I love my Polemaster I actually prefer it to the 3 point polar alignment that is in NINA as that seems to take me ages to get aligned that's when it's not failing platesolving lol. I'd only use it if I cant see Polaris but any other time the polemaster wins hands down. I've never seen the Orion variant before looks quite snazzy in blue shame they don't sell them anymore. Clear skies!!
NINA, Sharpcap, APT all have Polar alignment built-in. I started out with the iPolar for my SkyGuider Pro. I have two Polemaster cameras for the EQ6-R Pro and Meade LX85. So, I started out with the iPolar app and graduated up to Sharpcap for the $30/yr. ASIAIR changed all of it. I now have 2 AIR Plus and an AIR Mini. Now I have two polemasters that may need to be rehomed. Manually rotating the RA is fine as long as you set it back to home position before slewing to target. I think the only difference between the Orion and the polemaster is the labeling and as long as the drivers are installed will work with the apps.
I use the polemaster on my HEQ5, it was a real game changer for me, I used to waste so much precious imaging time attempting to get a decent PA (and usually failing)
Good to see the Polar alignment camera in action. I use Sharpcap as we don't have a Polar star and trying to polar align manually with something like a Polemaster is quite a long winded process. Thank goodness for platesolving - saved us south polars. Clear skies Jason.
@@nikaxstrophotography that’s good to hear. I Nver tried using something like a polemaster because I was put off by others who said it was tricky to do but since you are successfully and quickly achieving polar alignment, then I guess that wasn’t true.
Thanks for sharing. I hope you find the camera a great help when setting up certainly less contortions required than looking through a polar finder. I've found the iOptron iPolar similarly useful but now use SharpCap Pro's polar alignment as fortunately the combination of Samyang 135mm lens and ZWO ASI533MM-Pro gives a 5 degree fov suited to using SharpCap Pro's polar alignment tool. This way the main imaging set up is used to polar align and then image. This has an advantage of removing any cone error in the system. With yhe Orion camera the importance of having the usb connected at a right angled position is to make mount adjustments of the Alt and Az move the screen view in a straight direction not at a diagonal which would be frustrating when positioning stars during the process. Cheers.
that makes sense with the camera orientation.. maybe I should put the camera at a diagonal and try and align that way! 😂. so far the camera is a godsend. CS
After watching your video, I would almost bet the reason that Orion no longer carries their pole master would be a copyright or patent violation. The software, as you say, is just about identical to QHYl's. Perhaps Orion should have rewritten the software to make it look different. Nonetheless, I have the QHY pole master and love it. What I do is when I set my rig up, I use the QHY to polar align then I use NINA's 3-point Polar alignment to fine-tune the PA. BTW, we've been totally cloudy here in Savannah, and at least another week or two of clouds are on the way. I might luck out with a few hours of clear nighttime conditions, but that's it, so the only videos I am putting out are on my Weather and Nature channel, with plenty of subjects to talk about.
You think it might be a copyright or patent thing?? maybe, But many of their other products, e.g. (like the 30mm ultra mini guidescope) are rebrands as well... I'm of the thought that they just didn't sell many of them, so they discontinued selling them. but who knows. Hope your weather starts to improve a bit.
I use the starshoot P1 on all my mounts. even made a bracket to use it on the AM5! Pretty sure it is a rebranded pole master since the software I got from orion 3 years ago is pole master
Absolutely identical to the polemaster, right down to the software easy as to use regardless of southern or Norther skies however if you use the asiair it seems a little defunct now
Good information Jason. Thanks Cs
Thanks Ray!
I love my Polemaster I actually prefer it to the 3 point polar alignment that is in NINA as that seems to take me ages to get aligned that's when it's not failing platesolving lol. I'd only use it if I cant see Polaris but any other time the polemaster wins hands down. I've never seen the Orion variant before looks quite snazzy in blue shame they don't sell them anymore.
Clear skies!!
I also prefer the camera over NINA as well.. and use it when I can't see Polaris as well. Maybe they will bring it back.. CS
NINA, Sharpcap, APT all have Polar alignment built-in. I started out with the iPolar for my SkyGuider Pro. I have two Polemaster cameras for the EQ6-R Pro and Meade LX85. So, I started out with the iPolar app and graduated up to Sharpcap for the $30/yr. ASIAIR changed all of it. I now have 2 AIR Plus and an AIR Mini. Now I have two polemasters that may need to be rehomed.
Manually rotating the RA is fine as long as you set it back to home position before slewing to target.
I think the only difference between the Orion and the polemaster is the labeling and as long as the drivers are installed will work with the apps.
I do like the camera over NINA ect.. Just seems very easy to do.
I use the polemaster on my HEQ5, it was a real game changer for me, I used to waste so much precious imaging time attempting to get a decent PA (and usually failing)
I totally hear ya. best thing since sliced bread.. not sure why it took me so long to get one. CS
Good to see the Polar alignment camera in action. I use Sharpcap as we don't have a Polar star and trying to polar align manually with something like a Polemaster is quite a long winded process. Thank goodness for platesolving - saved us south polars. Clear skies Jason.
I don't know about that Logan I use the polemaster at home in my Melbourne backyard and am polar aligned in 5 minutes
I think you set it to the Southern Hemi, but I can't test unless I go to New Zealand or Aussy..
there ya go!
@@nikaxstrophotography that’s good to hear. I Nver tried using something like a polemaster because I was put off by others who said it was tricky to do but since you are successfully and quickly achieving polar alignment, then I guess that wasn’t true.
@@AZ4Runner well there go, I stand corrected 😊. But you should still come to NZ and make sure 😁
Thanks for sharing. I hope you find the camera a great help when setting up certainly less contortions required than looking through a polar finder. I've found the iOptron iPolar similarly useful but now use SharpCap Pro's polar alignment as fortunately the combination of Samyang 135mm lens and ZWO ASI533MM-Pro gives a 5 degree fov suited to using SharpCap Pro's polar alignment tool. This way the main imaging set up is used to polar align and then image. This has an advantage of removing any cone error in the system.
With yhe Orion camera the importance of having the usb connected at a right angled position is to make mount adjustments of the Alt and Az move the screen view in a straight direction not at a diagonal which would be frustrating when positioning stars during the process.
Cheers.
that makes sense with the camera orientation.. maybe I should put the camera at a diagonal and try and align that way! 😂. so far the camera is a godsend. CS
After watching your video, I would almost bet the reason that Orion no longer carries their pole master would be a copyright or patent violation. The software, as you say, is just about identical to QHYl's. Perhaps Orion should have rewritten the software to make it look different. Nonetheless, I have the QHY pole master and love it. What I do is when I set my rig up, I use the QHY to polar align then I use NINA's 3-point Polar alignment to fine-tune the PA. BTW, we've been totally cloudy here in Savannah, and at least another week or two of clouds are on the way. I might luck out with a few hours of clear nighttime conditions, but that's it, so the only videos I am putting out are on my Weather and Nature channel, with plenty of subjects to talk about.
You think it might be a copyright or patent thing?? maybe, But many of their other products, e.g. (like the 30mm ultra mini guidescope) are rebrands as well... I'm of the thought that they just didn't sell many of them, so they discontinued selling them. but who knows. Hope your weather starts to improve a bit.
I use the starshoot P1 on all my mounts. even made a bracket to use it on the AM5! Pretty sure it is a rebranded pole master since the software I got from orion 3 years ago is pole master
It is.. if you need another, one just popped up on CloudyNights classifieds.. someone got one from the OPT auction. CS
Good info Jason, I mainly use Sharpcap down here. CS !
hope u guys r getting good weather down south!
Absolutely identical to the polemaster, right down to the software easy as to use regardless of southern or Norther skies however if you use the asiair it seems a little defunct now
I agree, just another means to get good Polar Alignment. one for those who do not have the ASIAir. CS