So, I've been learning a few things about having an Equatorial mount. First off, Polar Alignment, which I thought would be a tricky task, turns out to be quite easy, although my knees aren't too happy about it. Keeping the mount at its lowest settings is a pain for me because I wear glasses, and squinting through the polar scope is not the most comfortable thing. Plus, the dial marks on the reticle are hard to see. Recently, though, I came across the PoleMaster by QHYCCD, a nifty device that's essentially a small CCD camera attaching to the hole for the polar scope on the front of the mount.

Here's the simple concept: You point your mount North, just like in traditional polar alignment, and use the PoleMaster software with the camera attached to your computer instead of the polar scope on your mount. If you've pointed it right, you'll see Polaris and a few neighboring stars in the field of view. You follow some steps to make sure you're accurately pointed at Polaris by aligning a template of circles with your actual sky view.

After a few adjustments and checks, you use your mount's Dec and RA bolts to align with the North Celestial Pole, and you're good to go for the night. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to set up, and it's a relief to be sitting at your computer instead of kneeling in front of your mount. Just keep in mind that you'll need to buy an adapter for your specific mount, which is an extra cost.

For newcomers, I recommend taking the time to learn and master polar alignment, it's a satisfying skill to have. Once you've got that down, simplify your life by adding this one-trick-pony gadget to your toolkit. It makes the process a whole lot easier and more enjoyable, saving your knees and back from a bit of strain.