Home Position HEQ5

[drumsolo]

Another dumb question from a newbie. Whilst awaiting my telescope order I have been practicing polar aligning which I think I have now done woo hoo! However the home position term is confusing me. Does this mean mount facing north with counter weights down and telescope pointing up in line with polar axis? Is it correct if you have the telescope on the mount when polar aligning it will be horizontal as the DA needs to be rotated to see through the polar scope? Thanks, Stuart.

[valleyman]

Yes the home position is as you say, weights down towards the North facing leg. You have the OTA on the mount for polar align.. Make sure the tripod is level before attaching the mount. You turn the Dec alignment to Horizontal to open the finder apperture.

I would suggest thet when you put the OTA onto the mount, you turn it in the rings so that the EP holder/ Focuser is facing down towards the Weights and slightly to the left.

It will make viewing much easier as sometimes the Focuser ends up on top of the tube.......................It will be easy to understand what i am saying after you get the scope.

Good luck with it

[Cornelius Varley]

I prefer to leave the OTA and counterweights off untill the mount is polar aligned. It is possible to damage the OTA on the mount and the extra weight of the counterweights and OTA make adjusting the latitude bolts difficult.

Peter