From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@mac.com>

Date: June 29, 2008 6:08:04 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Vega, Antares & Achenar...

Hi Milton, I understand you have a south facing balcony, so Polaris isn`t in sight (I guess). I was thinking of whoever else might be listening! You`re right about the whacked bit. After dinner I like to retire usually & digest the meal! Without the drift aligning option & when I get out earlier though the main bright stars are in Crux & I have this problem there as I`ve said. I think I have the "rough" align with the compass & latitude set OK! I`ll keep on trying using this method until I have some form of reticle(FW port fixed etc.).I figure I`ll leave the scope set-up under 1, maybe 2 tarps if it`s raining once it`s polar aligned properly. Mark.

On 30/06/2008, at 7:44 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Hi Mark;

I've never ever used Polaris for Polar Alignment.

I "rough" align using a Compass (corrected for Magnetic Drift) for North South and then set the Latitude of the location. After that, a 10 to 45 minute bout of "Drift Alignment" (timing depends on how whacked I am at the start) and I'm dead on. Usually it takes 5 minutes to get "good" alignment", but great alignment takes longer.

Later..

Milton J. Aupperle

On 29-Jun-08, at 3:23 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

I got out at around 12.45am this morning & did a 3 star alignment on the above stars, 

Achenar on the opposite side of the meridian. The Go To was a bit off when finding these 

stars though so I guess my polar alignment is still questionable.A little later Equinox 6 was 

nowhere near so I`ll have to try again with the PA. On Friday night after the initial 3 star, PA 

&  3 star, EQ 6 was tracking Alpha Centauri for about 3 hours before it shifted to the left of 

FOV then up & out.I wasn`t sure of my alignment on Miaplacidus ( it`s difficult to distinguish 

from the field of stars as are Acrux, Mimosa & Gacrux on the C10-NGT) whereas I could 

distinguish Alpha Centauri on the opposite side of the meridian.You guys in the north are 

very lucky with Polaris to sight! Sigma Octans is a real problem especially if initial alignments 

are off I guess.Chris Bosshard`s Jupiter picture made me think of the lack of UV/IR filter on 

my IS DBK 21A F04.AS.This would explain why I had difficulty with my Jupiter movies. I will 

drift align when this is possible with the PA. Mark