Getting started with a HEQ5 Pro

[stargazerlily]

Hi everyone,

Just been playing with my new HEQ5 Pro ... indoors and without a scope ... slewing it around ... lovely bubbly.

I do have a general newbie type question. If all I want to do at this stage is to look at the moon using my SW150PL (and nothing fancy like astro-photograhy etc) can I skip the star alignment stage and just set the tracking to Sidereal so that the the moon remains in view? I'll do a rough polar alignment beforehand.

Many thanks

Pete

[Cornelius Varley]

There is nothing to stop you skipping the alignment routine, you could enter or accept the normal data (time/date/location) and then select "no" when the handset asks to start alignment. Slew around to the moon and the select lunar rate in the handset to keep tracking at the correct rate.

Peter

[obscura]

Agreed. A near enough polar align, slew to moon, lunar rate and the HEQ5 will track the moon with perhaps an occasional tweak on the handset NSEW buttons (set at 2 x sidereal slew). Star align is not necessary.

[stargazerlily]

Thanks very much guys.

By the way, what is the difference between the tracking options Sidereal, Lunar and Solar? Is it just that they are different rates to track different objects?

Cheers

Pete

[obscura]

That's right.

Sidereal is the rate at which stars appear to move against the sky with respect to earth. The rate is 23 hours 56 mins - earth's spin time, approx 15 degrees/hour. They are not moving, we are. We can regard the stars as 'stationary' due to their great distance from earth even though they are moving, as we are, at colossal speeds in space. Their position in the sky from earth through the year is governed by earths tilt of 23-1/2 degrees and where we are around the sun, season, hence a winter and summer sky.

Solar and lunar are of course much much closer and their movement is with respect to them, not the stars. The moon orbits earth in approx 4 weeks at an inclined angle of 5 degrees - its apparent movement is about 1/2 degree per hour.

Earth spins as above wrt stars but wrt sun, is a little longer. Wrt sun earth has to spin 361 degrees and that 1 degree extra makes .... 24 hour day. (What luck!)

Try tracking the moon at both lunar and sidereal.

Hope that's all OK

[stargazerlily]

Thanks very much for the explanation. I'll give it a go.

Another very quick question. Can I use the power tank to power up the handset only as I'm planning to upgrade the firmware soon. Thanks

Cheers

Pete

[Cornelius Varley]

Thanks very much for the explanation. I'll give it a go.

Another very quick question. Can I use the power tank to power up the handset only as I'm planning to upgrade the firmware soon. Thanks

Cheers

Pete

You can, so long as it fully charged. You don't want the power to fail halfway through a firmware update.

Peter

[stargazerlily]

You can, so long as it fully charged. You don't want the power to fail halfway through a firmware update.

Peter

Thanks for the heads-up about the power tank. I made sure it was fully charged before doing the upgrade.

Good news is that I have successfully upgraded the handset to firmware version 3.27. Took about 30 seconds or so.

Cheers

Pete

[obscura]

Good for you.

You'll now be able to turn down the wick on the polar scope's reticle from incandescent red to a gentle glow when you'll see Polaris more easily. That's a big plus.