Polar Alignment - Pitch and Mount Altitude

[chris_g]

When talking about setting the mount altitude to the the GPS latitude, for example 31.1012, would that be the equivalent of pitch on an X,Y axis? The compass app I use shows pitch and roll as well as true north, so if I set the mount's altitude to 31 and roll to 0 based on my phone's pitch and roll, when placed in the saddle, and the north facing leg to true north that would be a rough Polar alignment? And then I would perform a drift alignment using something like Sharp Cap or PHD2?

[JayTee]

What you described is one way to do it and I think it will work for you just fine.

[turboscrew]

A naval position sensor? Only heave missing?

[SkyHiker]

And then I would perform a drift alignment using something like Sharp Cap or PHD2?

I have the impression that most people don't drift align anymore. Sharpcap, Ekos and other software have a faster way that is based on determining the RA position by rotating the mount around RA while taking pictures, then moving the NCP to that center (that's what it appears to look like to the user in the GUI while it is really the other way around of course). This works if you can see Polaris.

I recommend marking the feet of the mount and changing nothing to the mount configuration between sessions. That way you can plunk it down without doing a polar alignment. Autoguiding can take care of any errors - it has to do that for periodic error anyway so a bit extra work is no crime. Of course it's best to redo the PA or adjust it each time. Adjusting is not much work.

[chris_g]

A naval position sensor? Only heave missing?

Naval Position Sensor???

[chris_g]

And then I would perform a drift alignment using something like Sharp Cap or PHD2?

I have the impression that most people don't drift align anymore. Sharpcap, Ekos and other software have a faster way that is based on determining the RA position by rotating the mount around RA while taking pictures, then moving the NCP to that center (that's what it appears to look like to the user in the GUI while it is really the other way around of course). This works if you can see Polaris.

I recommend marking the feet of the mount and changing nothing to the mount configuration between sessions. That way you can plunk it down without doing a polar alignment. Autoguiding can take care of any errors - it has to do that for periodic error anyway so a bit extra work is no crime. Of course it's best to redo the PA or adjust it each time. Adjusting is not much work.

My problem is that I can't see Polaris. Even though I should have a clear view of it, that part of the sky is pretty much a blank due to a street light, a neighbor's security light, along with some trees and a LP city almost due north of my location. My plan is to set down pathway bricks with some left over floor tile used as shims to level the mount. Once I get a good PA then mark the spots on the pathway bricks.

[turboscrew]

A naval position sensor? Only heave missing?

Naval Position Sensor???

Heave, pitch roll. (Those are the ones needed for echo sounding.)

https://www.xsimulator.net/simtools-qui ... yaw-heave/

[chris_g]

A naval position sensor? Only heave missing?

Naval Position Sensor???

Heave, pitch roll. (Those are the ones needed for echo sounding.)

https://www.xsimulator.net/simtools-qui ... yaw-heave/

I thought you were talking about some type of new device to help with Polar Alignment! I'm Air Force, pitch and roll make sense to me from an aviator's perspective... :cool:

[Graeme1858]

NINA has a new Polar Alignment plugin. I haven't used it yet, the old one was pretty good too! You don't need to be able to see Polaris.

Cuiv the lazy geek did a video:



Regards

Graeme

[chris_g]

Now that was totally cool, thank you!

NINA has a new Polar Alignment plugin. I haven't used it yet, the old one was pretty good too! You don't need to be able to see Polaris.

Cuiv the lazy geek did a video:

Regards

Graeme