Finally got my polar alignment right after a month of cloudy nights

I kept trying to set up my new mount in my backyard in Denver, but every clear night I'd mess up the polar scope alignment. Last night I spent three hours just on that step, checking and rechecking the bubble level and the little circle in the eyepiece. It felt like I was turning the knobs forever. When I finally got it and took a 30-second test shot of Orion, the stars were perfect little dots. Has anyone else fought with a polar scope for that long?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray3631mo ago

Congrats on winning the fight against that little circle in the eyepiece. I think my polar scope and I have spent enough quality time together to qualify for couples therapy. Three hours is just the warm-up round for that kind of gear. At least the stars cooperated for your victory lap.

gracewebb1mo ago

Ever wonder if the mount companies make those polar scopes tricky on purpose... to test our patience?

pat_coleman19d ago

Grace probably has a point but come on... three hours is a bit much unless you're out there with a broken leg or something. Polar scopes are fiddly, sure, but they're not that complicated once you get past the initial confusion. Most of the time it's just bad instructions or people overthinking it. When I set mine up it took maybe 20 minutes tops after the first couple tries.