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@@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.

@@carolepope2898 Glad it helped you, and thanks for taking the trouble to comment.

@@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.

@@SmeeUncleJoe Let me know which cable you don’t understand and I will try to help. I need to know how you are using the mount…connected to a PC? Also how old it is…later versions have a direct USB interface so do not need an FTDIR cable.

@@martinsastrophotography I have an iOptron RC8, a William Optics guide scope, an ASI120 guide camera and an ASI533 mono camera all riding on a Skywatcher EQ6 Pro mount. I'm usinga Panasonic Toughbook for computer. I am using NINA and PhD software. I am new to all of this. It's my first leap into imaging.Thanks.

@@SmeeUncleJoe ok. Well as far as cables are concerned you need a 12-13V DC supply to your mount, and you need a USB cable from each of your cameras to your PC. (Do NOT connect the guide camera to the mount!!). Honestly, if you are new to all this I recommend holding off on guiding until you have everything else sorted. Master balance, focus, polar alignment, and even plate solving before you add guiding. Keep exposure time at 60 seconds until you add guiding, then increase it to 180 or even 300 seconds.

@@martinsastrophotography OK great. As an example, not knowing any better, I plugged my guide camera into the mount. I know of course about power. I don't understand all the other cables, some USB others like a telephone jack. I've done everything on your check list except plate solving. I've taken my scope out to dark sky sites without any imaging attachments and did the polar alignment to great precision. I just built a concrete pier and adapter to practice imaging in my back yard without leaving home. I do have some chances at Andromeda etc, between the trees and of course, in Canada, I will get better viewing when the leaves fall. I may be in a real bind as there is a 500 ton black walnut monster blocking Polaris. I was hoping to do a three star alignment, in lieu of Polaris. Once the leaves fall in October, I may get a glimpse of Polaris through my polar scope. I will make a Bahtinov mask exentually also. I have installed PhD and NINA on my toughbook computer and have great access to power.

@@SmeeUncleJoe I use the three point polar alignment plug-in in NINA. It doesn’t need Polaris!!

@@jesuschrist2284 It does depend on your latitude, as well as the time of year. Definition of “Too low” is not precise, and some targets are only ever visible at low elevation. I provide the profile and info so that viewers can decide for themselves what to image. Clear Skies.

@@martinsastrophotography yeah but... Telescopius is telling me they reach highest point midnight december time. Ive checked my location in it and its correct. I didnt mean to sound like i was complaining as i really appreciate all you videos. They really have helped me a lot. Plus you show plenty of nice targets id never know about otherwise :)

@@jesuschrist2284 No worries. I decided to include targets that were ‘available’ (i.e. above ~10 degrees elevation) even when they were not at their highest in the sky. Then it’s up to the viewers to decide what to go for.

@@JoaquinHernandezMartinez-uc1sk It depends what telescope or camera you have. I think if I had my time again I would buy the ZWO AM5N. It is a great Goto mount with an excellent payload capacity and excellent performance. If you are not going to buy a larger telescope the AM3 is good enough.

@@martinsastrophotography thank you

@@ah6475 Thank you for the nice comment!

You are not the first to ask me this. It’s a fair question. What I do is get the backfocus distance close to optimum using the manual focus knob, then I lock the mirror, and then I use the microfocuser to perform autofocus. This produces excellent results, so for me it’s a great way to use the scope at 1960 or 2800mm focal length. I hope this helps.

@@martinsastrophotography I understand that, so I will put it into practice immediately. I appreciate your kind assistance. Thank you very much.

@@leftoff3rd You’re welcome!

It’s been fine so far. I hope you are wrong!

I am close to optimal Backfocus. As far as I understand the Backfocus is measured from the rear cell or the rear face of the reducer if used, which would mean it does not change when adjusting the primary mirror position. Ultimately this is a question for Celestron to confirm but my results seem good so I remain happy with these configurations.

@@martinsastrophotography I meant the Primalucelab focuser.

Ah, ok. Thank you for clarifying. Well I get close to focus using the focus knob, so the microfocuser is typically moving less than +/- 1mm during autofocus. Therefore my backfocus remains close to ideal despite using the microfocuser. The results are very good, so I am happy with this approach. And it’s great getting rid of the image shift caused by the mirror flop!

@@gspinin Thanks. Was that missing? If so, I could add it in the description in the future once I have had the opportunity to weigh them.

That would great to add that detail in the description. I’m exploring purchasing the c11 EHD for my AM5 mount- using 4.5kg/10lb counterweight of course.

Assuming you are keeping the exposure the same, doubling the exposure time would require that you reduce the ISO (or aperture) by one stop, yes.

Always appreciated, no matter how long after I make a video. Clear skies!

Great to hear that…thank you David!!

Thanks for your comments Martin. Do feel free to consult me when you get stuck. Clear skies.

Thank you!!

Thank you so much for your kind words.

It works out where to point on its own…just choose a target and let it do its thing!

@@martinsastrophotography Thanks so much

Sorry, but I don’t agree. I put Polaris in the centre of the crosshairs then use altitude bolt to move it up to the outer rings. I then rotate the RA to put 12 o’clock on Polaris, which ensures that 12 o’clock is exactly “up”. If you just place Polaris at the position shown on the app, you do not have 12 o’clock up so it won’t be accurate.

​​@@martinsastrophotography If you place Polaris at the correct position and rotate the RA then only the numbers rotate. Polaris will remain there regardless of the position of the RA axis. The only benefit of putting the 12 on top is to guess the position more accurately on the ring. Last night I had my elevation spot on and the azimuth was 6 seconds out. I always do the Synscan polar alignment routine after manually aligning to check my accuracy. No RA rotation necessary. The RA rotation was for before there was apps showing the position of Polaris and you had to calculate it by rotating the RA axis to the correct hour.

@@Astronurd There is no need to be rude. We are having a discussion. Please remain calm and respectful. I believe you do not understand my explanation, which means I have not explained it effectively enough. I can try to explain my approach more clearly if you wish, but only if we can have a constructive discussion.

​@@martinsastrophotographyI didn't mean to sound offensive or rude and if I came across that way I sincerely apologise. I will edit the comment. I am eager to hear your explanation regarding this. .

@@Astronurd Thank you. Ok, let me try to explain better… The PS Align Pro app shows a picture of the polar scope graticule with 12 o’clock at the top. It then shows where Polaris needs to be on this graticule based on your location and the current date and time. To position Polaris in this position it is helpful to first orientate your polar scope graticule so that 12 o’clock is at the top. Then you can simply put Polaris in the position displayed on the app and you are done. Now to get the polar scope graticule orientated with 12 o’clock up, a simple technique is to use the Az/alt bolts to put Polaris at the centre of the graticule and then use altitude bolt only to move it up from there to the graticule rings. This is simply an accurate way to find where “up” actually is. Then you just rotate in RA to turn the graticule so that 12 o’clock is where you put Polaris. I think it’s a neat technique and I used it successfully for years before I switched to a Polemaster to save my bad back, and later to three point polar alignment in NINA. I hope this is clearer.

Thank you. I use the Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro mount which I am very happy with. I have not encountered Backfocus trouble with the EdgeHD 11 and Hyperstar….I turn the focus knob fully anti-clockwise until I reach the end stop, and then turn it clockwise 27.5 turns. This achieves focus with the Hyperstar v4 (with ZWO filter drawer option)

Thank you. I have a ZWO AM3 mount. When you get to the point where you get remote control working, you can fit a PoleMaster or use the three point polar alignment plugin in NINA, which I highly recommend you use for remote control of your sessions. I have my PC in the dining room and so I stay nice and warm!!

Thank you George. I am currently working on that. Please be patient…I hope to release a video about this within a few months.

Thank you so much Martin. I will keep an eye.

I’m glad you asked, and in my opinion there is no such thing as a stupid question, since you are seeking to learn something. You cannot polar align a tripod, since it does not have a Right Ascension axis for tracking. It is a tracking mount that you typically polar align, and this mount is often fixed on the top of a tripod. Now, think about what polar alignment is…it is the process of aligning the Right Ascension axis of the mount such that it is parallel with the Earth’s rotational axis. Assume you have just done that… now you move the tripod… you just ruined your polar alignment! So, even if you just knock the tripod with a foot, let alone pick it up and move it, you would need to check or re-do your polar alignment. I hope this helps your understanding.

Thanks for gracefully clarifying that. So Im Guessing to track the milky way you need to face the camera towards the Milky Way once polar aligned while being careful not to bump the tracker out of alignment. I’ve had a ioptron skyguider pro for a few years now but never actually put it to use. Your video and knowledge is going to help me with my first attempt so thank you very much

@@D-GAF For very wide angle photos, for example of the Milky Way, you can get away without tracking at all but you still need a tripod. Divide 200 by your focal length to get the maximum number of seconds of exposure time you can use without getting visible star trails. Set aperture wide open (lowest f/ number), set ISO very high, frame scene, drop ISO to about 1600, take your shot. Can repeat and get multiple shots for stacking later. Note that if you are using a polar aligned tracker the sky will look fixed from shot to shot and the ground will move from shot to shot, and you can use much longer exposure times. With no tracker the ground will stay fixed and the sky will move from shot to shot. It’s a good idea to use a remote control to avoid causing camera shake when you take the shots.

Thank Tony. I’m sure there are many variations out there. Interesting what you say about Hyperstar setup collimation. I have never had an issue with that. I guess I got lucky! Clear skies.

Hi Tim. First, thanks for your kind words about my video. Much appreciated. Ok…on to your questions. First, the mount is the Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro. It’s one of a few hefty mounts up to the task of carrying this scope with all the other accessories I use. Ok…so you are a photographer…well we have that in common, at least I was an amateur photographer for about 40 years before I ever tried Astrophotography. I have a similar set of lenses to you, covering a wide range of focal lengths, and as you rightly say the range of target sizes in Astrophotography is simply huge…from the whole sky Milky Way to the tiniest planet many millions of light years from Earth. You say that “it doesn’t seem that the majority of Astrophotography enthusiasts keeps a slew of different focal length telescopes”. Well I think this could be an incorrect perception. I, for example, have the EdgeHD 11 giving me 540mm, 1960mm and 2800mm, then I have an 8” Newtonian at 800mm, and a Redcat 51 at 250mm. I have accumulated these over 8 years, and spent a crazy amount of money on them and everything that goes with them. I think many if not all experienced astrophotographers will have multiple telescopes.. but perhaps they are a bit reluctant to blatantly reveal this as they don’t want to be seen to be bragging about all the kit they have. But I am quite certain that there are a lot of angry partners and spouses out there who resent the house full of Astro gear and the amount of money that has been spent on it!!! During spring (Galaxy season) I use the long focal lengths to photograph galaxies, and during autumn and winter I generally use the Hyperstar on the EdgeHD 11 for nebula work. In the summer I take a break while I wait for proper darkness to return at my 51° latitude. So..on to your question about compromise with the Hyperstar. Well, yes in principle adding more glass to the imaging train degrades the quality, but two other factors make it the right choice I believe. 1. A wider field of view means the atmospheric distortion is smaller compared with your field of view, so the details of a nebula are plenty good enough with the Hyperstar setup at 540mm. 2. With so few clear nights per year I need to make the very best of every clear night, and the photon gobbling f/1.8 setup of the EdgeHD 11 with Hyperstar is perfect for doing that. Finally, if it’s any measure at all…I have only had one award for an Astrophotography photo, and it was taken on the EdgeHD 11 with Hyperstar. I hope I have addressed all your excellent questions.

@@martinsastrophotography Hi Martin. Thanks so much for your prompt reply. All those answers help with regard to my own plans. I'm 65, living in the USA, and am about to retire back to my Australian homeland, specifically an area of rural Australia where the Bortle conditions are near perfect. It seems as good a time as any to finally indulge a long held interest in astronomy and astrophotography. I've read all the excellent reasons for starting small and building up with experience, but at my age I don't have that luxury and have decided to jump in at the deepest of deep ends. Initially I was going to purchase an Edge 9.25 coupled to an EQ6-R Pro, but decided I might as well leap right in and get the Edge 14" with a suitable mount, and toss in a Redcat 51 or 71 to compliment it. It's going to be a huge and hair-pulling learning curve, but as time isn't on my side I figured it was worth it, plus I'm very adept with software, have built a number of PCs and am reasonably comfortable with electronics, and am obsessive enough with details to pick things up fairly quickly. Toss in my years of experience with photography, and I think I'll get there, accepting the fact that there'll be a degree of frustration along the way. Channels such as yours certainly help!

Thank you!! Enjoy.

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