Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Robin, I will go through your recommendations when the clouds next part which, in the UK, will probably be around November 2021 at this rate...
When I say WAY out for the polar alignment, I mean that, after going through the routine, then looking through the polar scope, Polaris is at the very edge of the polar scope's field of vision, almost out of it sometimes, nowhere near where it should be. I'm using this app to tell me where it should be:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... w&hl=en_GB (yes, I do have the option ticked to invert the image for looking through a scope). I don't believe my polar scope could be that far out of whack, surely?
I think there could be something in the mention of time and location.
Please bear with me here: I'm about to go through everything I can think of to determine whether there could be something set up incorrectly. If it helps, my NEQ6 is connected directly via a Lynx astro cable (
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/lynx-a ... ounts.html), using EQMOD, on a Windows 10 laptop, and a Skywatcher 130PDS for the scope.
EQMOD
- Location: set as Lat N 51 46 0.31, Long W 00 55 52.8, elevation 79m (I thought long and hard about whether it's a security risk listing the location here, but figured it's ok - my name isn't really Luke Spacehopper btw!)
- Time: I can't see anywhere to set this? This thread makes interesting reading:
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/1135 ... -in-eqmod/. As a result of going through it, I noticed it mentioned Windows settings so I've set my Windows time zone to automatic although it was already showing the correct time.
SHARPCAP
- Location: set in the Polar alignment tab as Long 0.93 W, Lat 51.77 N (it would be SO useful to be able to specify this as hours/mins/secs and degrees btw)
-- I also tried using the location from the ASCOM mount (would this be EQMOD?) with no success
-- I didn't use the option to correct for atmospheric refraction - would this really make such a difference?
- Time: I can't see anywhere to set this?
ASCOM
I can't see anywhere I would set the time or location in the bewildering set of ASCOM modules? I've been through the excellent Light Vortex guide at
https://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tu ... -ciel.html, which I used to set all this up to begin with, and also through the ASCOM site looking for ideas, but still can't find anywhere I would set the time or location.
So, my questions are:
* Is it possible for a polar scope to be so far wrong? If so, what would be a good check for this?
* Are my location settings correct in EQMOD and Sharpcap?
* Is there anywhere else I should be setting time and location? Especially in Windows or ASCOM?
* If I set Sharpcap to get location settings from ASCOM, would this mean EQMOD? Because if it really does mean ASCOM, that begs the question, where would I set this in ASCOM?
* Would atmospheric refraction make such a difference?
Any/all recommendations welcome!
Thanks.