Polemaster vs TPoint for polar alignment - Forums

Topic starter

Feb 12, 2022

I've just purchased a Polemaster polar alignment camera to use in conjunction with Software Bisque's SkyX-Pro TPoint modeling software. I'm using the Paramount MX+ mount and I most always get Excellent polar alignment results from the accurate polar alignment tool in TPoint. I'm still getting some star trailing after about 3 to 5 minutes of exposure time, though. I'm thinking Polemaster might help eliminate this by fine tuning the PA. The questions are:

1. Should I polar align with Polemaster first, then accomplish a TPoint run with or without their accurate polar alignment tool?

2. Run the TPoint first with the accurate polar alignment and then fine tune it with polemaster?

3. Box up and return the polemaster as maybe I'm working against myself here and just should use one or the other?

It seems to me that the polemaster would be more accurate as it is mounted directly to the RA Axis of the mount. TPoint gathers data through the optics.

Please share your thoughts and experiences.

Patrick

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Andy Wray

Feb 12, 2022

Personally I don't use either. SharpCap in conjunction with my guide camera works just fine and only takes 5 minutes to get really good polar alignment. Mind you, I'm on a much cheaper mount so probably wouldn't benefit from more serious kit. That said, I believe SharpCap and a decent guide camera/scope would probably do as well as anything else given seeing conditions.

Linwood Ferguson

Feb 13, 2022

When i had a MyT I liked tPoint.

I'd suggest doing that and a Accurate polar Alignment gets you close enough, but if you want even more precision do a tPoint with 16 points or so (pretty quick) and see how close it says it is, iterate if needed.

At some point do a 200 or so tPoint model, you can recal it each night with a dozen or so and check polar alignment at the same time.

It's probably not faster than Polemaster, but having the model will help other things (especially unguided but even guiding), and the recal lets you reuse it, which you don't get with polemaster.

Bear in mind there is no such thing as a perfect alignment; if you look at tPoint's screen it shows there is one for minimizing DEC drift, one for minimizing total drift, one for the true pole, etc…. something like 4 choices you have. Mutually exclusive.

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Chris Bailey

Feb 13, 2022

TPoint all the way. I run a 450 point model and easily do 30 minutes unguided.

Patrick Graham

Topic starter

Feb 14, 2022

Thanks to all who responded. I'll stick with TPoint and increase my sampling. I'm only doing 100 to 150 samples.

Pat

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Monty Chandler

Mar 5, 2022

Personally I love my Polemaster's. One on each eq6r. Fast, repeatable and dead on accurate. The precision is amazing if you take the time to get it dead on. Close is not god enough. I put the points of each tripod in the exact same place (indentations drilled into concrete for marking). Only very minor tweaks are usually needed. No trailing - guide at .6" (assuming no breeze!) cheers