The position of Polaris is R.A.= 02h 32m Dec.=89d 16' so if you align your polar axis at this star, you will most of the time have a satisfactory equatorial. Sometimes you need a better alignment and you can improve the accuracy by aligning the axis when Polaris is north or south of the celestial point. The declination axis must be exactly leveled when you do the adjustment. You carefully rotate the whole mounting horizontally and search for Polaris in the telescope by only rotating the telescope around the leveled declination axis. Put the star in the center of the field. Now you have a good north south orientation of the polar axis, but the elevation might be wrong. Now rotate the telescope 180 degrees about the polar axis until the declination axis again is leveled. Search for Polaris again only by rotating the telescope around the declination axis. You will probably find Polaris again, but it will not hit the center of the field. Put Polaris as close to the center as possible.
Now rotate the whole mounting horizontally so that Polaris moves half way toward the center of the field. Now you will have a very good north south orientation of the polar axis.
( If you don't find Polaris at all, then the telescope is not mounted on the declination axis by 90 degrees and you must aim along the polar axis or use the classical method described below.)
6 or 18 hours later, Polaris will have the right elevation because it is either west or east of the celestial pole. When you already have the right north south orientation you only need to carefully rise or lower the polar axis. Now the declination axis must be set north south. ( Not leveled.) A rotation of the telescope about the declination axis will move the telescope east west and you search for Polaris only by rotating the telescope about the declination axis. You must also either carefully rise or lower the polar axis. When you have Polaris in the center of the field, rotate the telescope 180 degrees about the polar axis.( The declination axis is again set north south.) Again search for Polaris by rotating about the declination axis and put the star as close to the center of the field as possible. Now rise or lower the polar axis carefully until Polaris has moved half way toward the center of the field. You are finished.

As mentioned above the telescope is not always mounted 90 degrees on the declination axis.
Then you must use the well known method of putting a star just before the meridian close to equator in the middle of the field.
Follow the star as it passes the meridian by only moving the telescope about the polar axis. If the star moves north in the field then the polar axis is pointing to much west of the celestial pole. You must now rotate the whole mounting carefully ( adjust the north south orientation.) until stars passing the meridian do not move south or north in the field. Now is the polar axis orientated north south.
You now put a star in the east close to equator in the middle of the field. Again follow the star by only rotating about the polar axis.
If the star moves north in the field you must carefully lower the polar axis until the star don't move either south or north. Finally take your time to follow the star until it passes the meridian. If you are not satisfied you can repeat the whole process.

Meridian passage of Polaris.

Find the R.A. Dec. of the Sun and the time for the Sun's meridian passage on the day you make the adjustment.

Example for Oslo :
The Suns' R.A. Midsummer day : 06h00m and it is in the south at 13.19 local time.
Time difference for south passage between the Sun and Polaris is :

Time difference = ( 24h 00m - R.A.Sun ) + R.A.Polaris

Then Polaris is south : ( 24h 00m - 06h 00m ) + 02h 32m = 20h 32m later that is at 09.51 local time
( North 12 hours before or later. )

New Example.
Sun's R.A. September 23th : 12h00m and south passage at 13.10
Then Polaris is south ( 24h00m - 12h00m) + 02h32m = 14h32m later, that is at 03.42
(East 6 hours before at 21.42 )

The Sun's R.A. on some dates:
( In Norway we use : Day #/Month # )

01/1 : 18h 45m
15/1 : 19h 51m
01/2 : 20h 58m
15/2 : 21h 54m
01/3 : 22h 48m
16/3 : 23h 44m
01/4 : 0h 42m
15/4 : 1h 33m
01/5 : 2h 35m
16/5 : 3h 33m
01/6 : 4h 36m
15/6 : 5h 34m
01/7 : 6h 40m
15/7 : 7h 38m
01/8 : 8h 47m
15/8 : 9h 40m
01/9 : 10h 41m
15/9 : 11h 31m
1/10 : 12h 29m
15/10: 13h 20m
1/11 : 14h 27m
16/11: 15h 27m
1/12 : 16h 30m
16/12: 17h 36m