Polar Alignment with QHY Mini-Guidescope and QHY 5II-M - by: RDBeck

I have been trying to use the polar alignment routine with my miniguidescope (130mm focal length) and the 5II-M camera since mid-July and never had success. FOV is 2.9x2.3 arc degrees. I can't seem to plate solve with this combination, and I have assumed it was camera noise that dark subtraction didn't correct. I have binned 2x2 and don't recall at the moment what exposure durations I tried. I'm looking for suggestions to see if I can get this to work.

I have been able to polar align with my ASI 224MC on either the guidescope (FOV 2.1x1.6 arc degrees) or my primary scope (FOV 0.6x0.4 arc degrees) so it's not a plate solving issue, per se.

Both PHD2 and the internal guider are able to handle the noise on the QHY 5II-M, and guiding seems reasonable.

Thanks,

Richard