Description

PoleMaster – a high precision, easy to use electronic polar scope.

The QHY PoleMaster is a modern solution to an age-old problem. With only a few simple, easy-to-follow steps you can achieve perfect polar alignment in minutes, with an accuracy of up to 30 arc seconds!

“We think that QHYCCD have come up with an excellent product here which really takes the sting out of having to polar align. The accuracy of the device meant that polar aligning with the Polemaster was more a pleasure than a chore” Pete Lawrence writing for ‘BBC Sky at Night’ magazine Sep 2016.

How does it work?

Polar alignment sounds simple enough. You find where the pole is, determine the mechanical axis of rotation of your mount, then make the two coincide. PoleMaster makes use of a sensitive wide field imaging camera along the axis of RA to monitor the polar region in real time (not only can it detect Polaris, it also finds the dimmer surrounding stars). From the positions of these stars PoleMaster determines the position of the true pole and compares that to the mechanical axis of RA rotation. Polar alignment is now a simple matter of moving the two centres of rotation so they overlap. Easy!

FEATURES

• Speed and convenience: No need to move the telescope to specific place to unblock the polar scope. No need to kneel or crick your neck to see through a polar scope. No need for fully dark adapted eyesight. No need to level your mount and no need to enter the date and time in your handset then figure out where to rotate the mount to coincide with the current pole star position.
• Accuracy: PoleMaster’s sensitive camera provides accuracy not achievable with naked eye. The camera’s 30 arc second resolution means the best polar alignment that can be achieved by PoleMaster, in the order of 30 arc seconds.
• Wide angle view of the polar region: A wide field view of 11×8 degree makes it easy to locate the pole star
• Easy to install: PoleMaster can be easily installed onto any equatorial mount through mount-specific adapters, even on mounts without polar scope.
• Real time polar alignment checking / adjustment: Using PoleMaster you can monitor your polar alignment in real time. In the event that polar alignment is lost, you can bring it back quickly and easily without starting from scratch.
• Three star alignment is no longer needed: Once you are polar aligned, you only need to perform a one star alignment – a real time saver.
• Perfect companion to single axis mounts: When used with single (RA-only) axis mount, good polar alignment will minimise drift in the DEC axis therefore maximising the performance of your mount.

What’s in the box

• QHY PoleMaster
• Lens Cap
• USB Cable

Downloads / Manuals

The following manuals and downloads are available for this product:

Review

Unofficial Video courtesy of AstroNZ our Kiwi Neighbours

Manuals

QHY PoleMaster Manual (HTML)

QHY PoleMaster 3D Drawing (DWG)

Software

The latest QHY PoleMaster Driver and Software can be downloaded from the QHY CCD website.

Questions?  Call us on 1300 ASTRODOG or just use the form!