Tips for Polar Alignment with StarAid

Owned by Pieter Smith (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 15, 2020 by Hendrik Beijeman
2 min read

This page provides some tips to get the most out of your StarAid’s Polar Alignment. The following video shows Polar Alignment in action:

 

Tips

Use these tips to get the best results when performing a Polar Alignment

  1. Before you start, make sure your mount is as level as possible!

  2. Don't point StarAid at the pole. Point StarAid at any clear point in the sky, well above the horizon and away from the equatorial plane (should you know where it is).

  3. First try the alignment with the Quick (30 s) measurement so that you can get used to the process.

  4. When adjusting, start with Alt, and adjust the blue dot until it is on the horizontal line. Lock Alt in place and move over to Az, adjusting until the blue dot is close to the centre of the red circle. Lock Az in place, switching back and forth between Alt and Az until you are happy with the result.

  5. When adjusting, twist the Alt / Az scews in small, smooth motions, pausing in between so that the display can update. If you go too fast or too far, you will lose lock. Losing lock is not a big problem, but it does slows the process down. When the lock is lost, StarAid will perform a Sky Recognition to restore the lock, but this can take a few seconds.

  6. Polar Alignment, as with any measurement process, is subject to an inherent measurement error. When repeating polar alignment, you can therefore expect a slightly different result every time. How wide-ranging the results are, is a function of how smoothly your mount tracks, the seeing and the length of the measurement. Longer measurements improves accuracy, making it less sensitive to tracking errors and seeing. Feel free to experiment with the Quick (30 s) and Standard (2 min) measurements on your mount, using Precise (10 min) to gain confidence on how well these options perform aligning your particular mount.