PoleMaster

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For quick, easy and very precise polar aligning it would be hard to beat the new PoleMaster system. It consists of a combined video camera and lens that delivers a field of view measuring 11 x 8 degrees in the sky. This is plenty wide enough to catch the relevant stars in Octans (at the South celestial pole) even with only quite rough initial alignment when setting a mount up on the ground. The camera is powered through the single supplied cable that links it to a computer where the bundled software (ToupSky) displays the camera's output on screen. The stars in Octans are very easy to see and polar alignment can usually be achieved in well under 10 minutes. First you identify the star Sigma Octans and match its surrounding stars to an on-screen template. The you select some other on-screen star, rotate the mount in right ascension and re-select the same star again. The software draws a large green circle representing the track on which the selected star has moved. You then return the mount to its starting position and if the selected star tracks back properly along the circle the software knows that it has identified the mount's current polar axis. A small green circle is then displayed showing where Sigma Octans should be on the screen and you move that star into the green circle by making adjustments to the mounts altitude and azimuth adjustment bolts. Finally the software displays a magnified view of the South celestial pole showing two small circles one green and one red. You make further small adjustments to the mount's adjustment bolts to bring the green circle on top of the red circle and the polar alignment is complete.