Skipping Alignment?
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Skipping Alignment?
I am very new to astronomy, telescopes (other than the simple refractor, point-and-view), and mounts! I have a question I'm hoping anyone can answer because I cannot seem to find the answer on my own. I have an iPolar polar scope that I will use to polar align my telescope (I haven't done it yet). Question is, if I get my telescope properly aligned, is there a way to skip the initial alignment process on the NexStar computerized hand control? When playing with it last night, there seemed to be no way of skipping all that and just going to the menu of finding an object to point the telescope to. Any help would be so appreciated. Thank you!
Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron AVX 9.25" Telescope
Celestron AVX GoTo German Equatorial Mount
Celestron 25mm Eyepiece
Celestron X-CEL 2X Barlow Lens 1.25
iOptron iPolar External Electronic Polar Scope
"Be nice...always
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), ZWO OAG, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron AVX 9.25" Telescope
Celestron AVX GoTo German Equatorial Mount
Celestron 25mm Eyepiece
Celestron X-CEL 2X Barlow Lens 1.25
iOptron iPolar External Electronic Polar Scope
"Be nice...always
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
I could be wrong, but I don't think that an AVX will start tracking until a star alignment of some sort is done.
Possibly there is a software option if you are using a PC to start tracking without a star alignment.
A polar alignment and a Star a alignment are two different things.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), ZWO OAG, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
Camera/Filters/Software: ASI 533 mc pro, ASI 120mm mini, ASI 220mm mini , IDAS LPS D-1, Optolong L-Enhance, ZWO UV/IR Cut, N.I.N.A., Green Swamp Server, PHD2, Adobe Photoshop CC, Pixinsight.
Dog and best bud: Jack
Sky: Bortle 6-7
My Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Juno16/
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron AVX 9.25" Telescope
Celestron AVX GoTo German Equatorial Mount
Celestron 25mm Eyepiece
Celestron X-CEL 2X Barlow Lens 1.25
iOptron iPolar External Electronic Polar Scope
"Be nice...always
>|]]|*> IV III:XVI
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), ZWO OAG, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
Camera/Filters/Software: ASI 533 mc pro, ASI 120mm mini, ASI 220mm mini , IDAS LPS D-1, Optolong L-Enhance, ZWO UV/IR Cut, N.I.N.A., Green Swamp Server, PHD2, Adobe Photoshop CC, Pixinsight.
Dog and best bud: Jack
Sky: Bortle 6-7
My Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Juno16/
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
After the go to align is accomplished then you can move on to the polar alignment. As you already know this is where you point the
One is not a substitute for the other. They both need to be accomplished to get accurate slewing and tracking from this mount. As previously mentioned it does make everything easier if you don't move the mount between your viewing sessions. If you do you have to do the whole process all over again.
If you haven't downloaded the nexstar hand controller manual you should it has a great deal of additional information. Here is the site. www.nexstarsite.com/download/manuals/Ne ... ControlVer
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron AVX 9.25" Telescope
Celestron AVX GoTo German Equatorial Mount
Celestron 25mm Eyepiece
Celestron X-CEL 2X Barlow Lens 1.25
iOptron iPolar External Electronic Polar Scope
"Be nice...always
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
When it comes time to use it, just take the covers off, turn the mount on and it will 'think' it's parked (because it was). I just hit the back button and 'begin alignment' comes up, it slews to switch position then I just choose 'previous alignment' and off to the races!
A quick solve and synch and it's usually within a few arc seconds.
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Scope: 130mm f7 APO
Cam: ASI071mc-pro
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
If you have excellent polar alignment, you only need a one star alignment. Two or more star alignments model for imperfectly aligned mounts or alt az mounts.Chiefsmith wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 1:20 pm I am rather curious about two-star alignment. I am using a Skywatcher HEQ5-PRO mount. When I first started last year, I used the hand controller to do this alignment. Since that time, I graduated to APT and a separate computer with set up just for Astrophotography using GSS to control the mount. Without the hand controller I have only been doing a PA. Is there a procedure for doing a two-star alignment when using GSS to control everything that I have missed? Is it even necessary to do a two-star alignment when using GSS? I know I am posting to an old post but, hopefully, some of you who are now on line will see this.
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
My Polar Alignment is spot on. I now have a
I also do PA right around the official sunset. At that time of day the background (?) in the polar scope is medium to dark grayish - not black requiring the red light and not bright white from the day time sky. The North Star just sits there like a bright little pin prick of light making the final adjustments very easy. This photo is from February 2023 before I had ordered the
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Chiefsmith wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 9:36 am Ivo at APT suggested Plate Solving because of go-to errors that I am experiencing with easy objects like M42 and M31 with my mount being way off the target. SIRIL rejects every color calibration because of my stars do not align with the SIRIL Plate Solving algorithm. I have read the Plate Solving information in the APT instruction manual but it just seems too complicated. My brain just does not comprehend like it used to. Any suggestions pointing me to a very easy to read set of instructions on how to do Plate Solving greatly appreciated.
Here's a very good tutorial from our friends at FLO:
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/3345 ... -tool-apt/
Probably nothing to worry about but just checking because I'm not familiar with the
Welcome to the forum.
Regards
Graeme
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
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APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
To answer the question about the North Star and the North Celestial Pole, when I have GSS,
I use the Skywatcher Polar Scope
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
Chiefsmith wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:05 pm To answer the question about the North Star and the North Celestial Pole, when I have GSS, APT, and Stellarium connected and in the Park mode, the telescope symbol in Stellarium immediately jumps to right about where you see the white circle on the below screen shot. Hope that clarifies what I was writing about.
Your North Celestial Pole location looks like it's a bit out. If you turn on the Equatorial Grid in Stellarium, the
Graeme
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.
https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Skipping Alignment?
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