Thanks from a 70yr old beginner - in the UK

Hi Trevor. I've had a telescope for years and have been obsessed with the stars and astronomy all my life. I gave up pretty quickly on my telescope because I never really knew how to use it. I purchased a DSLR camera about 2 years ago to try night sky photography and gave that up after a few tries as I thought it was too hard. I came across the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer a year or so ago and finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. I tried it for the first time on Saturday night, during the Perseids, and, frustratingly, missed most of the meteors that I could see in my light polluted area trying to polar align the Star Adventurer. I tried the official manual, well reviewed site's tutorials and some videos but I just couldn't get it. After watching your video I feel this is the simplest and most straightforward explanation on how to do it and I feel confident that I'll be able to do it on my next try. So, for that, thank you!

Thanks a very easy to understand tutorial Trevor. You are a great presenter and humble, which is so refreshing man! and Rudi the dog just melts my heart when i see how loving and loyal he is to you! I think it's great you include him in your videos as it gives you and your videos a whole new level of Authenticity and shows your human qualities. It's so sweet seeing him n you interact, as i'm a huge Dog lover and i understand the love n trust between a Dog and his or hers mummy and daddy! I also love it when Rudi just wanders in to your vids having a little sniff and look around and checking his daddy is ok! Beautiful and so special! Great Vids Trevor, please keep up the great work! From Liverpool, UK.

Great production value and instruction as always! Please don't stop making videos-they are the well-made, excellently executed videos the astronomy community needs!

Just got an EQ6-R and used it for the first time - its my first EQ mount (what a beast!). I don't see Polaris from my balcony. I pointed it north using a simple compass, used APTs DARV routine and then finished with the built in synscan polar alignment of the mount. 120s unguided - round stars. Its really easy and I was very happy it worked so well for me as a first timer! Now tonight I am already looking into plate solving.

as a visual dob user, its nice to understand what my astrophotography buddies have to go through

Thanks. Having used my Meade LS-8 for several years, I just got a Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 with the EQ6-Pro mount... moving from a completely self adjusting scope not suitable for astrophotography to this beauty. Your explanation was simple and to the point aligned with a good dose if empathy.

Thanks Trevor - you explain things in a way that anyone can understand.

A sight for the sore eyes. Thank you for making this so easy to understand.

Hi, Trevor, great videos. Keep ‘em coming. Clear skies!

Brilliant quick and easy description video for polar alignment. 👏 thanks!!!

Man you put together both entertaining and educational videos. Great job

I've learned so much from you. Thank you for fantastic videos and great explanations. Cheers!

Hi Trevor, thanks for the simplicity explaining on how to Polar Align, I was watching a video in a different channel on how to do it, and gave me a headache, it was sort of like learning how to split the atom. thanks again. Clear Skies!!!

Thanks, I’m just learning as much as I can before I buy a telescope. Your video was easy to understand.

Well done Trevor and Rudi really enjoyed it. Mike

Of course this is a useful video, thanks for share your knowledge in a more accessible manner.

I just got my first EQ mount, Vixen SP. Thx for the video explaining the polar scope alignment. Cheers

Hi Trevor, I have watched a few videos to get my HEQ5 aligned but your video is really straight forward. I was aware why but I never got it right. Now it's crystal clear :-) Next clear night I will apply your method. Thanks a lot! And the App Polar Finder is easy to use.

Your video tutorials are superb!!

Easiest alignment video ever! Thanks very much. :)X

Great vid. Just started with an goto eq mount and this helps a lot in the proces. Thnkx

Have Subbed a Long Time Ago,But Just Got a New Eq Mount and Needed This..Thank You Trevor🙏🏼🔭❤️🌏

Very well explained, good tutorial. A greeting from Spain.

I'm watching all of your videos from beginning in 2021💖

Very good video. I use Polemaster with CGEM mount and found it very handy and great time saver. Once you follow the basic steps that video shows such as setting latitude, leveling mount and roughly pointing towards polaris using pole master you can get very accurate and quick polar alignment. It is is bit expensive but time saver in my opinion. When I started using it I was not sure how helpful it would be but after using it for 3-4 times I can get accurate polar alignment. You can search for videos on polemaster.

Awesome video!! Thanks so much!

Great job. Have found your videos very helpful.

Great tutorial Trevor. Compared to manual drift alignment, the polar scope + PolarFinder app requires very little setup time, so you can spend more time taking pictures. The alignment is usually good enough for 60 sec unguided shots with my EQ5 and 400 mm scope (Orion ST-80).

Very useful, thanks! Took me 30 (thirty) minutes to realize why I couldn't see through the polarscope of my new NEQ5 Pro mount until I realized that the axis must be in that certain position. Felt so dumb )) If watching this video before, it had saved me time.

Thank you, thank you! Finally makes sense!

i will support you in what ways i can on youtube... i love Astrophotography but cannot afford equipment to do so.. so i am glad to see you on youtube doing what i like (:

thank you for this great video. before I saw this video, I usually just pointed my polar alignment scope directly at Polaris :-), again, thank you

Thanks for the help!

Great tutorial, thank you.

Again, very useful video, all i can do at the moment is drift alignment but i will use your video if i can see polaris.

Saludos Trevor, desde Barcelona 41° Cataluña, Gracias por tu video.

great video, thanks...

Hi Trevor! It is very important before starting to use a new mount to check the collimation of the polar finder. I have accidentally discovered that mine was off by maybe 1/2 degrees. So it is recommended to check the collimation of the polar scope during daytime against a distant target before using it for astrophotography especially when autoguiding is not used. Otherwise there is no point in being too precise with positioning Polaris relatively to the reticle.

Hey Trevor, nice video! I am from Sydney, NSW, Australia....I found out i may use Sigma Octantis, (Polaris of the South) to align my telescope....But Octantis may be harder to find as it is fainter than polaris. :) But the procedure is the same as finding a polaris. :) THanks so much

wow that cleared so much up for me, thank you so much

Thanks Trevor, i just got the eq6pro as my next step. maybe no more start hopping yeah

Thanks let see if I can get it to work

I just got in my HEQ5 today. Can't wait to give it a whirl. This will be my first computer mount. Like a lot of people, I thought polar aligning was simply aiming at Polaris. The first time I tried it I must have hit it right on the nose because I was imaging Mars and it didn't move a bit lol. Never happened again.

Just watched this video. I have a similar mount and following this procedure I always found my scope to be off polar alignment. I found out that the polar scope was not exactly aligned with my mount axis. I am trying to resolve that issue but it is apparently not simple. You can easily check if your polar scope is aligned with the mount axis by turning the RA while looking through the scope. The "polaris ring" in the scope view field should not wobble as the RA turns, it should remain perfectly stable.

well done

Hey Trevor, I love the videos! I was just wondering could you do a video on all of your telescopes, mounts and equipment and what each one is best for? Because I don’t understand why you pick certain telescopes for certain images/visual? Thanks!

I enjoy your videos - but always wondered why they were so serious. It was nice to see you joke and smile... Impointant! = )

Polar Finder App. Voila. That’s why I found this vid. 👍

Just remember, If your polar alignment scope image is upside down and you use the polar finder app on your phone make sure to turn the phone upside down or you will find your alignment off by a 1 degree plus..

First of all, I really like your videos and the way you explain things! It's very disappointing that the PoleMaster can only be mounted on a limited set of mounts? I own a Skywatcher EQM-35 pro for example and I've been looking so long for a solution. I only got the mount recently but I regret it already only because of the missing support with automatic polar alignment. Keep on making those video's. Clear Skies!

Thanks.

Great video Trevor, thank you. I do have 2 questions, what is the dial for around the polar scope for and how do I use it and when?

thank u

+1 for the Skyrim music!

My prefered method is to first calibrate the polar scope by identifying it's transit position and making a reference mark on the mount body with sticker labels and a fine pen. The transit position is when Polaris is directly above the NPC, but through the p.scope it is flipped to bellow. Begin calibration by centering polaris, or an object on the p.scope crosshairs. Then using the ALT bolts, position that star or object on the circle directly below in you view. On the mount body, mark the position it is in at that point. To perform the alignment, Reposition the mount to your mark. Set the R.A. setting circle to 0 With your application, find the Hour Angle or Polaris Rotate the R.A. until the setting circle reads the same as the Hour Angle. Looking through the p.scope, the orientation should now match the application very accurately.

Thanks for this video Trevor. How do you make sure that your polar scope isn't rotated too far one way or the other? for example, in your video at 1:23, the big dipper and cassiopeia which are printed on the screen of the scope are right and left of the NCP respectively, however if the scope were "twisted" slightly, they might be above and below the NCP, for example, and then surely the whole thing wouldn't work?

Hey. Trevor. Can you make a walkthrough on all sky pillar allingment having a hard time trying to get pass the 2 phase of PA. On the ASIAIR

I rotate mine so that it is the way you have with the exception that polaris is in the small circle instead of just on the circle line.That is what the small circle is for.

Hi Trevor i watch your videos and find them so helpful but today i just got my 1st heq5 and in the standard park position the small circle is at 12oclock at the top does that matter thanks bud!.

Hi Trevor. Can you do a vid on polar alignment during the day? This is for the conjunction which will good at dusk. Thank you. I am using a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer with a camera on it. Thanks.

thank you! any chance of something on cone adjustment?

Do you find that polar aligning with the polar scope is good enough for AP or is there benefit to further refine the alignment using tools such as sharpCaps polar alignment tool?

Wouldn't it be great that future mounts have a motor driven system that perfect align for you? I switched the knobs with better ones, easier to handle, but its still a drag.

Hi Trevor, it is a quite useful video. Can you also pls suggest authentic websites or shops to buy telescopes /equipment in the GTA area. I am an amateur astronomer and new to this area. Your suggestions will be extremely helpful. Thanks

I bent my bolts into the mount while adjusting the lattitude like that. It was a pain to remove them, even though the factory-shipped bolts are made of hotdogmeat. Now I have two carbonated toolshop bolts in there and always loosen them both before adjusting the lattitude. Be careful!

Using a polar scope, when i have put polaris at the right location. I now wanna align the finder scope aswell, do i then just simply center polaris using the knobs? Its what i have been doing so far and i believe it works but i would like a confirmation if that is the correct method.

Love your videos. I noticed that you didn't place polaris in the tiny circle of the polar scope. Also when you polar align, how important is the dial (right ascension and declination circles)? Do they play a role when polar aligning? Thanks for explaining.

Tyvm for the tutorial, very helpful! Music name?

Is that Celestron cg5 behind heq5?

Thanks for the valuable information. I don't understand why I see polar in the polar finder while I don't in the telescope eyepiece. In your opinion, is it possible to adjust the mount's losmandy bar to align it with the polar finder? Because when I do astrophotography, aligning the three stars is complicated. Thank you

Hello :) and Thank You for this Video, 1 question....do you align WITH your scope ect on the mount?

The circle at 1:23 mine has 0 and 6 on it and I'm told its important to have the zero at the top and the 6 at the bottom. I see yours is upside down. Is this important? If so how do you adjust it and to what accuracy a few degrees, half a degree?

Would you explain how to track the moon? Is it the same process?

Excellent video and so clear. Just a quick question , how accurate do i need to be locating Polaris.- to the nearest seconds? I m using Sam console and polar finder. They differ by several minutes and seconds. Any suggestions?

So you want Polaris in the circle that represents the star in the finder scope?

Looking through the polarfinder should the 0 be at the top?

Nice video... Whats the background music you used?

Great video. Anyway doing pola alignment at 3degree that we cannot see polaris? =)

Oh jeez. Thank you. Newbie here. Could not see Polaris. Didn't know you had to turn the scope 90 degrees... Baaah

This is great, but may I ask, I have access to my Wife’s old Telescope - a Helios 114mm Reflector - but when it comes to the setting circles, the pointer’s RA setting circle needed adjusting, so how do I know which way is negative, please, because I noticed that some co-ordinates use a negative number? Oh, and presumably, once it’s polar aligned, from there onwards, I only adjust the DEC and RA adjusters to find the objects in the sky? Thanks and keep up the great work.

great video! i have 1 question, how to polar align if you are living in the equator? u know i never seen polaris in my life :)

should polaris be in the middle of the circle or where the "app" shows us?

excelent! One question please: I just bought a new skywatcher120/1000 rig with equatorial neq5 and I'm still learning the equatorial (before it had a 70mm with altaz mount. Once I managed to put it in parking position (orient the tripod to the north with a quality compass, level the tripod , level right ascension and level declination and adjust latitude of Madrid), can I consider that I am aligned with the polar? even if it is fake alignment? because sometimes you want to see the moon during the day or because there is something that does not allow you to see the polar. And Would you know how many degrees you have to deviate to true north in the location of Madrid, since the compass will indicate magnetic north?

Do I need to get the ring in the polar scope turned around to match the app? You didn't cover this pat

The interesting thing about the polar app - is that it shows Polaris on the wrong side of the celestial pole. Polaris is central to Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. And Polaris is about .7 degrees offset from the celestial pole. However Polaris is shifted towards Cassiopeia - not towards the Big dipper. And the app displays Polaris shifted towards the big dipper. I wonder if the app is compensating for the polar scope which may be reversing the image of Polaris?

Welcome to AstroBackyard! :) I have a Sky-Watcher 114/900 Eq2 mechanical telescope. Unfortunately there is no polar scope for my mechanics. How do I set it to pole? I've thought about putting a plastic tube on the side of the mechanics and looking through it. I know I can't get it exactly right this way, but do you think it would be OK? Or do you have any other ideas? Thanks in advance if you have any ideas for this problem. Have a good stargazing and clear skies :)

What can an older person do to polar align? Getting that low and twisting to look up the axis is very difficult. Can a person put a diagonal on the polar alignment scope?

Hello, good video but can I point you to the EQMod Ascom website which has a program that will turn your polarscope to the exact position on the inner ring and it is simple to place Polaris bang into the little circle.

How would you point your scope/camera say towards the south or the zenith in this case?

I use my Polar reticle scope on my AVX mount but it is not perfect. The All Sky Polar Alignment routine works best for me. I think I can get up to 45 second unguided exposures when I use this method. By the way, is there a easy and simple way to take flats after the imaging session?

Hi Trevor. I'm new to this polar alignment process so I watched your video and also downloaded the app as you suggested. My question is what to the numbers indicate. My app now is showing HA:355 degrees, PA 184 degrees, then (06h08m) 39.3', LST: 02:30:07 and counting up. The remaining numbers I understand. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as I'm having a difficult time adjusting my scope. Thank you. Gerry D.

Hi Trevor I have a question is polar alignment is nassary and if why? What happens if we don't aline only for astronomy ? Plz answer

How do you align it using the Hour Angle method?

A question for Trevor, or anyone else on this page who knows: I'm a total newbie in deep sky astrophotography, but am eager to get started. I have the ED102 scope, NEQ6 mount, and guide scope/CCD on order. In anticipation of receiving the hardware, I'm using Trevor's videos as a basis to document a step-by-step guide for set up, alignment, autoguiding and imaging with my full spectrum modified DSLR. One step I'm not clear on is immediately after the polar alignment is complete - what is the very next step(s) to align on a deep sky object?? Say I want to photograph the Orion nebula, in the southwestern sky, away from Polaris. How I do I locate and align on the DSO? Use Synscan? Manually? Any guidance is appreciated.

I have a few questions on polar alignment. I live north of Nashville Tennessee my latitude is 36 degrees and I make sure everything is leveled and facing true north. When I look through my polar scope I can not even see Polaris through the polar scope. I use Stellarium to verify that is the correct star I’m Looking at for alignment. In order for me to see Polaris through my polar scope I have to drop my latitude down to 26 degrees and I used a laser pointer to see if that is aligned with the star. Something is wrong with my equatorial mount. It is an explorer scientific 100 pmc eight 2 go to mount. I also try to do a three star alignment and it says successful but nothing shows up in my eye like the alignment is off somewhere. It just frustrates me.

@4:37 Polaris rotates around NCP throughout the day, not throughout the year, right?

How does this compare to Drift alignment method (besides the fact that the latter is painful too :) ).

Ok so you have to polar align with the main scope at a 90 degree angle from Polaris. Once polar alignment is found, what do you do with the main scope?? Do you face it towards Orion or leave at 90 degrees? Do you put Orión right in the middle? I cannot find that information anywhere, not even my Orión manuals.

Would it be useful to remove the scope whilst doing this?