When you first started using SharpCap Pro, how long did it take you to become proficient with polar align? Before I began, I put the iPhone on the scope saddle of the EQ6 and easily and quickly centered the cross hairs. If only that was all that was required...
My first night with it, I had never tried to focus a guide scope (ZWO 60mm and ZWO 290 cam) or a main camera (ZWO 533) and I had never had to focus anything only using a computer screen (Rasa 8, no eyepiece). Big leap.
Well, on the first night I only saw black. But 2nd time, I very tediously produced stars! My guide scope was reported with 36 stars right as the clouds moved over them.
Focusing is HARD (the Guide scope helical focus is a guess and the position of the camera in the barrel of the scope is another guess).
How long did it take you to get a solid polar alignment? Your first try??
How much practice with Polar Align
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Re: How much practice with Polar Align
Hi,
Focusing anything correctly is probably the hardest part of astrophotography – the good thing about guide scopes and guide cameras is that usually you can get it done once and then never touch it again
Once you have focused sorted and have worked out the correct exposure/gain settings for your setup then the actual polar alignment should be fairly quick – lots of people report that they can get it done in five minutes or less.
Cheers, Robin
Focusing anything correctly is probably the hardest part of astrophotography – the good thing about guide scopes and guide cameras is that usually you can get it done once and then never touch it again
Once you have focused sorted and have worked out the correct exposure/gain settings for your setup then the actual polar alignment should be fairly quick – lots of people report that they can get it done in five minutes or less.
Cheers, Robin