TheSkySearchers

KathyNS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 7:32 pm

hatflyer wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 4:45 pm No alignment needed? I never heard of that. If u just slew to target and center, u are aimed correctly, a single plate solve is enough? No need to iterate through 3 point PA and ajusting the DEC and RA until the error is very small? Sounds too good to be true.

You absolutely do need to polar align. If your preferred technique is one that requires a 3-point star alignment first, then you still have to do that. What you don't have to do if you are plate-solving is the 3-star goto alignment that is done after polar alignment.

Thanks for clarifying that Kathy. I missed that in the post.

It sounds like you are getting your alignment nomenclature a bit confused. Remember that there are two types of alignments traditionally needed with a goto EQ mount. You need a polar alignment and you also need a goto alignment to build the sky model (assuming no plate solving is used).

Reference this sticky from the guiding forum. viewtopic.php?t=914