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Model: qhyccd_polemaster_heq5Brand: QHYCCD
The QHY PoleMaster is a modern solution to an age-old problem. With only a few simple, easy-to-follow steps you can achieve perfect polar alignment in minutes, with an accuracy of up to 30 arc seconds!
"We think that QHYCCD have come up with an excellent product here which really takes the sting out of having to polar align. The accuracy of the device meant that polar aligning with the Polemaster was more a pleasure than a chore" Pete Lawrence writing for 'BBC Sky at Night' magazine Sep 2016.
Polar alignment sounds simple enough. You find where the pole is, determine the mechanical axis of rotation of your mount, then make the two coincide. PoleMaster makes use of a sensitive wide field imaging camera along the axis of RA to monitor the polar region in real time (not only can it detect Polaris, it also finds the dimmer surrounding stars). From the positions of these stars PoleMaster determines the position of the true pole and compares that to the mechanical axis of RA rotation. Polar alignment is now a simple matter of moving the two centres of rotation so they overlap. Easy!
The following manuals and downloads are available for this product:
Unofficial Manual
Steve Richards has kindly put together a manual for the PoleMaster which you may find is much easier to understand and follow than QHY's own manual.
PoleMaster User Manual (English, UK / Northern Hemisphere) - by Steve Richards (PDF)
Manuals
QHY PoleMaster Manual (HTML)
QHY PoleMaster 3D Drawing (DWG)
Software
The latest QHY PoleMaster Driver and Software can be downloaded from the QHY CCD website.
Amazing.The one thing I really hate is polar alignment on my HEQ5 as I have no permanent setup. I'm class 6 Bortle light polluted, and for me, it's all too time uncomfortable and time consuming.Even I can look at a laptop screen and make manual mount adjustments to put a square and circle together on the screen. It really is that easy and extremely accurate.The one problem first time out was the polemaster progeam kept freezing, but there is a document on the main page of the polemaster site advising a simple windows setting change to do with USB 2.0 and all is then perfect.
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