joexhoward wrote: Hi Again.
I am aware of the usual way to align my 11" gps but having a home made wedge makes it a new experience.
I have googled what seems to be a standard way of EQ alignment.
My Question : Does anyone have any secrets they would like to share in relation to EQ alignment. Maybe I just panicked when I first EQ aligned, but it did'nt work.
Here is a small bit off reading for you.
First, incline the wedge to your latitude using its latitude scale. Set up the telescope on the wedge and roughly position the mount in azimuth and altitude towards Polaris. The hinge or pivot will be towards the north. Move the tube and scope until the tube is parallel to the fork arms, the fork is pointing north, tube handle is down, star diagonal upright. Lock the scope’s clamps and move the entire tripod-wedge-scope assemblage so that the tube points close to Polaris. Get it close enough so that it’s within the limit of subsequent adjustments that can be made using the altitude-azimuth adjustment screws on your wedge (if it has them).
Then align the GPS to the sky by selecting EQ NORTH ALIGN, either allowing the GPS to deliver the time-site data or enter it yourself by turning the GPS off, and then choosing either EQ AUTOALIGN or EQ TWO-STAR ALIGN for the most accurate polar alignment. EQ AUTOALIGN requires alignment of the scope’s altitude to the altitude index marks and also alignment of the scope’s east-west orientation until the optical tube is pointing at the meridian. Use the hand control direction buttons to move the scope for both alignments. AUTOALIGN then chooses two alignment stars for you. EQ TWO-STAR ALIGN doesn’t require the altitude and meridian alignments, but you have to locate two stars for the alignment procedure.
(The above is for the NexStar GPS with the version 4.0 or higher flashable hand control firmware. The older NexStar GPS telescopes (those with version 2.2 or older hand controls, all those without versions for the hand control) have the North and Level method programmed in the firmware. These scopes will align to magnetic north and level when initializing during the Alt-Az alignment process. For these older instruments on a wedge using GPS data, orient the tube so that the Celestron logo on the base is to the north at bottom and the tube is pointed downwards into the base of the fork. When EQ NORTH ALIGN is chosen and ENTER pressed, the GPS will move to a position pointing approximately at the celestial equator on the meridian. When the GPS is off with these older telescopes, use the same procedure for the GPS with version 4.0 or later hand controls.)
After either two-star alignment, select UTILITIES-WEDGE ALIGN from the menu and press ENTER. The GPS mount will then slew to where it thinks Polaris is located, based on the positioning of the mount and the two-star alignment performed earlier. Now use only the altitude-azimuth adjustment screws to center Polaris in the eyepiece. (Don’t use the hand control!) Always move the scope up when centering on Polaris to take up any backlash in the adjustment screws. Once it’s centered in the eyepiece, press ENTER. Now the polar axis is pointing towards the north celestial pole. (The function takes into account the offset of Polaris from the true pole.)
Repeat the EQ AUTOALIGN or EQ TWO-STAR ALIGN so your NexStar GPS scope is again aligned to the sky.
Clear Skies,
Carl.
  