APT User Guide - Polar Alignment via PS (PAPS)

Astro Photography Tool Video User Guide
Features - Polar Align via PS - PAPS
Polar Align via Plate Solving - PAPS depends on plate solving so you have to configure and ensure Point Craft is working correctly. It is an implementation of the 3-point polar alignment available in many mounts (and other applications), but powered and automated by plate solving. PAPS uses code and mathematical problem solutions by Rumen Bogdanovski, who made it for the INDIGO and AIN Imager projects - he was very kind to allow using his code to do the calculations in APT! An essential part of the process is that the 3 check points should be away from the celestial pole. The best places are near the celestial equator as plate solving has greater accuracy there.
Online written guide - PAPS
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[@Dazzyt66]

Gotta say a massive THANK YOU for these videos. I have just moved to APT from Ekos after also trying NINA. These vids are great and for someone who only uses a DSLR and lens combo on HEQ5 APT is the best!! Struggled with PA tool last night though as it wouldn’t loop, but it was ok as I just ran it after I did each adjustment - a pain but worked good!! Thanks again!!

[@boaty1968]

Excellent mark you cleared up what I thought was an issue regarding ccw , up down etc I always thought it was telling you which way to adjust but no it’s opposite which it tells you 🤦‍♂️ there’s me thinking it was because my image was reversed using a Newtonian 👍

[@SCAmateurAstro]

Caught me out the first time I tried it too😁

[@joancatala]

This is my next target :) Once I'll have a clear sky without clouds I'll try from my roof, where I have my telescope allways installed

[@SCAmateurAstro]

Wish I could have mine always set up too, and getting up higher like a roof would be excellent!

[@marcomalziotti2411]

Thanks for the video. For me, who uses a laptop, there is the possibility of saving the alignment and parking the mount; so as to change the PC battery, reconnect everything and un-park the mount by reloading the previously saved alignment?

[@SCAmateurAstro]

Hi Marco. I think you are confusing Polar Alignment with star alignment. With PA, as long as the mount isn't moved it will remain polar aligned. So disconnecting the laptop to change the battery won't cause any problems.

[@marcomalziotti2411]

@@SCAmateurAstro OK thank you. If I'm not mistaken APT doesn't allow polar alignment. So regardless of the computerized equatorial mount, after the star alignment with PS, if I turn it off, once it's turned back on does it remember the last alignment? I'm asking because I can't find a "save alignment" / "load alignment" button in APT. Thank you.

[@SCAmateurAstro]

@@marcomalziotti2411 Polar alignment is different to star alignment. Polar alignment aligns the mount to the celestial pole - this doesn't change unless the mount is moved & doesn't need to be stored. This is what you use PAPS in APT for. Star Alignment is different. It is used to let the mount know how far needs to compensate after slewing to a new location. It has no effect on polar alignment or actual tracking, just on the mount pointing. This is what you save/load through the mount driver. If you use GoTo++ to get on target you don't even need to do this! NOTE: As long as you don't turn the power off to the mount while changing the laptop battery everything will be remembered by the mount and continue to work after you reconnect. Just be sure to keep the mount powered up.