MaxPoint can be used as a tool for achieving good polar alignment. The Telescope Pointing Errors display shows the offset of the mount from the ideal pole position.
Please note that MaxPoint will only be an effective tool for polar alignment if the model is consistent. As stated previously, a very common mistake is to leave cables dangling from the end of the camera, which will tug on the telescope. The resulting systematic errors will significantly degrade the accuracy of the polar alignment measurement. All cables must be tied off to the tube or saddle plate, as close as possible to axis, to minimize the lever arm.
To perform polar alignment, perform a mapping run. Bring up the errors display; you can directly read off the position error. Of course, it is best to make measurements over a large area of sky. Also, in some cases it may be preferable for German Equatorial mounts to avoid crossing over the meridian.
A positive Polar Azimuth indicates that the telescope mount is pointed to the East of the pole. A positive Polar Altitude indicates that the mount is pointed above the pole.
It is not commonly realized that mechanical telescope models are not perfectly orthogonal in the mathematical sense. Large errors in one model term may cause an effect in other terms. These offsets will largely cancel out so that the pointing accuracy is very good, even though the individual error terms are slightly off. This means that the polar offset terms may be close but not necessarily right on target, even with a good mount model.
It is therefore extremely important to use sufficient mapping points and distribute them around the entire sky, to ensure an accurate measurement of the polar alignment error.
If you require a precision polar alignment for long exposures, it is a good idea to double-check the alignment using a precision technique such as the drift method. This technique uses a camera and MaxIm DL:
Mount your camera with north at the top.
Connect MaxIm DL to the camera, configured as an autoguider.
If you have an autoguider connection to the mount, remove or disable it. This can be done by pulling the cable, or go to the Guide tab, Settings, Guider Enables, and turn off X Axis and Y Axis (assuming X is RA).
Point to a star at the merdian, near the equator.
Start "autoguiding", and watch the error reading in Declination only (it is okay to actually guide in Right Ascension if needed). Due to the sub-pixel measurement capability of the autoguider function, you will be able to see any error quite quickly. Note which way it is moving and how quickly. (For extremely high precision alignment for a permanent mount, you may wish to wait several minutes to see the drift.)
Now stop guiding and switch to Continuous mode. Set up a very short exposure, binned for speed. Adjust the mount in azimuth, watching the star move. This way you can tell exactly how far you are moving the mount (see below for calculating image scale).
If the star drifts North, adjust the azimuth to the East. If the star drifts South, adjust the azimuth to the West.
Re-center the star using the telescope slow motion controls and repeat steps 4 through 6 until the drift is small.
Point to a star near the East horizon, close to the equator. Make sure the star is at least 20 degrees above the horizon, to avoid excessive refraction.
Start "autoguiding", and watch the north/south drift as before. Note which way the star is moving and how quickly.
Stop guiding and switch to Continuous mode; again, use short binned exposures. Adjust the mount in elevation, watching the star motion to see how much you are moving it.
If the star drifts North, move the polar axis down. If the star drifts South, move the polar axis up.
Recenter the star using the telescope slow motion controls, and repeat step 10 through 12 until the drift is small.
Go back to step 4 and start again, until the drift is small in both positions. Remember to re-enable your autoguider when you are done.