Omegon MiniTrack pole finder Instructions
- June 7, 2024
- Omegon
Table of Contents
Operating Instructions
Omegon® MiniTrack pole finder
English version 04/2021/1.0
The complete or partial reproduction of the content of this document for
anything other than personal use is expressly prohibited. Subject to changes
and errors. All text, images, and diagrams are the property of Himax GmbH.
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Omegon® MiniTrack
Thank you for choosing the MiniTrack pole finder. Using this product, you can quickly and easily align your MiniTrack mount with the north celestial pole – the foundations for successful astrophotography.
Getting to know your pole finder
| 1. Eyepiece with adjustable viewfinder unit | 3. Polarscope |
|---|---|
| 2. Three adjusting screws at 120degree intervals | 4. Pole finder lens |
Mounting
2.1 Mount the separate pole finder bracket #61415 to the minitrack. Video
instructions for this can be found here: https://youtu.be/DbfIXXauxh4
2.2 Place the pole finder in the bracket and check that it is securely held.
Aligning the pole finder on the mount
You can complete the next steps during the day once you have installed the
pole finder on the MiniTrack.
3.1 Place the MiniTrack on your tripod and point the mounted polar scope
towards a distant object, such as a church tower, chimney or pylon.
3.2 Look through the pole finder optics and adjust the viewfinder until the
object is in focus.
3.3 Centre the object in the middle of the pole finder and turn the pole
finder 180 degrees in its bracket.
3.4 Observe how far the object has moved from the crosshair. This drift occurs
because the pole finder is not yet exactly aligned with the MiniTrack’s
rotational axis.
3.5 Use the hex key and move the object halfway towards the middle of the
crosshair using the three adjusting screws.
3.6 Centre the object in the middle of the crosshair by moving the tripod and
turn the pole finder
180 degrees. Has the object moved from the center again? If so, repeat steps
3.5 and 3.6 until the object no longer drifts from the center.
**Aligning the mount with the north celestial pole
**
Note: There are different methods for aligning the mount with the pole.
We are describing the method which uses the images on the reticule.
4.1 Orient the mount towards the North until you see the Pole Star in the pole
finder. Adjust the focus using the viewfinder if necessary.
Figure 2: Reticule plate with images
4.2 Find the images of the constellations Cassiopeia and the Plough in the
pole finder, if you are in the Northern hemisphere, the Southern Cross, and
Achernar for the Southern hemisphere.
4.3. Using the naked eye, pinpoint the same constellations and memorize their
current positions.
4.4 Look through the polar scope and rotate it until the positions of the
images in the pole finder correspond with the current position of the
constellations.
Note: As you are looking through a miniature telescope, you are not
seeing the real constellations in the sky, but only their images on the
transparent reticule plate and a restricted visual field around the polar
region. You, therefore, need to compare the actual view of the constellations
with the pole finder’s position.
4.5 Adjust your tripod’s azimuthal and vertical axes until the Pole Star is
located within the circle at the center of the crosshair. Your mount is now
aligned with the northern celestial pole. In the Southern hemisphere, Sigma
and Chi Octantis should be aligned with their images.
Note: An equatorial mount can also be aligned using a smartphone pole finder app. A selection of apps can be found in the Play Store or App Store.