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<blockquote data-quote="Vipersan" data-source="post: 740831" data-attributes="member: 325666">@Huevos ..Using the sun to find true south is very useful indeed ...and accurate ..At a specific time on any given day in the year&nbsp; (which can be calculated) ..the sun will cast a shadow which can be used for alignment of the whole polar mount assembly ..a tricky operation to use a compass in proximity to so much metal ...so this is the best way to align a large dish ..After a vertically mounted pole ...this adjustment is of paramount importance ...a degree out and as you know ...everything else ..ie accurate tracking of the arc is impossible ....and the larger and deeper the dish ..the more accurate this needs to be ..no room for error ...fwiw after setting the dish at polar noon ...and guestimating the elevation and polar offset for my location ..(This is neccessary ..as charts are only as good as the polar mounts build design and accuracy ..)without ...any tweaking I instantly found 1 West&nbsp; 55W and 58W ......2.8 East and 20 East ..Although its an old method which dates back pre the Egyptians ....It works well ..and I think is more accurate than any compass reading..as this can be influenced by proximity of objects .....so it can't be physically mounted on the dish..rgdsVS</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Vipersan, post: 740831, member: 325666"] @Huevos .. Using the sun to find true south is very useful indeed ...and accurate .. At a specific time on any given day in the year (which can be calculated) ..the sun will cast a shadow which can be used for alignment of the whole polar mount assembly .. a tricky operation to use a compass in proximity to so much metal ...so this is the best way to align a large dish .. After a vertically mounted pole ...this adjustment is of paramount importance ... a degree out and as you know ...everything else ..ie accurate tracking of the arc is impossible .. ..and the larger and deeper the dish ..the more accurate this needs to be .. no room for error ... fwiw after setting the dish at polar noon ...and guestimating the elevation and polar offset for my location .. (This is neccessary ..as charts are only as good as the polar mounts build design and accuracy ..) without ...any tweaking I instantly found 1 West 55W and 58W ......2.8 East and 20 East .. Although its an old method which dates back pre the Egyptians ....It works well ..and I think is more accurate than any compass reading..as this can be influenced by proximity of objects ... ..so it can't be physically mounted on the dish.. rgds VS [/QUOTE]

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