nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I just got off with Derik, Team Celestron, and was given some advice which helped to confirm my own experiences with the AVX, iOptron, and Atlas Pro mounts.

Let me begin by stressing - since my mount was returned from repair. No complaints with one exception.

When I am at home - like many of you - my view of the sky is limited - in my case from North to East. I can image 360 degrees if my target is 70 degrees or higher - above the trees.

So when I begin my alignments - I select from the Eastern part of the sky....and choose stars I can spot without the aid of the scope. I know 10 or so when I see them......(I pick those stars earlier in the day put them in my notes part of my spreadsheet). I sure don't want to spend alignment time aligning the wrong star (been there done that) BTW, I rarely use eyepieces ....Backyard EOS for Nikon DSLR, and ATP for CCD camera solves that problem by giving me a live view on my PC.

Now back to the reason for this post. When I pick alignment stars from one region of the sky....my gotos for THAT region of the sky are perfecto - especially and only since the repair - they're scary good! But, if I try to head west (this just happened to me last week when I tried to scope in on M31) ...my target was nowhere near alignment.

I talked with Derik a few moments ago....he said that this is the case with most EQ mounts....that I should always select my alignment stars from the region where I expect to photograph.

I then asked - what if I chose alignment stars from all four points of the compass. His answer, "I would be disappointed unless your are doing visual only" and went on to say, You should know your target before imaging ....and select your alignment stars from that zone.

This I have noticed on both my Atlas Pro and iOptron Zeq25.

My guess many of you have figured this out.....but for those few who haven't - as in me - this may help ease the fear that the mount is not up to par.

Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM

Ed, I have been able to get away with a single star or planet if I am shooting in the same area as the alignment choice.
I do have to have a good polar alignment but I have been impressed with the tracking from time to time when I do this.
Just my 2 cents worth.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I have never used 1 star....sorta always figured there needed to be some triangulation or whatever to get it close.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Interesting idea Ed. I'm keep it in mind. Probably be back at the telescope tonight (Damn the Moon, full speed ahead!)

I've been pretty much just letting the mount decide where and what to target. My exceptions being when a tree, or the angle I would have to get to in order to look through my eyepiece to zero in.
At those exceptions I would try a different object. (No sense wearing out my jeans crawling around for the eyepiece) :lol:
I'm particularly interested in the W,E, or blank options with the menu button. Just to be more familiar with options.

Another thing I seem to always do is a 2+4 alignment. To my way of thinking, giving the mount more information gives it a better idea of where it is.
Also, from my perspective, I get to see how accurately it is finding those alignment stars at 2,3,4th objects.
(Yeah, I just rolled over and accept everything is an 'Object'. The computer sez so. Acquiring Object.)

I have a pretty patented spot for my AVX mount, so even if I have to bring it in because of weather, it lands in the same toe holds every time it gets set up. And I don't retract the feet/legs, so it proofs out at level when I check it.
But mostly it never gets moved, just covered.

I always look forward to viewing the night skies and seeing what I can pull in.
Method is my madness. Refining techniques is my sport. :-D

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

Yes to the 2+4 alignment. I always find that by the time I get to the 4th Calibration Star I'm almost right on
and then Polar Align and I can go anywhere in the sky and be very close with just a minimal amount of adjustment on the object.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

This sound like some good advice. It is much easier to align just using stars close to the target. And faster too. And now that I know I can change from western stars (my worst direction!).

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Humm....can you always have the target in your FOV (covering the four corners of the sky) when using the 9 incher..... after doing your 2 plus 4 star alignment?

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

This is good, sharing methods. :-D
Does anybody else have to occasionally shut down PHD, and start it back up, to get accurate (or better) tracking after changing objects?
I seem to get much better tracking if PHD is started and allowed to adjust with the object centered.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

I don't have as bad a problem with West & East stars but I do pick my own if it tries to align on an unseeable Star.
There is always something in both directions.
It's my theory the more spread out the Stars the better my alignment is around the whole sky.