DIY Polar Scope for Vixen GP Mount

I have installed a Kenko polar scope to a Vixen Great Polaris (GP) mount. I modified the polar scope’s coupler to fit the Vixen GP mount. Instead of the standard threaded coupling, I used three screws to attach the polar scope onto the mount. A separate set of centering screws allow alignment of the star map overlay with that of the actual stars in the sky.

Kenko polar scope attached to a Vixen Great Polaris (GP) mount

A polar scope is helpful in aligning the mount’s polar axis with that of the Earth’s axis of rotation, but it lacks the precision required for astrophotography. When imaging at longer focal lengths, I recommend not relying on a polar scope, but instead use the declination drift alignment method for polar alignment. It looks at two stars, one in the eastern or western horizon, and another in the meridian near the celestial equator, allowing for better polar alignment even without the view of Polaris.

Star chart from a 1990 polar scope still works!

Related link: Kenko NES Mount

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines
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du1au@nightskyinfocus.com

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