Use the latitude adjustment screws on the equatorial head until the inclinometer reads the same latitude as your GPS. Mount the inclinometer to the dovetail mount and switch it on. We’re going to need it to set the correct latitude on the equatorial head. At this point you should work out your latitude from your phone or other GPS device. When the locking knob is wound up completely it will push against the tripod legs, locking them into place. Mount the equatorial head on top of the tripod, and screw in the primary locking shaft and accessory tray. Make sure the legs are settled, if they can be pushed out further you will have to re-level the tripod! When you attach the accessory tray it will push out the legs a little. Unless you are on a very uneven surface or didn’t make sure the legs are fully pushed out, this shouldn’t affect the inclination of the mount. You should now be seeing 0° no matter how you orientate the inclinometer. Once you have it sitting absolutely level, turn it so it’s aligned with the north-south line and adjust the north/south tripod leg to level it out. At first set it east-west and try to get it level by adjusting the tripod legs. Next, set your inclinometer on top of the tripod. That said, the closer you get it now the less adjustment you’ll have to do later. It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect since we’re going to be doing further refinement later on using the mounts built in adjustments. You should be able to eyeball it by looking down the tripod leg and comparing it to the line you now have indicating the north-south line. You can start setting yourself up before sunset, there’s no point in wasting good imaging time setting up the telescope and mount! The first thing you need to do is get the tripod set up where you want it, pointing roughly at the celestial pole. This is the north-south line that you will need to roughly get your mount aligned to the celestial pole. When you reach the time you found out to be solar noon for your location, mark out using string/tape/whatever you have along the line of the shadow cast by your stick. You’ll want something at this point to mark the north-south line – I used string.
Backyardeos drift alignment free#
Look up the Solar Noon for your location and free up that time. A better way to work out the north-south line would be during the day, get a stick and mount it 90° to the ground. You can use a compass here to get the rough direction of the pole nearest you.
The first thing you need to know is which way is South/North. A bit of wood with a 1M dowel screwed into it, 90° to the flat surface.The method used here is called Drift Alignment by Robert Vice, or D.A.R.V for short.
You can use the polar scope that is built into your mount (if it has one!), but if like me you’re in the southern hemisphere you might find it to be pretty difficult to use. One of the problems facing beginners is how do they align their mount with the celestial pole.
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