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Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2025 4:45 pm
by givoly
Jean-Francois wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 9:13 am
Hello Givoly,
What mount do you use ?
If SkyWatcher ... then you have several possibilities to perform a Polar Alignment.
... with the hand controller in case you have one connected,
or the SynScan Pro software. In SynScan software you have several option for the Polar Alignment.
Note that the Polar Alignment with SynScan is all the time in two steps.
First step is a 2 or 3 stars alignment. After this step you can start the Polar Alignment.
It is here may be not sufficient clear ... the SynScan Polar Alignment does not need to see the Polar Star.
That is what I do on my terrace at home. With my moving tripod, I perform first the SynScan 2 stars alignment (for example with Altair and Deneb).
Then I switch to the Polar Alignment function and I reselect Deneb star as target for the Polar Alignment process.
For a SharpCap All Stars Polar Alignment ("SASPA"
) ... you have an old script somewhere on the forum that perform this.
I have some ideas for a new simplified script for the Polar Alignment ... but until today never started to write it.
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Yes, I have a SkyWatcher mount and have used the app for polar alignment. Familiar with this. I've done polar alignment on Celestron and SkyWatcher mounts without NCP many times in the past, especially for visual use or pre-EAA. However, it is fairlly tedious and not as precise/easy. Yesterday, for example, I thought of using this method. However, my rough alignment meant that after it repositioned the star for me to manually adjust alt/az knobs, it was impossible to see how to get the star back into the frame... this rig is for EAA/astrophotography only - so it doesn't have a finder scope or laser pointer on it. So even adjusting it to get the main star back in didn't work for me... basically, much less predictable/reliable, and much slower if initial alignment is too far off. My field of view is just 1 or 2 degrees... so it's easy to cause problems like this.
Do you know where I might find that script to try it out?
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2025 6:36 pm
by Jean-Francois
Hello,
The start of the discussion is here:
viewtopic.php?t=2331
But you need to install the programming language R for the use of this script.
It could be that you need to update something in the script for the used with SharpCap 4.1 (new ASCOM version).
I did not use the script since several years.
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2025 10:18 am
by givoly
Jean-Francois wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 6:36 pm
Hello,
The start of the discussion is here:
viewtopic.php?t=2331
But you need to install the programming language R for the use of this script.
It could be that you need to update something in the script for the used with SharpCap 4.1 (new ASCOM version).
I did not use the script since several years.
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Thanks, Jean-Francois. Interesting script and conversation indeed... my concern is the amount of experimentation I'd need in order to get this to work properly. For example, I'd probably want to move the platesolving to the SC internal algorithm that is MUCH better than any of the external plate solvers... And, in general, using this script does not seem easy enough for most people (even in our hobby) to get working properly. My current workarounds are using the polar alignment in Nina... (or to put a ZWO guidescope and ASIAIR on the rig, just for initial polar alignment).... my hope was to have SharpCap incorporate key capabilities currently in Nina so that I'd not necessarily have to move over to Nina... I much prefer SharpCap to Nina for almost all reliability/functionality. This rig with QHI Minicam8 and a non-ZWO guide camera was to be my only non-ZWO rig
So Nina was where I was aiming, but I'm finding it extremely unreliable in many respects vs. SC... I'm thinking more about how to overcome this issue...
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2025 5:53 pm
by Jean-Francois
Hello,
Yes, in the meantime SharpCap has the intern Paltesolving ... it should be not complicated to modify the script for the use of the intern PlateSolving.
But, the script needs the extern R language for the calculation of the delta-Az and -Alt of the mount. That adds a layer of complication.
I can do a proposition ... if you find 20 people interested for a new "integrated" script ... I can think about to code it
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2025 7:21 pm
by givoly
Jean-Francois wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 5:53 pm
Hello,
Yes, in the meantime SharpCap has the intern Paltesolving ... it should be not complicated to modify the script for the use of the intern PlateSolving.
But, the script needs the extern R language for the calculation of the delta-Az and -Alt of the mount. That adds a layer of complication.
I can do a proposition ... if you find 20 people interested for a new "integrated" script ... I can think about to code it
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Thanks! I think I can get those 20 people... let me round them up...
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2025 12:35 pm
by Tomatobro
Using a TMS Astro equatorial platform (imaging version for Dobsonian) it needs to be polar aligned. I put on the platform arm a camera and lens and use Sharpcaps polar align tool but when the platform is first put on the ground the platform is a long way out so I use the push to feature (plate solve on Polaris) in tools to give me the coarse angle movements required then switch over to the polar align feature.
Speeds up the process no end.
Trev
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2025 1:56 pm
by Assaf.Hochberg
Count me in (pro user)
Jean-Francois wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 5:53 pm
Hello,
Yes, in the meantime SharpCap has the intern Paltesolving ... it should be not complicated to modify the script for the use of the intern PlateSolving.
But, the script needs the extern R language for the calculation of the delta-Az and -Alt of the mount. That adds a layer of complication.
I can do a proposition ... if you find 20 people interested for a new "integrated" script ... I can think about to code it
Regards,
Jean-Francois
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2025 8:03 am
by galgolan
Jean-Francois wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 5:53 pm
Hello,
Yes, in the meantime SharpCap has the intern Paltesolving ... it should be not complicated to modify the script for the use of the intern PlateSolving.
But, the script needs the extern R language for the calculation of the delta-Az and -Alt of the mount. That adds a layer of complication.
I can do a proposition ... if you find 20 people interested for a new "integrated" script ... I can think about to code it
Regards,
Jean-Francois
I would be interested in all sky plate solve, that could be very usefull
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2025 11:19 am
by nirzon
Jean-Francois wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 5:53 pm
Hello,
Yes, in the meantime SharpCap has the intern Paltesolving ... it should be not complicated to modify the script for the use of the intern PlateSolving.
But, the script needs the extern R language for the calculation of the delta-Az and -Alt of the mount. That adds a layer of complication.
I can do a proposition ... if you find 20 people interested for a new "integrated" script ... I can think about to code it
Regards,
Jean-Francois
That would be great. Count me in.
Re: Polar Alignment via Platesolving
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2025 2:35 am
by akjudge
count me in (pro user). My long camera chain on a LX200 fork mount means I can't get close enough to Polaris to use the current Polar Alignment method.
Jim