Getting Started 09B: Polar Alignment with the Losmandy Polar Scope
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 พ.ค. 2024
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Do you have your own way you do Polar Alignment, or some additional tips or feedback? please post in comments below!
In this tutorial, we polar align with the polar scope - great for visual observing, fast setups, or when you don't have access to a computer
This is Part 2 of 4 for polar alignment, and covers polar alignment via the losmandy polar scope
NOTE REGARDING RETICLES:
Reticle designs and epochs have changed through the years. If yours does not look exactly the same, it can still help you with effective polar alignment. If you have missing or outdated epoch lines, you can estimate the current epoch based on the images in the video.
You can also update your reticle by purchasing a new one from Hutech: astrohutech.store/product/ret...
Instructions on replacing the reticle are here: www.hutech.com/file/reticle.pdf
Additional polar alignment resources
Losmandy polar scope documentation including details for southern hemisphere
www.losmandy.com/pdf/polar-fin...
"Using Polar Finder" by David Kodama (another written description of using the polar scope. It's a bit dated but still has some good additional tips and recommendations)
www.eanet.com/kodama/astro/eq... - บันเทิง
This is an excellent video but viewers should note the red colored epoch year notation shown in the video are reversed. The correct epoch year order are usually etched in the correct order on the reticle and the epoch year sequence for Northern hemisphere use naturally go from lower years to higher years. For Southern hemisphere users the order is reversed and uses the other epoch year markings not on etched radian lines.
Brian, great animations of reticle views and adjustments.
Thanks for your comment Edward - they took forever! lol
Hi Brian,
I have long been a fan of the Losmandy polar scope because of the rotating reticle system which as you noted is unusual as is the second star indicator to compensate for precession. I had forgotten these features are unique to Losmandy and just take them for granted but you reminded me these slick features are unique.
Since the PoleMaster came out I have gone back and forth recommending imagers buy the Losmandy optical polar scope. For the visual observer there is nothing quite as good and nothing more is needed to get good working PA. For visual use I adjust my GM8G or G11G mount PA using the Losmandy polar scope without giving it much thought it is second nature. But I bet most people have no idea how to properly use the Losmandy polar scope for PA and that you have to move from the AZ, ALT adjusters and reticle rotation to circle in on good PA.
IMO this is a super good video and will be helpful for those bumping around in the dark! Also I had no idea I looked so silly while doing PA - LOL, it's a good thing it is normally dark when doing PA using the polar scope.
A suggestion for an advanced followup is how to replace/upgrade the reticle
Thanks for reminding me - it's not a video but here's instructions on how to replace/upgrade the reticle www.hutech.com/file/reticle.pdf (this link and the replacement is also in this video description as well)
Is there a video to show how to connect the polar scope to the titan model mounts?
What version of mount is that. That's a lot of gear and weight on that mount! Just asking, thanks in advance.
Another good Losmandy video. Do you cover ‘reticle rotational alignment’ is a previous video? If not this should be covered.
I do have a question. Your RA worm assembly has a cap-screw on the side of the outer worm block. I assume this is to elimination worm backlash or movement. Is this stock now or did you make this modification?
Hi Jim - If you are talking about rotating the reticle to match the star pattern, we covered this a couple times in this video. first roughing it in with the constellations, and later using the second star and epoch markings to refine the rotation.
Regarding the mod, you have an eagle eye! I am often testing different ideas we have. This particular mod did not make the cut, it did not do what we expected. I should be more careful on what mounts I show in future videos :)
@@LOSMANDY "If you are talking about rotating the reticle to match the star pattern..." No - when you get a polar scope you usually have to align / center the glass reticle in the scope. There are 3 very small grub screws that allow you to center the glass reticle in the polar scope. If you don't do this step the polar scope isn't very accurate.
@@jimwaters304 ah got it - the polar scope comes with the reticle already calibrated. We do not recommend adjusting it unless you have specific reason to do so
Polaris is not labeled on my reticle.
Can/should the polar scope be left in the mount between session or is it better to store it separately? Great video!
Hi Edward - i mentioned this briefly at the end of the video. I leave it in, it's fine to keep it in, and is ready to go for next time
hi I tried your system to station the telescope, with the losmandy, but the constellations I see in the telescope, cassiopeia and ursa major, technically I don't see them in the polar telescope, because they are too far away from each other, therefore the colstellations visible in the telescope I aligned them approximately by eye, is that correct?
thank you
Hi Walter - thanks for your comment. As mentioned in the video, you will not see the constellations in the polar scope, so you align approximately by eye, and then fine tune by looking into the polar scope and aligning the stars
@@LOSMANDY I had the same initial misunderstanding as Walter. Yes, you do explain that in the video. A bit more emphasis on this might be a useful addition.
I like that you only have to turn the polar scope and not the entire axis but it would have been better if you had sold the polar scope with those dates etched on the lines for the second star. It was hard enough trying to line up the constellations you can't see with the tiny representations inside the polar scope without having to search around for documentation not provided on the quick start guide on which of those tiny lines are 2020 and 2030 or even which set of tiny lines are for the second star. I am used to using the reticle with the circles and tick marks and this reticle confused me the first night out and caused me to spend an excessive amount of time polar aligning when normally it only takes me five minutes. You say the reticle is upgradeable. I would like an upgraded polar scope that has the dates etched in it (I hope I'm still a star gazer past 2030!). I'm not interested in using the Chinese made iPolar or the other camera that you have to use with a lap top, Polemaster.
If you note in the example at 3:17 and 4:25, there are 4 numbers etched in at the top (N-05-10-20-30). Those are the epochs. The gap between the 05 and 10 is half the size as the gaps between 10-20-30. This is the 2005-2010-2020-2030 reference.
I recently bought a GM8 used with a polar scope, and it took me several hours wondering the same thing before I noticed the numbers.
@@bpgfri1313 Thank you!