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Polar Alignment using EQMOD's Polar Alignment Tool

 

     The polar alignment procedure works on one simple principle: The polar axis of the telescope must be made parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation, called the North Celestial Pole. Why? Because each astronomical object appear to move through the night sky following an arc, which center is polar star. When this is accomplished, the sky's motion can be canceled simply by turning the axis (either by hand or with a motor drive) at the same rate as the rotation of the Earth, but in the opposite direction. Therefore more accurate polar alignment allows for greater time of exposure and capture more distant and faint astronomical objects.


      If you already finished to installation of drivers and programs, decrypt here, and the connection between PC and telescope mount is OK, the next stage is to do polar alignment. There are some different methods, but astrophotography is need  from the best one.

     Lets begin. Power on the SynScan hand controller of the mount and enter current date, time and time zone. Then from menu choose "Utility Func." and submenu "PC Direct Mode". Go to the PC, start "Device Management", find which serial port is linked (COM1, COM2 ...) and finally follow the first and second points from "Connect telescope mount to PC".


 1. If the connection is OK and you have correctly done the first and second point, then will automatically open the following window.

             

 2. Click on the Settings to display full window

 3. From Mount Limits remote the tick

 4. From "Site Information" click button right next to Polar HA

 5. There will be appear a window like this:
 

 6. From dropdown box choose one of the options: 3, 6, 9, 12 o'clock. For example 12 o'clock.

 7. Use RA screws and DEC screws to put Polaris over the cross of polar finder.

 

 8. Use DEC screws to move Polaris right up, until intersect the big polar circle.

 

 9. Then by "Slew Control" of EQMOD move telescope mount to put Polar star circle (a small one circle) over Polaris.

   

 10. Save this position by click button "Set Polar Scope Home"

 11. Then click button "Align Polar Scope"

 12. Click Yes to confirm and close a message.

 

 13. The telescope mount will move to right position of the Polaris

 

 14. Use RA screws and DEC screws to put Polaris right in the polar star circle.

 

 15. To check correctly position click button "Move to Polar Scope Position". The telescope mount will move to 12 o'clock position.

 16. Finally click again button "Align Polar Scope"

 17. If necessary use screws to move mount to correct polar position.