Phd2 has a selection of builtin polar alignment tools, and there are various other methods available outside of phd2. Windows vista is relatively new but eqmod has been run successfully using the windows xp compatibility mode use a right click to set this mode. Even at star parties, experienced users can be thrown off by a new location and suddenly need to relearn the art of accurate polar alignment. Allstar polar alignment celestron telescopes, telescope. Click on align polar scope button and polarscope tool will align your ra axis exactly to the position of the polaris in the sky according to the time and coordinates of your observation site. Conesharp sharpcap lunar, planetary, solar and deep. Rough polar alignments, even with a polarscope and eqmod, can provide insufficient precision for very long exposures of deep space objects. Downloads sharpcap lunar, planetary, solar and deep. What that means is that you are going to align on three or more stars there is a onestar option that can work well if the mount is precisely polar aligned. I wish to perform a star alignment but now i dont have the synscan. So am i useing eqmod polar alignment correct,first off when mount is switched on and parked in the home position so no way of seeing polaris through the mount do i swing the telescope to the east or west by hand so i can see polaris or use the motors.
Accurate polar alignment is a specific requirement of any kind of astrophotography as only by achieving this alignment can accurate tracking of celestial bodies be made and this is a prerequisite of photographing sky objects. Polar alignment free polar alignment software download. On the syncscan handset which i no longer use i recall you can move the mount in ra only. As of now, there is an handcontroller gui application pad, which includes the use of a joypad device, and a helper for polar aligning an equatorial mount polar align. Alignmaster is a program designed for a quick and precise alignment of goto mounts to the polar axis. Eq8 eqmod drifting coordinates main sequence software. A 23 star alignment is an algorithm calculated in software or firmware that finds the attitude of your system relative to the location of 23 stars. The process of this is beyond the scope of this tutorial and the reason for it is simple eqmods website already has an excellent pdf stepbystep tutorial on using eqmod for polar alignment and it is viewable here click link. Eqmod will launch press the arrow in eqmod to expand the view. Besides a small catalog browserreader catalogs, and a more specific align viewer gui application aimed at displaying current alignment data for the eqmod indi driver. In this tutorial i want to show how to perform polar alignment using eqmod s polar alignment tool. Sharpcap pro polar alignment is quick, accurate and easy to use. Eqmod polar alignment check using 3star coordinate. It should be noted that polaris, although being accepted as.
Using a pc and an easily built or purchased interface moduleyou are now in complete control of your gem. Polar alignment sharpcap lunar, planetary, solar and deep. If you find the polar reticule appears too bright, on later mounts check your sw. Although all of these methods work with varying results, i am not really happy with most of them for one reason or another. Eq8 eqmod drifting coordinates general main sequence software. Conesharp sharpcap lunar, planetary, solar and deep sky. Control of the mount using an ascom mount driver ie eqmod precise alignment a reticule eyepiece or camera rough polar alignment within a degree or so planetarium software that can drive the mount ie carte du ciel a decent view of the southern sky due south, able to see stars with a declination of 0. You cant do it with stellarium but i am not sure about eqmod. Eqmod allows the user to set the mounts location on the earth, perform a polar alignment, manually slew the mount among many other functions. In the eqmod ui i am able to slew and nudge the mount in all directions at any rate 14. The method used is that of julius scheiner 185819 german mathematic, physic, astronomer and pioneer in astrophotography. Apr 22, 2018 i have always assumed that it is a small polar alignment problem and have settled on the sharpcap polar alignment routine as it seems the easiest and accurate. I figured out all the connectivity stuff during the day but when it came time to pull everything outside and put it to use i.
A window will pop up with buttons that allow stars to be accepted and the alignment ended when all the stars have been centered. This is strongly recommended if wishing to perform a good polar alignment. Simple if the procedure is too complex it will be prone to error. Just reading the latest synscan instruction manual version 2803v3 and the polar alignment without polar scope does look interesting. I dont even rotate my ra to get the circle in the right position, instead i just put polaris on the line. It says right at the end of the first page of section 11. I am not saying eqmod is bad software, just that it seems to provide a lot of ways for users to find themselves in states that are notcompatible with sgpro. This not only stops eqmod from starting, when you do get the software back up and running but deleting the ini files all of your settings are lost, and i mean all of them, your audio file pages, your lat long, your star alignments etc. If the mount is moved by accident and polar alignment is lost, the alignment can be restored by adjusting the mount to. How to use the qhyccd polemaster software duration. In this tutorial i want to show how to perform polar alignment using eqmods polar alignment tool.
Using goto for polar alignment without software feature. My neq6 pro mount is connecte to my kaptop via an eqdir cable and i am co trolli g it with eqmod, ascom, stelkariumscope and stellarium. The great list of astrophotography software software howdy folksrecently ive thought itd be a good idea to compile a giant list of ap related software all contained in one place so it would be easy to find, ive started with the programs below along with short descriptions, but need help from you all. I do a normal polar align first, the thing is, the nearer it is when you start, the less adjusting you have to do, after using it a couple of times it just flows, in eqmod, make sure you set it to dialog mode, otherwise it sees the adjustments as alignment stars and. Jun 15, 20 eqmod is a popular set of software tools used by many astronomers to control the skywatcher heq5, neq6 and other mounts directly from a pc. After monitoring is started, as long as a goto has not been executed, the software will continuously determine the pole position frame by frame. I intend to include more detailed comparisons, but in the short term, i hope that the following is useful. This document describes the features and use of the eqascom driver. You can easily achieve alignment accuracy better than 1 arcmin in 5 minutes of time.
It is much more easier than the manual scheinermethod or the usage of guidemaster. Set up and align the goto system in whatever way the mount requires. Parot is a program for ultra fast and precise polar alignment of equatorial mounts. During the setup of eqmod, i once had to reboot which caused the eqmod ini file to become unreadable for whatever reason. Getting the drift data using the 3star affine mapping method. A program was written to simulate the 3star algorithm and the. The eqmod project consists of a suite of open source applications that can provide an alternative to the hand controller on supported german equatorial mounts. In fact, you dont really need software polar alignment features in your scope. I have used several methods of polar alignment over the years. A precise telescope mount polar alignment using alignmaster software. Astromate x64 is a project for automating repeating astrophotography tasks, such as equatorial mount polar alignment and target centering, by integrating existing tools and especially plate solving to the ascom telescope control interface.
Looking over our requests for help over the last few months there is a distinct trend more than 75% of mount pointing flip issues are derived from users using eqmod. There are quite a few polar alignment softs out there now, including wcs, polealignmax, and eq align. I am using cdc and eqmod, done my polar alignment then slewed to vega miles off, managed to get it roughly centre with the telrad then finished off centering it using the cross hairs on maxim and syncing in cdc. We asked steve richards to write an overview of eqmod with details on some of its many features and how to use them. Nov 03, 2015 looking over our requests for help over the last few months there is a distinct trend more than 75% of mount pointing flip issues are derived from users using eqmod. I recently looked at the ra and dec coordinates i use for target settings and in the image header after each frame and the coordinates keep changing. A more accurate polar alignment will be evident in your autoguiding graph, and in your individual image frames. After all the software is installed you should go into your imaging software are select the mount type under your telescope settings. Polar alignment is the process of aligning the mount so that it points at the ncp the north celestial pole or the scp south celestial pole. I have always assumed that it is a small polar alignment problem and have settled on the sharpcap polar alignment routine as it seems the easiest and accurate. Oct 17, 2011 a precise telescope mount polar alignment using alignmaster software.
After alignment, eqmod initate tracking, so you can adjust your mount and bring polaris to hes bubble with no rush. Polar alignment is an essential first step towards a night of visual observation or astrophotography. The following is a list of all the polar alignment software that i am aware of. Eqmod polar alignment simulation using the 3starnstar affine mapping dec drift approach. Drift alignment is discussed as a way to prevent field rotation in images.
This method, if done precisely, can get you to a very good polar alignment without a need to drift align after that. Hnsky welcome to the semi professional free planetarium program hnsky for mswindows and linux. Easy polar alignment for astrophotography step by step. For me, the ideal polar alignment procedure should be.
The eqmod software has a polar scope simulator for this. There are methods for using ccd imaging programs to aid in drift polar alignment, or, hell, even using phd guiding to get you on the pole. No matter what you are imaging with canon eos, nikon, ccd or cmos astro camera, apt has the right tool for planning, collimating, aligning. Connect to your mount through your imaging software. The others seem to be related to issues with other modeling. This documentation is created using a collaborative approach so your feedback and input is essential. Fine tune your polar alignment in sharpcap step by step. Mar 14, 2018 the eqmod ascom driver is a part of a larger set of software tools called the eqmod project. I bit off a big chunk of new knowledge to assimilate and my first attempt to use it all was a disaster.
Star align when eqdir connected and running ascom, eqmod. See whats included in the free and pro versions here. It should be noted that polaris, although being accepted as the north star, is not quite at the the ncp. Currently i release the clutch when using the polar align tool but if moved via eqmod i could return to the precise home position plus could test alignment from the laptop. For the atlas you will select the eqmod ascom heq56. The eqmod project eqascom polarscope alignment tool note. Feb 20, 2016 arrgh im at my wits end, cant understand whats going wrong. In addition to the eqmod ascom driver, sometimes referred to as eqascom, there are addon software packages that add even more features like sky tours eqtour, mosaic control for astrophotography eqmosaic, and others. Mar 16, 2018 on the syncscan handset which i no longer use i recall you can move the mount in ra only.
The proprietary software provides a set it and forget it option due to its built in scheduler, autofocuser, sequencer and guider. Accurate polar alignment with eq3eq5heq5 and eq6 mounts. By far the most frequently asked question i hear from beginners is how the hell do i polar align my telescope. This method, if done precisely, can get you to a very good. Survey of polar alignment methods celestial wonders. If you find the polar reticule appears too bright, on later mounts check your sw handcontroller settings it is possible to dim the illumination by down loading and running. Polar alignment of your equatorial mount the blog formerly. Last night, the polar alignment should have placed the small alignment circle at the 3. Power all on in preparation for goto star alignment.
By aligning the axis of your telescope mount with the motion of the sky, you can accurately track objects in space. Eqmod controlling the heq5, neq6 and other mounts directly. When you first select the polar alignment tool, sharpcap will try to plate solve each. A camera is not needed, but an ocular with illuminated crosshairs is helpful and will give a more precise alignment. Many people seem to use these pieces of software together, so im sure there is a fix. I perform polar alignment using my polemaster outside eqmod. Polar alignment with eqmod and the new polar engraving. Eqmod provides everything the hand controller does, except the object database this is provided by other software. Oct 01, 2010 a demonstration of how to use the eqascom polar scope alignment tool. I recently looked at the ra and dec coordinates i use for target settings and in the image. A demonstration of how to use the eqascom polar scope alignment tool. Obviously there could be others that i am not aware of. Eqascom the software driver for direct control of the eq series astronomical mounts.
The nstar to polar drift slope method basically mimics the standard drift method of polar alignment as it computes for the drift without having to wait x minutes for a star movement on an reticle eyepiece. Ive been using cdc for about 15 years now and it is an excellent bit of software i even contributed a few minor things to the project many years ago, so maybe im biased, but honestly it really is very good, and its free. Astromate is a project for automating repeating astrophotography tasks, such as equatorial mount polar alignment and target centering, by integrating existing tools and especially plate solving to the ascom telescope control interface. The eqmod project consists of a suite of open source applications that can provide an alternative to the hand controller on supported german equatorial mounts using a pc and an easily built or purchased interface module you are now in complete control of your.
Allstar is our exclusive, innovative polar alignment procedureavailable on select celestron computerized telescopesthat allows users to choose any bright star not just one near the ncp while the software calculates and assists with polar alignment. All of the optical polar alignment scopes, like the losmandy one, or the orion atlas one, have a small diameter fragile, round glass plate, having the markings etched on photo lithographed out of a chrome metal layer, like used in the semiconductor industry for litho mask layers. This means that the axis of the mount will then be aligned parallel to the earths axis. Eqmod polar alignment vs celestron aspa precision mounts. Using ekos alignment module, aligning your mount using the controllers 1, 2, or 3 star alignment is not strictly necessary, though for some mounts it is recommended to perform a rough 1 or 2 star alignment before using ekos alignment module. But there is also software expressly designed for polar alignment.
There isnt a separate download for sharpcap pro just download the latest version of sharpcap and enter a license key to unlock the sharpcap pro features. The process of this is beyond the scope of this tutorial and the reason for it is simple eqmod s website already has an excellent pdf stepbystep tutorial on using eqmod for polar alignment and it is viewable here click link. Used gps dongle via eqmod checking time delta so computer time, stellarium timeposition all in sync. My previous method of polar alignment involved using the polar finder app for a readout of the current nights position for polaris. If you are using eqmod, you can start using ekos alignment module right away. This is where i have the issues, as eqmod seems to be pointing the alignment at the wrong position. Arrgh im at my wits end, cant understand whats going wrong.
The great list of astrophotography software reddit. I just added a rs232 cable to control my mount and an asi120mm to use as a guide camera. Eqmod polar alignment vs celestron aspa precision posted in mounts. Eqalign is a project that assists to align a german equatorial mount gem exactly to the earth polar axis.
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