Setting Up.

Setting the scope for viewing was very simple although it has to be said the instruction manual was sparce and not well produced. Remember I am a new astronomer so how do you set the tripod/ telescope for polar alignment ?

I live about  55 degrees north and the declination adjustment hits the polar finder at about this angle what am I doing wrong ?

In use the telescope has proved excellent. the motor drive is smooth and silent.....not like the ETX which wakes the neighbours when it moves. So far I have only used the Nikon Camera and for short exposures the movement ( even with rough polar alignment) has been accurate.

The photographs on this site do not do the scope justice. The images are much sharper than I have managed to reproduce but do remember I have only used the scope a handful of times. I am really looking forward to experimenting with the scope but we are still in British summer time and the best views are available after midnight till about 3 a.m. Not to be recommended when you'r at work the next day so I need clear skys on a Friday or Saturday when her indoors doesn't want to be up and about early the next day.

Deep Sky.

Unlike the ETX I found the Ring Nebular and the Andromeda Galaxy on the first few nights of viewing. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion the ETX just does not hack it when it comes to deep sky viewing.

Help !!

I am now the proud owner of the Nikon 990 Coolpix.  This digital camera has a bulb setting allowing eposures of upto one minute at 400 ASA.  I have managed to obtain images of the Ring nebula and M31, the problem is polar alignment.  The pictures obtained are good enough to show what you can see through the eyepiece but my polar alignment must not be accurate as star movement is obvious. Anyone any suggestions how to improve alignment for upto one minute exposures?