstroRef68 Here are the steps: 1. Assemble your mount, telescope, camera, dew heater, cables etc… 2.Balance in RA. 3. Balance in Dec (horizontally). 4. Balance in Dec (vertically). 5. Polar align then switch off the mount. 6. Unlock RA and Dec clutches and move to home position. Lock both clutches. 7. Power up the mount. 8. Skip through inputs on hand controller and go straight to Star Alignment. 1-star is usually ok. Once successfully star aligned you can select an object and slew to it.
@@martinsastrophotography
That’s best way to know
I’ll
Keep
This in my notes until I learn it in memory
Thanks so much .
@@martinsastrophotography
Ohh wow that makes sense now
I thought I had to calibrate my polar scope
You save me some work right there .
Thanks so much
Very well done. Clear and concise. Thanks.
Thanks Gene! Much appreciated comment. Clear Skies!
Hi Martin. Another great video. Quick question. I followed your video in marking the home position and aligned the polar scope using a distant land object to the RA Axis. I have the HEQ5 Pro mount. However, my reticule does not read 0 at the top and 6 on the bottom. The 0 is actually just above where the 9 would be. Thoughts? Am I missing something? Thanks for your help and great work on your channel. You are helping so many people.
Hi Yervant. This question is asked by a lot of people!! The position of 0 when the mount is in the home position is totally arbitrary. The polar scope graticule is a circular ring held in by 3 grub screws. Therefore 0 can be anywhere. No orientation is wrong! If you want to change it you can....unscrew the polar scope and carefully loosen the grub screws, holding the polar scope so that the graticule can not fall out, you can then rotate it to be where you want. You must then secure the grub screws, re-fit the polar scope and re do to polar scope calibration process. I have set mine up to have the 0 about 20 degrees away from the top when my mount is in the home position. This choice is simply to get the back of my telescope out of the way so I don’t bump my head on it during polar alignment!!! Whether you makes this adjustment or not, when you polar align, follow the process in my polar alignment tutorial and you should have no problems. Hope this is clear and helps!
I like this method of alignment. Is this procedure even mentioned in the manual?
John's Garage Yes. It is the bottom half of page 12 in the manual, but I think most people prefer to learn from videos rather than reading a lot of text!
Great vid. Do you have a video for better understanding the Date Circle?
Thanks! No, I have not made a video about the date circle. My polar alignment technique does not use the date circle, as I use the PS Align Pro iPhone App. I recommend you do the same. See my polar alignment tutorial. Clear Skies!
@@martinsastrophotography I actually have that same app and have been using it for about a year now. It's great. I also recently modified my Orion Sirius EQ-G polar scope with the reticule that has the graduated circle versus the Cas/Dipper asterisms but haven't had a chance to try it out due to weather. Clear skies!
Do you also have a video on calibrating the polar scope's rotation? The manual for the Star Adventurer 2i makes absolutely zero sense. This procedure is explained pretty well, but the second part of their calibration reads as follows:
* Turn the date graduation circle to align Oct. 31 to the 0 of the time graduation circle.
* Hold the date graduation circle and turn the eyepiece/mounting platform to align the time meridian indicator to the 0 of the time meridian circle.
* Looking through the eyepiece, the reticule should be aligned as shown in fig. 4 (which shows the reticule aligned with 0 at the top, 6 at the bottom)
* If the pattern is orientated differently, scales need readjustment.
* Turn the date graduation circle to align Oct 31 to the 0 of the time graduation circle.
* Hold it (I assume the the date graduation circle, which is the only thing that can move independently of the rest) and turn the eyepiece/mounting platform to orientate the reticule as shown in fig. 4 (why do I need to hold the date graduation circle? It moves independently from the reticule, and can be repositioned to Oct. 31 at any time. But why would I need to align it to Oct. 31 in the first place? Apparently, what we want, is to align the time meridian indicator to the 0 of the time graduation circle, and have the reticule display an upright image; the position of the date graduation circle is completely irrelevant as it rotates independently of all the rest).
* Loosen the time meridian indicator calibration screw and move the meridian indicator to align it to the 0 of the time meridian circle, without turning the date graduation circle and eyepiece/mounting platform (again, who cares about the date graduation circle? It moves IN-DE-PEN-DENT-LY!!!)
* Tighten the time meridian indicator calibration screw, and look through the eyepiece to verify the image is still upright.
From my interpretation of this confusing mess of instructions, I can simplify all that faff to: "align the time meridian indicator with the 0 position on the reticule when looking through the polar scope", or as a list of instructions:
* Disengage the clutch on the RA axis
* Rotate the RA axis so the image through the reticule is orientated upright, with the 0 at the top and 6 at the bottom
* Loosen the time meridian indicator calibration screw
* Rotate the time meridian indicator so the indicator is at the top, aligning with the 0 on the time graduation circle
* Tighten the time meridian indicator calibration screw.
Can someone with more knowledge on the subject confirm that this is the correct procedure?
@@EvenTheDogAgrees I have good news for you. You can ignore all that gobbledygook!!! There is no need to calibrate the rotation of the polar scope’s rotation. Watch my polar alignment tutorial which explains a really easy method for getting 12 o’clock to be uppermost. Any questions, let me know.
@@martinsastrophotography I've already watched that one. You use the polar alignment app on your phone. With the app, you're not using the settings circles on the back of the telescope, you just need to rotate your RA axis to put the image through the polar scope upright, and put Polaris where the app tells you to on the circle. At least, that's how it works with the Sky Adventurer 2i and its companion app.
I'm interested in the principles behind it though, so I'm looking for info on how to polar align "old-school", without using software. And for that, you need to have the reticule orientated correctly w.r.t. the time meridian indicator. So that's my first step. Afterwards, I'll continue my (so far fruitless) search for info on how to polar align with just the local sidereal time and the settings circles on the back of the mount. Everyone has a smartphone now, and it appears all the old codgers who were doing this stuff back when I was nothing but a mischievous smirk on the milkman's mug haven't figured out this whole Internet thing yet.
No disrespect to people who prefer the convenience of an app. It _is_ more convenient, quicker, and you don't have to perform math. But I'm interested in learning to cook, not simply follow Sky Watcher's recipe, so to speak.
Thanks for the reply though. Always appreciated when people take some time out of their day to respond. Have a nice day.
@EvenTheDogAgrees Hi again. Understood. I wish you well in your quest for the original approach. I can’t help you with it though as I wanted the simplest reliable approach and once you find something that works you tend to stick with it. That said, I now use a PoleMaster as the polar scope approach was hurting my back and neck!!!
First class. Love your video’s
Watching all of them 👍
Thank you!
Thank you Martin for this helpful tutorial!
With my EQ6R Pro, I am having the problem that the 0-6-axis of the reticle is not vertical when the RA axis is vertical. Do you know if the reticle can be turned using the same method?
Hi Sekar. Many people ask me this question! It does not need to be vertical when the RA axis is vertical. You just need to be able to turn the RA until 0 is at the top when you polar align. If you really want to, you can loosen the three grub screws that hold the polar scope graticule in place, turn the graticule around, then re-tighten and re-do your polar scope calibration, but it really is not necessary and it risks damage to the fragile graticule.
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks a lot for your answer!
I have EQ6R too, my Polar scope is also not correct. But I live 52 degrees north and I did that with my altitude so the scope looks directly to the Polaris. Am I right? Does I have to to bring it in position like you show us in your video? And does the Dec have to be in home position, when I want to bring the 0⃣ in Polar scope upwards? And than rotate 180 degrees and check like in your video if it's correctly vertical? Am I correct?
Very helpful explanation
Thank you. Got it finally.
Thanks! Very clear explaned👍
Absolutely brilliant - job done!
Great stuff David. Well done. It’s pretty satisfying isn’t it when it’s spot on!!
So the aim is to have the centre reticule stick on the corner of the roof, Whilst moving the 180 degrees ?
That’s right. When rotating the RA, the centre of the reticle should stay in the same place relative to the scene you are looking at. If it does, your polar scope is calibrated.
Hi Martin
Is there any chance you make a video explaining how to replace the polar alignment scope
Hi Graeme. Not sure it’s worth a video... You just grab and unscrew the old polar scope and screw in the new one! Clear Skies.
@@martinsastrophotography
Thanks Martin
Unfortunately it was extremely tight!
Many thanks and clear skies
@@graemebrass2968 Did you manage to remove it eventually?
@@martinsastrophotography
Yes I did in the end. It was on extremely tight and needed a towel and a pair of pliers to remove it. Thanks for asking and clear skies
@@graemebrass2968 Glad you got it off. Might be worth putting a little grease on the thread. Mine is only very lightly screwed in, just until it stops and a tiny bit more. Then very easy to remove. Hopefully yours will be the same now.
Thank you for yet another awesome video. Nice and short and straight to the point. New subscriber here (awaiting my mount lol...)
Thank you for that. Just got a new mount myself....so exciting when it arrives!!!
I really did find this useful.
That’s great. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for the video
Just got my HEQ5 PRO today, when I rotate RA to get the 0 on top and 6 at the bottom, the Counter wt shaft is pointing upwards to the sky, However, I thought it should point downwards to the earth, as it is shown in your video. Am I supposed to remove the polar scope and then put it back with 0 pointing up with the counter wt shaft pointing directly down.
Hi Ramesh. No, the 0 is not intended to be at the top in the polar scope when in the home position (counterweight down). You only need 0 at the top during Polar alignment. Take a look at my tutorial videos on HEQ5 setup and on polar alignment.
@@martinsastrophotography In home position with counter weight rod horizontal, the 3 is on top with 0 to the left, and in Polar Alignment position, counter wt rod pointing down, 6 is on top, 3 to the left, and 0 down.
@@rameshtahlan There is no wrong orientation! Please watch the polar alignment tutorial video carefully and it should become clear.
Noted. Thanks. So basically the numbers on the dial don’t matter, the axis line should be vertical.
@@rameshtahlan That’s right. The goal of polar alignment is to put the celestial pole at the crossing point in the middle of the polar scope reticule. The PS Align Pro smartphone app shows you where polaris needs to be for a given date/time/location on the reticule assuming 0 is straight up. So you have to get 0 at the top before you can achieve this. Best way to do that is to put Polaris on the cross in the middle (using azimuth and altitude bolts) then use altitude bolts to move Polaris upwards. Then open RA clutch and turn RA until 0 line is on top of Polaris. Lock RA clutch. Now you move Polaris to the position shown in the app using azimuth and altitude bolts only. Then you’re polar aligned. Then you unlock RA and Dec clutches and put mount in home position. Lock the clutches. Now you do the star alignment (start with 1-star align using nearest bright star to the area you want to view). Then you are ready to slew to an object!!!! Enjoy!
Is this the Default Polar Scope? Or did they update the Reticle? Other videos i have seen just show a single ring with a small circle and the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia
EQ35M Pro - no big Dipper and Cassiopeia, only small circle.
This is what's on my HEQ5 Pro. I bought it new in 2018.
Hi Martin. In your video you show the polar scope completely removed. I have just received my new EQ6R and the polar scope reticule appears to be 180 degrees out. With the RA axis in the park position and the counter weight straight down the 0 is at the bottom and the 6 at the top. Is there a way to correct this? Having waited so long I don't want to send it back just for this.
Hi Richard. I have good news! …There is nothing wrong with it! ..,It is a very common misconception that 0 should be at the top in the home/park position. This is not the case. I recommend you use my polar alignment method. This has a step where you put Polaris at the centre of the polar scope graticule, then move it to the top of the rings using the altitude knobs, then rotate the RA to get 0 at the top. If this means turning your telescope too far, you could remove your polar scope, carefully loosen the grub screws that hold the graticule in place (take care that it does not fall out and break!) and rotate the graticule roughly 180 degrees, then gently tighten up the grub screws. This will reduce the amount of RA rotation needed to get 0 at the top.
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks for the reply Martin. The reason that I have always assumed that the polar scope would be aligned with the home position is that I find it difficult to judge accurately that the axis are exactly perpendicular to the horizon by eye. I can see how I can get around it but it’s kind of annoying that they went to the trouble of fitting it exactly 180 deg out. I am a member of an Astronomy discord server and have been amazed by the number of people with similar complaints. Maybe you could do a video of setting the axis to 0. I’m sure it would be very popular. Thanks again
@@AstroCloudGenerator Hi Richard. Thanks for that. I have had a lot of questions on this topic. Good idea to make a video on it. I might just do that!
Is there a way to rotate the reticle cross hairs without taking the reticle out? Mine are not aligned when axis is in home position.
Yes, but it is not necessary for the reticle to be “12 up” in the home position. Follow my polar alignment tutorial for details. There is a step where you unlock the RA clutch and turn the RA until 12 is at the top where Polaris is. If this means turning all your kit upside down and you don’t like doing that then you may want to rotate the reticule. There are 3 grub screws holding it in. Be very careful as is can fall out and break, and do not touch the surface of it with your fingers.
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks - I've been rotating the RA to get 12 up, but OCD kicks in.
Hi Martin, you make great and detailed viedeo's, will try to get you extra subscribers, please make more of that
Rigobert Van der Mercken Thank you Rigobert. Much appreciated.
Do you know the size of the grub screw /allan key to do this adjustment?
Hi Paul. It’s a 1.5mm Allen Key. Thanks for subscribing. Clear skies!
Machinists adjust their lathe 4-jaw chucks using 4 jaw screws, very quickly. Polar scopes always seem to use only 3 set screws which makes it much harder than it needs to be.
Yes, it’s a fiddly process!
How do you adjust it so 12 and 6 are in the correct position
Hi Dennis. Sorry for the slow reply...I did not spot your comment. You just open the RA clutch and turn the RA until 12 is at the top. If you consider rotating the graticule be warned...it is very easy for it to fall out and get damaged! I would advise against doing this, as there is no need to.
good stuff m8, cheers
Glad you enjoyed it
Great explanation! Finally!! Thanks
Is It a problem of the Lens insidie Is a Little bit rotated?
@@ilvalerio It’s a graticule (disc of glass with markings on it) not a lens. No, it’s not about rotation it’s about aligning the centre of rotation of the RA axis with the centre of the cross-hair on the graticule.
Thanks!
The reticle in my polar scope is turned like 20 degrees and i can't turn it back do you know how to fix this?
Hi there. I get asked this a lot. This is normal and does not need to be ‘fixed’. Take a look at my polar alignment video. If you follow my polar alignment process there is a step where you raise Polaris above the centre of the reticule using the altitude adjustment and then open the RA clutch and rotate in RA to get the 0 marker aligned with Polaris. It therefore does not matter what orientation the reticule is in when your mount is in the home position. Here is the link :
ruclips.net/video/AlCq_TDYDGg/видео.html
Hope this helps.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks alot !
What do I do if 12 isn’t at top and 6 at bottom ect? How do you calibrate?
Hi Douglas. Having “12 at the top” is not necessary during polar scope calibration.because a key step in subsequent polar alignment is to rotate the RA axis to get 12 at the top. Clear Skies.
@@martinsastrophotography I meant 0 inside the scope. 6 at bottom with everything else Aligned. Meridian line aligned and oct 31st. It’s mandatory.
@@dugy40 It actually isn’t mandatory. Take a look at how I do polar alignment (separate video called “Astrophotography Polar Alignment Tutorial”) that I have used every time for the last 4 years. It’s a great way to do it. 🙂
@@martinsastrophotography I seen that. Interesting. But when start tracker pros come from factory 0 is at top 6 at bottom when you out meridian on 0 and date on oct 31st. But there’s a ring with two grooves that came loose on the end of my scope. It threw it out of whack. I couldn’t get it to line up like factory.
@@dugy40, It does not matter what orientation your Polar scope graticule is in within the polar scope if you use my polar align process. I start by putting polaris in the very centre (on the +) using Altitude and azimuth bolts. I then adjust altitude bolt to move Polaris up to top of rings. Then open RA clutch and turn RA to get 0 at the top. Then lock RA clutch. Then adjust azimuth and altitude bolts to put Polaris in the position shown by PS Align Pro app on my phone. Done! It’s all in the tutorial video.
Thanks for your video! Helps a lot! Manual is useful but I just prefer to learn from video hahaha
Lucy Zhong Thanks for your comment! Clear skies!
Merci beaucoup,vote video ma bien aider
Merci Dominique. je suis heureux de vous aider. ciel clair!
Be carefull and unscrew 1 side at a time or not too much on 2 sides at the time: your inside lense will fall. Don't ask me why I know that ;)
Absolutely right! It can easily fall out. Thanks for the comment. Clear Skies.
А теперь будь другом и объясни как пользоваться это шкалой и в каком положении она должна быть
Can you please repeat your comment in English?
@@martinsastrophotography ok. Could you please explain how to use polar finder?
@@eugene8241 Thanks. You need to watch this video: Astrophotography Polar Alignment Tutorial
ruclips.net/video/AlCq_TDYDGg/видео.html
Perfect video. You are the best.
You are very kind! Thank you and clear skies.
Question: can you also align the polar scope reticule with the scope in home position? Mine is off by approximately 20° - when my polar scope 0 is straight up, the RA axis is not straight up (or straight down if you look at the weights) at all. I was told it's not a big deal but I can't stand it... is it really not a problem?
I get asked this question A LOT!!! It really is not an issue AT ALL. If you really want to rotate it you can but you risk breaking it as it can fall out very easily, and unless you do it perfectly you will still need to rotate in RA to get 12 o'clock at the 'up' position. Think of it this way...how will you know where 'up' is when you try to rotate the graticule??? When I polar align, I put Polaris on the centre crosshair first, then use the altitude bolt to move Polaris up to the top of the rings. Then I rotate in RA until 12 o'clock and Polaris are in the same place...that way I make sure Polaris is really at 12 o'clock. Check out my Polar Alignment video to see me doing this. Clear skies!!
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks 🤗 very helpful