Mastering NINA's 3 Point Polar Alignment: The Ultimate Guide
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
- 🌌 Welcome to another episode on Hidden Light Photography, where we unravel the mysteries of the night sky. In this video, we delve into the critical process of Polar Alignment, a key step in astrophotography. 📸
I start by explaining what Polar Alignment is and why it's so crucial for capturing those stunning celestial images. There are some great programs for polar aligning your telescope, including ASI Air and SharpCap, but even though these are great tools, they come with certain limitations in terms of field of view and sky location that you can polar align in. 🌠
That's where NINA's 3 Point Polar Alignment comes in. With no restrictions on sky location or field of view, it offers a more flexible approach to polar alignment. In this video, I'll walk you through the entire process of performing NINA's 3 Point Polar Alignment. 🔭
But that's not all! I also show you how to preset your tripod and mount to get as close as possible to polar alignment, so you don't run out of adjustment room during the alignment procedure. This can save you valuable time and effort during your astrophotography sessions. ⏱️
If you found this video helpful, please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. 👍 Your feedback helps me create more content tailored just for you! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at Tony@hiddenlight-photography.com. I'm always here to help!
So, whether you're a seasoned astrophotographer or just starting out, this video is sure to provide valuable insights. Clear skies! 🌟
Need help installing ASTAP or3 Point Polar Alignment? Check out this video:
• Shoot for the Stars: I...
Need help setting up your auto focuser? Check out this video:
• The Ultimate Auto Focu...
Need help connecting your camera? Check out this video:
• Master Astrophotograph...
Interested in seeing my original polar alignment video? Here is the link:
• *OLD-Check Description...
00:00 Introduction
02:06 What is Polar Alignment
03:23 Presetting your Tripod for Polar Alignment
08:00 Presetting your Mount Altitude for Polar Alignment
09:24 Downloading NINA 3 Point Polar Alignment
10:05 Think of the Sky as a Grid
11:33 Performing NINA 3 Point Polar Alignment
#polaralignment
#astrophotography
#3pointpolaralignment
#hiddenlightphotography
#polaralignmentguide
Great video!!! I’m a total beginner and was having trouble grasping the basic concepts around the coordinates (which was super embarrassing). I literally went “ohhhh” while watching your explanation. Thank you!
Thank you! Hey, we’ve all started somewhere and we’ve all been in that situation, if not similar! Want to know why I have that part in my video? I was in the same situation and when I figured it out, I had the same reaction lol. Glad this helped! Have you been able to get the scope out and try it yet?
Great, clearly explained vid! Have just moved from Ekos to NINA so just need a clear night now to try this out! Thanks
Thank you and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Please let me know if you need any help. I love this NINA plug in and it is very reliable.
NINA's TPPA is great. I use it every time. I usually recheck it 2-3 times and it's good to go.
Keep the videos coming, you put out some different info than others out there and it's great.
I love NINA’s TPPA. It is extremely easy to use, accurate and no restrictions! Thank you, I appreciate that!
Great video! The difference between geographical and magnetic poles is called the Magnetic Declination and you can find it by doing a quick search or getting some cartography charts for the location you are in. For instance, for Phoenix, Arizona, the magnetic deviation is -12 degrees and 20 minutes, so I need to setup my mount at 0 degrees minus 12 degrees and 20 minutes = 367 degrees 40 Minutes.
Thank you! Thank for that amazing fact! I never knew that and will take a look. That’s what this is all about; learning something new every day!
NOAA Mobile Magnetic Declination Calculator
www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/calculators/mobileDeclination.shtml
Helpful, thanks. I'll try this tonight.
Thank you and you are very welcome! Let me know if you need any help.
Thanks for an expanded version of NINA TPPA. My AVX mount has a polar scope in it and I have found it is easier to set up the tripod in the evening once Polaris is visible. I can set the AVX on the tripod and set to the index marks then move the tripod and head and sit along the saddle to Polaris. If you don't have a polar scope you can rotate the DEC and remove the two caps for the polar scope and peak through the hole. Polaris will be in the FOV of the mount hole if your Altitude is close to your latitude. Then I level the mount. I then use the polar scope and an iPhone app PS Align Pro to show me the position of Polaris in relation to the NCP. Then when I use NINA TPPA I never see that error message that recommends performing the procedure twice. I still do it twice and try to get below 10 arc second. However when I perform a PHD2 calibration it never gives me a good calibration result. My graph isn't at all near 90°. When I run a PHD2 Guiding Assistance tool it always recommends to recalibrate and do polar align again. I had one session a couple of nights ago where despite those calibration results I was able to keep the guiding RA and DEC RMS error under 1 arc second. Good and consistent guiding is going to make or break me in this hobby. My rig is a C8 with AVX, Celestron OAG with ASI174mm, 6.3 focal reducer, ASI071MC Pro, NINA.
I never used to get that message either until the last several months, however, I would always run it twice like you are. I love the AVX, but it is temperamental and takes some time and patience to tame it. I still run mine as it is a good mount. What program are you using to run the AVX (ie CPWI)? You mentioned you are running a focal reducer and you mentioned plate solving failures in your comment on the guiding video. Do you have the new focal length calculated correctly and set up in NINA settings as well as the correct camera parameters (primary imaging camera). I would physically check rather than go off memory. Usually issues like this are a settings issue and having your camera (primary imaging camera) information incorrect and/or focal length incorrect can and will cause issues and inaccuracies if the processes do happen to work. Let’s start here on this chat and we will go from there. I will address more with your specific questions in your guiding video comment.
For us in the southern hemisphere, NINA's TPPA is essential :-)
Yes, and it makes it so easy to do! What’s your favorite target you’ve imaged so far? There are a few I wish I could image that are in the southern hemisphere.
@@Hidden.Light.Photography I'm about to do Gabriela Nebula (NGC 3324) which is in the southern hemisphere. I've recently got a 1000mm reflector and it frames very nicely now 🙂
What a beautiful target!! I need to add that to my bucket list now haha. What scope did you get?
@@Hidden.Light.Photography I did it last year on an Askar 65PHQ but this year I'll do it on the Skywatcher 190mm Mak-Newt 🙂
If you don’t mind, I’d love to see your results when you’re done 🙂
Impressive accuracy, I have to check my own setup on peer. I guess to recalibrate PHD2 should be useful as well to stick to this well defined PA.
Thank you! Yes, PHD2 recalibration would definitely be a good idea if you adjust PA. What do you have mounted on the peer?
Sky-Watcher Quattro 250P on Losmandy G11, ZWO ASI183MM Pro with EFW 8 slots and EAF. Pegasus Falcon2 to be delivered within a few weeks. Piggyback guiding with SW 80/400 and QHY5L-II-M
Very impressive! How do you like the 250p? I was looking at that scope, but it was a little big for my EQ6R Pro. I ended up with the 200p instead. Let me know how you like the Falcon2. My Falcon v1 has been doing excellent so I haven’t seen a need to upgrade from there, but that Falcon2 looks sleek and I like the idea of being powered via USB.
I had the same setup as yours and got the G11 to switch to the 250P. Very nice tube, indeed!
Very nice! The G11 handles it pretty well? How’s the guiding?
Great video! I'm using NINA and can't find the config for Settle time after slew. Where is that configured? Thanks!
Thank you! I’m going off of memory here and will confirm when I get back to my computer, but it should be in the options tab on the far left of the screen and then mount/telescope. Let me know if you find it otherwise I will confirm as soon as I’m home from work :)
Thanks for a very thorough explanation of the NINA process. I have my Iphone compass set to display in true north instead of magnetic. I have not used the three point alignment yet as I don't have a compatible camera yet. Were you using your main imaging camera?
You are very welcome! Which camera are you using? Yes, I use my main imaging camera to do this procedure and that is why I recommend this procedure as I have not found a restriction yet that has prevented it from working. I have used my ASI585MC, ASI2600MC and ASI533MC with no issues at all. As long as you are in focus and ASTAP plate solving are working, you can perform this.
Using a Nikon D3300 DLSR, It seems Nikon didn't make SDK for it. The only software I can use to control it is Digicam Control, which seems to control it directly without going thru the normal Windows com ports. I have been thinking of getting the ASI585MC.
Are you planning primarily deep sky or planetary?
Hi, it works but I can't get Eqmod to do star tracking, so when I use it the plate solving doesn't work because in the picture the stars are moving
I would appreciate help from those who have succeeded
What is your tracking rate set at in EQMOD? What mount are you using? Also, which of the three steps is it failing at or is it failing on the first stop? One item to try is if you use manual slew in EQMOD does the mount move? This will test if EQMOD is communicating with the mount properly. Have a look at this setup video for EQMOD and make sure everything is set up correctly. EQMOD can be a bit quirky. If everything is set up correctly according to the video, I would uninstall and reinstall EQMOD.
ua-cam.com/video/UT-UkKEEV90/v-deo.htmlsi=dp2rBg36neaEvy9w
Ty v v helpful
Thank you and you’re welcome! Have you used plate solving for polar alignment before?
@@Hidden.Light.Photography only ever used nina and it works well but i could only use 10 degree measure points or i had problems. You highlighted how i can fix that :)
I’m very happy to hear! What ended up being the solution for this?
@@Hidden.Light.Photography well i hope to try it tonight. Ill set it to start at 45 (currently 53 for some reason) and change from 10d steps to 20d steps. 45+20+20 is less than 90 so wont hit the ra axis bump stops?
What’s happens when you have the issue? Is it an error or was it hitting the mount limits?
Excellent video! I'm a beginner with NINA so this is axactly what I need. I have one question: You set the start altitude and Azimuth both to 40° and the distance to 10°. You said the scope would thus move to an altitude of 60 then 80 for the 3rd star but when the telescope slews during the polar alignment it shows a final altitude of about 62°. Why is this?
That is very observant and an excellent question! The measure point distance is how far the scope will move between exposures. 20 degrees will give you the best accuracy, however, this is a movement command of the RA axis (Azimuth). RA moves East to West and Declination (altitude) is North/South. Meridian is defined at 90 degrees directly overhead, so starting Azimuth (east west) at 40 and moving 20 each exposure will prevent us from hitting 90 which is Meridian. The 62 degrees altitude that you’re seeing is where altitude (Declination) is pointed after RA moves to its final position with the settings I demonstrate in the video. I hope this helps and if you want or need me to reword this or demonstrate, please let me know and I’m more than happy to :)
@@Hidden.Light.Photography Thanks very much. That answer is perfectly clear (as are ypur videos). The worry is always setting bad values and causing the scop to crash into the tripod! Especially if controlling it remotely.
Thank you! Yes, that is always something at the back of minds haha. That’s why it’s very important to know how much RA movement you have available when figuring out where to set your starting point.
hello! After alignment, can I disconnect the camera and it will continue guiding? I need the USB for the intervelometer. thanks!
Very good question! I just want to confirm you mean tracking instead of guiding for this particular question. You can disconnect the camera and your mount will continue to track. With that said, as soon as you close out of 3 point polar alignment, your mount may stop tracking depending on how your driver is set up. To resume tracking, simply slew to another target. Some drivers such as GSS and EQMOD have an option to turn tracking on and off at will. I hope this helps :)
@@Hidden.Light.Photography (yes, tracking, sorry) i have an iexos 100, can't confirm yet, but i think it may be still tracking, i will use cartes du ciel with ASCOM, (don't know if is relevant, I'm a complete noob).
Yes, you helped, i will try as soon as possible. Thank you very much for the explanation!
No worries at all with being new and no need to apologize for anything :) In NINA’s imaging tab (please forgive me I’m going off of memory here) you should see an icon at the top that looks like a telescope. Either click on it or or drag it to the workspace and it’ll give you your telescope information. You’ll see either parked, stopped or sidereal. Sidereal means you’re tracking.
As a side note, always ask questions. I’m here to help.
@@Hidden.Light.Photography I'm very excited to try it!
Thank you very much for your help!
You just got a fan!
✨
You are very welcome and thank you for the support!!
sorry. maybe a stupid question , newbie here . i use a dslr . does it matter in what angle it is attached on your tube ?
There is never such thing as a stupid question. By angle I am assuming rotation? If so, no, NINA will be able to detect rotation and position through ASTAP plate solving. Your camera does need to be able to connect to NINA though for this to work. I know NINA can connect to DSLR as long as you have the correct ASCOM drivers for it.
@Hidden.Light.Photography thanks! Yeah I ment rotation . Thanks for the answer. Will give it a try next possibility.
You’re very welcome! Let me know if you need any more help and never hesitate to ask!
@Hidden.Light.Photography had the opportunity yesterday! This works flawless! Now 30 sec exposures without any drift without guide camera. Your info helped a lot . Thanks !
Perfect, awesome job!! Now time to get a set of photos to stack together. Let me know if you need anything else.
Shouldn't one leg of the tripod be pointing north, more stable for ra?
Excellent question! Not necessarily, the tripod will nice and stable either way. You are able to adjust the orientation, but that’s for clearance purposes as the telescope moves around. Which way do you have yours?
@@Hidden.Light.Photography one leg pointed north and the ra axis directly over the top of it. As it tells me in the extensive (lol) sky watcher manual. My payload is fairly light, though.
I can definitely see that of weight isn’t evenly dispersed, but if you’re well balanced and have adequate clearance, leg positioning shouldn’t be an issue. After all, the telescope does move around and point in all kinds of directions, so at some point, the weight would have hit all potential areas.
@@Hidden.Light.Photography ive read one mount manual, all 5 pages. Its a lightweight mount, other proper mounts like yours maybe doesn't matter.
That raises a good point, actually. Always prioritize your equipment manufacturer recommendations. Personally, I haven’t come across one that specifies specifically which way to orientate the single leg, however, if yours does then always follow what the manufacturer recommends. Which mount are you running?