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AZ- EQ6 GT mount confused :s HELP!!

Puglets

By Puglets
in Discussions - Mounts

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Puglets

Puglets

Posted
Posted

I have just received my AZ-EQ6 GT mount and have put it together and now I am really confused about how to set up the dials R.A dial and Dec. dial. Trolled through youtube and cant find any videos can anyone help??? Haven't even looked at the polar aligning yet :o

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jambouk

jambouk

Posted
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You can essentially ignore the dials when starting out. You don't need to use them to polar align, or to star align, or to use GOTO or tracking.

Get your head around polar aligning first - it is actually very simple.

Good luck.

James

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Owmuchonomy

Owmuchonomy

Posted
Posted

As James says, ignore the dials and crack on with polar aligning via the polar scope once you have checked that it is centralised to the mount. The SW instructions advise on how align the polar scope with the mount as do several threads on here. You can do that on the daytime in theory. After that wait for a clear night and try polar aligning.

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fondofchips

fondofchips

Posted
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Use this polar alignment program to help -  http://myastroimages.com/Polar_FinderScope_by_Jason_Dale/

Some good videos on this under Astronomy Shed on you tube.   Astronomy shed forum: - http://www.astronomyshed.co.uk/forum/index.php?sid=d968ff4f1a4fd8a8efa3dc40abdb6de1

Start there, it will become more clear, what is needed is a free day followed by a clear night so you have enough time to do the alignment and study the guides beforehand.

Brilliant mount accompanied by the usual learning curve.

Cheers,

Fondofchips.

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Puglets

Puglets

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I have just watched that video and when my scope is at the highest point and the counterweight rod is at the lowest point it points to 6/18 on the RA dial is that correct? 

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jambouk

jambouk

Posted
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Ignore the dials!!!!!!! :)

They are not needed for what you need to do.

In time, you mught want to use them to help you establish the "hour angle" when polar aligning (but i requires reasonable understanding of polar alignment and about the transit of polaris) and can be used to work out where the scope is pointing, but the handset tells you this.

So just ignore them. Trying to understand how to use them at this stage is not going to be helpful.

And yes, get the polar scope reticle aligned to the RA axis of the mount in daylight.

James

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jambouk

jambouk

Posted
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You need to take up a second hobby that isn't weather dependant, then you will always have something to do :) i suspect if you live in the UK, you end up spending more time on the second hobby though...

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jambouk

jambouk

Posted
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Only do the handset polar alignment routine after doing a two star alignment when the two stars are the same side of the meridian else it gets messy and the polar alignment ends up worse than if you'd randomly plonked the mount down without knowing which was was north :)

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  • 1 month later...
MikePGPSW

MikePGPSW

Posted
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When I got my AZ EQ6 I got the polar alignment right first then set my home position.  Once at home with weights down I set the RA and Dec Dials to zero.  That way I know that when I re-assemble the telescope on the mount that it will be roughly in the correct position.  I just wish I had an observatory so that I could leave it set up all the time.

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astrodude

astrodude

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Know what you mean about the observatory!

Did you just ask the mount to goto the home position? Something seems to have happened to mine since I had a slight collision with my DSLR and tripod leg. Although I align the polar scope very accurately and then set the OTA in the correct polar home position, when I do any of the 1-2-3 star alignments the stars are always way off in RA. It does say alignment successful but the warns the polar alignment is bad and says it will use the last polar alignment. I have tried the reset to factory default several times and even updated the handset firmware, but it still does it all the time, reverting back to an earlier polar alignment. I think somehow I need to recalibrate the home position, but this only seems possible on the EQ8. 

A goog idea about setting the RA and DEC to zero, wish Skywatcher had put on some decent index marks to set the polar home position.

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jambouk

jambouk

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Are you all turning the mount off and on again after polar aligning? (see http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/review/mounts/sky-watcher-az-eq6-gt-mount)

Do you have the latest version of firmware on the handset? v3.37

If you are setting up the mount, rather than leaving it permenantly set up on a pier, one doesn't need to have great precision over the home position. As long as the scope is pointing roughly towards Polaris, and that the weight bar is pointing down to the ground, that is good enough to star the star alignment from.

post-25543-0-66778100-1428687094.jpg

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