Just for conversational sake (since many of us here are technical), can you share any details on the Polar Alignment integration? Did the plate solving / math prove unreliable?
This isn’t a feature request. Between the AP RAPAS and PHD2’s Drift Align tool, I’m fine with PA and may be faster as is, too. However, it would be a cool add-in, though agree with previous comments in old threads about focus, other core functionality being a higher priority. Just wondering.
Yep – as I said in my original post It is a great tool. I start with the RAPAS and might tweak using PHD2’s drift align depending on what I’m after / exposure time.
The great thing about using it is that it can be done just after sundown, so it’s plenty of time to get polar aligned. PHD2 as a whole has been rock solid and amazing. (As is SGP.)
Fun fact I learned about the PHD2 drift alignment tool. Make sure you calibrate it at the declination for drift alignment… Apparently it will introduce errors in the measurements otherwise.
Maybe it had something to do with the dual recommendations to calibrate and to drift at low declination (near the celestial equator).
Calibration is best done at low declination where the RA and Dec guide rates are nearly equal and the RA motion of the guide star is greatest for a given RA guide pulse.
Drift alignment is best when done at low declination, since RA drift due to polar alignment error is close to zero at declination zero.