From my experiments with the ASIAIR, you do not actually have to see Polaris itself to be able to use the Polar Alignment feature of ASIAIR.
The RA axis will eventually need to be aligned to the north celestial pole, but the OTA itself does not have to (i.e., using a DEC that is not 90 degrees).
You do need the ability to plate solve. I think ASIAIR requires the same 0.4 degree FOV and 33 degree FOV range that it uses for regular plate solve, although I'm not certain what the actual FOV range is. (No source code :-( ).
You also need to have substantially unobstructed view of the sky at the start of the 60 degree slew, and also at the end of the 60 degree slew, and have both views be within 30 degrees of the pole, but not necessarily pointed at the pole. This is where a narrower FOV is better than a wide FOV, plus the pixel scale of a narrower FOV may give better precision too.
The starting point of the slew can also be varied (this is not mentioned in the manual). The OTA does not have to start at the Meridian. You can for example start the slew with the OTA pointed 20 degrees east of the Meridian (so that after the slew, the OTA points at 40 degrees west of the Meridian). That should give you more options for finding unobstructed views near the north celestial pole (or for better clearance of the azimuth and altitude bolts).
The slew is basically to find the center of rotation of the image plate. The NCP itself does not need to be inside the plate.
Finally, if a 60 degree slew is too much (or too little), you can still get a decent PA with even just a 30 degree to 40 degree of slew. You just have to do it manually -- tell ASIAIR that you do not have a mount and then follow the alternate polar alignment steps that it tells you.
And if ASIAIR polar alignment cannot be used, you can still use long exposures and the alternate drift alignment procedure described here:
https://www.cloudynights.com/articles/cat/articles/darv-drift-alignment-by-robert-vice-r2760
Clear skies (towards the north celestial pole :-)
Chen
