NINA Three Point Polar Alignment - Polar Align in the BLIND!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 січ 2022
- Hey everyone, if you are like me and you don't have a view to Polaris, there is still a way for you to polar alignment for accurate equatorial tracking. Follow along as I demonstrate how to use NINA's Three Point Polar Alignment plugin to polar align in the blind!
- Наука та технологія
Good tutorial - even more relevant to us in the Southern Hemisphere where we don't have a bright pole star.
You make the best NINA tutorials!
Thanks for the video , I never used NINA 3 point only sharpcap polar , will give it a try , just got a new scope so we will see
Thank you for this tutorial! You present and explain things very well - easy to understand and apply.
Thanks for making this video. I've just bought myself a Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED DS-Pro to use on my AZ-GTI set up in EQ mode. I'm still new to this and your video is really helpful.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Can't wait to give this tutorial a go! You have been very helpful!
New subscriber here,
Thank you so much for making your turtorials geared towards people who are just starting out with DSO in a way we are able to understand. I learned so much you have no idea and please keep them coming!! ✌
Idea for turtorial,
Explaining exposure times 😆 thanks
Merci beaucoup pour cette super vidéo qui m'a rendu service. Tout est clair, et la traduction en français facile. Cest une des vidéos les mieux expliquées sur ce sujet!
dear thank you so much for this video, really interesting and well and clearly explained, for sure I’ll looking for next videos
thanks again, see you next time
🙏😉
Thanks for the video. I'm in a similar situation with my view of polaris. I'm going to try this tonight if i can.
Thank you so much for doing these basic setup videos. I find them very helpful and informative. (Even if I prefer Sharpcap for polar aligning as I am fortunate enough to have a view to Polaris). For imaging, I am currently using platesolving and GoTo via APT, but NINA is looking better and better. I am really looking forward to your video on setting up platesolving in NINA that I see you're premiering later today. Stunning image as well.
You're welcome, thanks for the support!
What a awesome tutorial been wanting to polar align with Nina for sometime been checking a few other short video but your one goes into more depth when weather gets better will give it a go as it's been cloudy for the past few months (el nino) but thank you once again just seen your latest video then realised you had a 3 point polar align app subscribed :)
Thank you! Yeah I hope these videos are helpful! Clear skies!
Hello Angus,
That’s an interesting and highly instructive video.
As I luckily have a direct view on Polaris from my backyard, I don’t have to use such a procedure but I’m happy to see how it works and finally gives good results.
The final image is just amazing, good work, as always
Clear skies
Remi
Thank you! If you have views to Polaris, it's to use and practice in case you need to use this procedure. Thanks for your support as always!
Thanks for this tutorial! Amazing!
That was very helpful. Thank you!
Nice video. Nina is outstanding ...
Another great video Angus I did try this feature in NINA back in October at a star party but really struggled using it, I've just added a pier extension in the observatory today & roughly lined it up by marking the pier. I'm hoping now the updated version will make it easier to use as I'll do a check sometime soon :-)
Thanks! I struggled early on too. For me, it was plate solving issues. Make sure you have it all sorted out and you should be good to go!
This is awesome! Definitely will use this method if I come across not having the north star in sight.
You should try it and practice it even if you can see Polaris right now. You may see some improvement in guiding.
Nice results, too.
So much helpful 😌
Great Video - Thanks
I have found that making an adjustment and then let NINA solve at least twice before making a move is good. I don't end up chasing changes. That allows things to settle and ensure the photo wasn't taken while I was moving the mount.
That's a great recommendation and definitely worth a try if you mount is still settling from your altitude/azimuth adjustments! 🙂
Sharp Cap does not even write that it is very bad at 2 minutes of error, it is so terrible, it was necessary to continue at least until an error of 30 ". And so the plugin is valid, it helped out many times.
Pretty cool tutorial !!
I was thinking maybe it's better to use the dedicated camera for polar alignment, there are a lot of photos with the DSLR, it ends up shortening the life of the shutter.
Thanks this is very helpful! I was wondering if this is applicable if I will be using a non goto mount like the Star Adventure Pro with a DSLR camera?
If you're trying to point North (with an obstructed view) there are maps that show how inaccurate a compass is depending on where you are (compasses can point as much as 20 degrees off depending on location).
I was about to compliment you on your awesome laptop table
and then I noticed it's just a stool, lol
Lol, yep! I try to reuse and repurpose wherever I can. Hahahah
Excellent video if you have older eq6 pro what cable did you use to communicate with pc?
Great video and process well explained. I assume NINA is using your main scope to do the polar align and not your guide scope?
That is correct. So make sure you're already balanced prior to doing your blind polar alignment, because it won't work if you get star trails. 🙂
Hi thanks for the video. I tried this last night with my HEQ5 connected directly to the laptop with the EQmod cable, no handset connected. When NINA tried the 3 point polar alignment it said that it was not able to cover the required number of degrees (10) due to slow slew rate or the mount not being set to slew in degrees. What have I missed here?
Have you tried iPolar vs 3 point polar alignment?
Hi so, just to clear things out, because people told me different things in forums, do i need to actually polar align before and after do phd2 calibration or the opposite? Thanks for patience
When you are adjusting your bolts are you using NINA or the BOLTS cheers
I'm also trying to start this hobby in the Bay Area. What locations on the peninsula side would you recommend as a dark sky area?
I don't understand how to do the 3PPA with manual mode (I use a star adventurer 2i). As soon as it takes the first image, it keeps taking exposures and doesn't wait for me to manually rotate the mount 10°. I really don't get how to make it wait for my manual slewing...
Thanks for the video, very helpful, the thing that happens to me is after TPPA does the platesolve, I get an error of 22º Azimuth error and at some point after moving the azimuth bolt from one side, the best it gets is like 12º, but I can't slew more the mount because one of the bolts is physically impossible to move more, its at the end. I don't know if i explained correctly :/ Thanks!
Check the level of your tripod. You may not be perfectly leveled if you readouts go ape-shit after each adjustment 🙂
@@nocturneastro2539 thank you, i will check it :)
Hi again, I just want to ask when do you make the PhD2 calibration? Before polar align with Dec in 0? Or you calibrate when you are pointing at your target?
@@oscar__rally pointed at your target
I wonder if its in the new 3.0 version?
Very nice explained.But, how did you connect the laptop to the mount?Via the synscan remote control?Or via EQmod direct cable?In my case,if I connect the mount to the laptop via synscan remote ,it keeps losing the sidereal tracking although I select it.Maybe you should do a tutorial on that? :) After some minutes it says not tracking.So i bought myself an EQmoddirect to USB cable for my HEQ5 and the problem has dissapeared.I recommend also an AA+. It makes your life much easier and no more laptop.I had to buy one because I don't have a backyard and the laptop and cables were in my way.Also,Nina there is a bit tricky for me.That doesn't mean it's not a good software.It's awesome but the learning curve it's kinda steep...at least for me.Cheers.
I connect using the remote and just a normal printer USB cable. I too had an issue with the mount defaulting to "not tracking", so I just got into the habit of checking the status of my mount. But now, I've stopped having that issue. Try and make sure both NINA and EQMOD say sidereal tracking. You just may have manually select it if your software doesn't default to it.
@@nocturneastro2539 I checked both:nina and eqmod..but in eq mod the sidereal will go to no tracking after a couple of minutes whilst in Nina the sidereal tracking would remain selected .So it must be a cble issue.But since I use the dedicated EQMOD cable with RJ45 to USB(FTDI chip) I don't have that problem.It would be interesting if you could make a tutorial about manual polar alignement with NINA on star tracker if you have one..I also have a Star adventurer pro 2i and because I don't have access to polaris I'd like to try this manual polar alignement with NIna but I don't kow how to do it.
You need to turn off something in eqmod. In the expanded settings "limits" I think. Stopped all my tracking errors.
Great. Would it work with a simple Sky Adventurer mount?
In theory I "think" it would? You would just have to use the manual mode and move the RA axis manually. I think...
I’m torn, I live in an apartment (third story) and using my Alt-AZ telescope to photograph planets in my balcony.
I’d like to step up and buy an equatorial mount to capture galaxies and nebulas but I’m unable to polar align from there. Do you think this is going to give me an option to give it a shot?
Do you have anything that blocks your view to zenith? I think most planets are lower in the night sky and thus you don't need to worry about views directly above your head for planetary imaging.
@@nocturneastro2539 I have a roof above my balcony. How about DSO though? Do you think that I would be wasting money in buying an eq mount for that?
Why are you unable to polar align from there? Remember, you don't need to see Polaris with NINA. You can Polar Align from any part of the sky.
Just realised you are using the bolts. at this stage does it mean you are three-star aligned as well.
Just a quick one. Once i have polar aligned using this plug-in is this all finished. I do not need to do three-star alignment. Also will the mount automatically track or do i need to adjust a setting in NINA. Thank you for your advice
This method does the same thing as a manual polar alignment. The only difference is that you are using plate solving to figure out how to maneuver your mount to align to the celestial pole. You still need to do your star alignment so your mount knows where it is in relation to the rest of the sky for slewing to be accurate. I don't know if you need to do 3 star alignment. I've never used more than 1 star.
@@nocturneastro2539 do I just get a star and focus it for 1 star alignment. Thanks for your knowledge
@@SuperKevinFS you probably already figured this out, but to do a quick align (1 star or 2) you just place your mount as Polaris facing as possible. Then select quick align or 1 star align from your mount's handset. Your mount will attempt to center the chosen star. You then center the star manually and tell your handset to align based on your manual movement. Because you're now going to use plate solving for the rest of the alignment, you don't need to do the longer mount-based alignment routine (mine will do 6, if I want). You just plate solve for the most accurate polar alignment.
After very accurate PA with EQ mount (connected via EQMOD) in NINA, when I slew to an object, the scope is way off (40+ degrees). Why by so much? Coordinates will be off from then on when slewing to other targets, as Slew and Center does not re-set coordinates to be accurate. Will NINA, when i center and slew, track with the object centered, or track based on the faulty Alt/Az?
Does this happen all the time? Or once in a while. My HEQ5 sometimes does that it slews to the ground. I just restart the mount and reposition its home position and that usually solves all of my slewing issues. Depending on where "home" is when I start the mount, I'm always a little off when slewing to my first target. Which is where star alignment and/or plate solving comes in.
@@nocturneastro2539 Yeah, happens every time. How do u star align? Is that doing a Slew and Center on a target? Should that get better each time?
@@deeber35 if I want to star align, I pick a star that I'm familiar with on stellarium, tell my mount to go there, and manually make small adjustment until the star is centered, then I tell my mount the star is centered. You should check and make sure you're perfectly leveled and your computer specs for your location matches that of the mount.
Many thanks. What dsrl do you use and how you connect It with Nina? I nave a guiding camera (ASI 120 mini mm), can i use It foto Polar aligment with Nina?
I used a Canon 60d. I never tried it with a guide camera, but I don't see why not?
@@nocturneastro2539 Hi there. Has the 60D been Astro Modified, or was it Stock? If stock, how did you get the beautiful Red in youe main Pic? Thanx
@@mrlintonious even an unmodified camera will pick up the Ha, it just takes longer to obtain
Hello im trying to find an easy way to polar align.I have an EQ3PRO GoTo mount and a nikonD5300 which i will connect to my laptop with all the needed software.Will i be able to polar align , plate solve and start imaging from my laptop ? Thanks.
Also i will replace my synacan hand controller with my laptop using a FTDIR USB cable to my laptop
@dilaila1337 yes, absolutely. This method is universal to all mounts and cameras as long as they are able to connect to NINA.
Does Astap need an Internet connection to platesolving, or does this program work in offline mode?
No, it does not. You need to download the star map and it'll work offline.
How can your mount slew to any object UNLESS it is already polar aligned?
Plate solving doesn't depend on polar alignment. It only takes a picture of where you current are pointed at, and figures out how "off" you are from your actual target. This process is independent of polar alignment.
@@nocturneastro2539 thanks for clarifying
Narrowband filters with DSLR?
you can use the L-ultimate or L-extreme (or whatever filter you like) to block light pollution and other wavelengths. As long as you can focus you can do it. It's just more efficient with mono cameras.
@@AstroKungfu hmm, makes sense.