Hi all, I'm starting to get the hang of setting up the C8 and ASGT mount and am not having tremendous accuracy with the Goto. I've finally figured out where Polaris is from my back yard. I'm a slow learner (lol ). I did align the optical axis on my polar axis finder scope and so at least that's working out...
Not having any sort of permanent place to setup the tripod I used spray paint to mark where the tripod legs have been that's pretty close to aiming north. I removed the polar alignment scope and looked through the opening with the naked eye and moved the tripod until I could see Polaris. Then I put the polar scope back into the mount and adjusted the various screws until Polaris was in side the circle on the perimeter of the circle surrounding the NCP.
I feel like Cassiopeia has been the easiest to see. In fact I'm not sure I have been able to discern the big dipper. The pattern etched in the polar scope is black and hard to see, if at all, against the sky. I've found that shining my red light into the hole a bit from the top illuminates the pattern while allowing me to see Polaris. Cassiopeia doesn't seem to match the location in the sky in relation to where I've positioned Polaris. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong... (see attached image).
Anyways I figured it was closer than I've ever gotten before to being polar aligned. I adjusted the azimuth screws so that it was horizontally in the right place. I then adjusted the altitude screw so that it was vertically in the right place. I followed the manual "make final adjustments in altitude by moving the mount against gravity (i.e. using the rear latitude adjustment screw to raise the mount)" and removed the front latitude screw. Then I tightened the mount to the tripod and confirmed Polaris was still in the small circle.
Once Polaris is in the small circle do I then lower the altitude back to my latitude? It seems like the polar axis was much higher... Thanks for your help!
Not having any sort of permanent place to setup the tripod I used spray paint to mark where the tripod legs have been that's pretty close to aiming north. I removed the polar alignment scope and looked through the opening with the naked eye and moved the tripod until I could see Polaris. Then I put the polar scope back into the mount and adjusted the various screws until Polaris was in side the circle on the perimeter of the circle surrounding the NCP.
I feel like Cassiopeia has been the easiest to see. In fact I'm not sure I have been able to discern the big dipper. The pattern etched in the polar scope is black and hard to see, if at all, against the sky. I've found that shining my red light into the hole a bit from the top illuminates the pattern while allowing me to see Polaris. Cassiopeia doesn't seem to match the location in the sky in relation to where I've positioned Polaris. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong... (see attached image).
Anyways I figured it was closer than I've ever gotten before to being polar aligned. I adjusted the azimuth screws so that it was horizontally in the right place. I then adjusted the altitude screw so that it was vertically in the right place. I followed the manual "make final adjustments in altitude by moving the mount against gravity (i.e. using the rear latitude adjustment screw to raise the mount)" and removed the front latitude screw. Then I tightened the mount to the tripod and confirmed Polaris was still in the small circle.
Once Polaris is in the small circle do I then lower the altitude back to my latitude? It seems like the polar axis was much higher... Thanks for your help!
Attached Image:
~ Charlie Stevenson
8" f/5.7 String Telescope - 1st Scope Build; 2nd Place Stellafane 2016 Optical Award for Newtonians 12.5" and Smaller
10" f/4.5 Newtonian (June 2015) mirror refigured by Optic Wave Labs P-V WaveFront 1/14.24, Strehl Ratio 0.993 (Aug '15)
Criterion RV-6 seems to be circa 1973 (June 2015) [For Sale]
Celestron C8-A XLT (January 2015) [For Sale]
Celestron PowerSeeker 70AZ (Christmas 2014)
Aldrich Astronomical Society member since 2015
http://astro.charleskelleystevenson.com/