Altitude Adjustment Limitation EQ5

[Raviv]

I recently purchased a Sky Watcher BKP2001EQ5 Go To. The altitude adjustment does not let me adjust the altitude below 28 degrees or above 66 degrees, even with the altitude adjustment T bolts are removed. The mount contacts the "bracket" that holds the forward positioned T bolt. The bracket does not allow further downward or upward movement. See attachment. My altitude is 31 degrees and 2 minutes therefore I am within this limitation for my location. Can anyone comment on this issue?

[Psychobilly]

Doesn't 31d2m fall within the 28d-66d range so you should be fine...or am I missing soemthing?

[Raviv]

Thank you for the reply. No you are not missing anything, you understand but I assumed that the mount should rotate from 0 to 90 degrees. Maybe I am wrong and the scope is designed only for the latitudes between 28 and 66 degrees.

[spaceboy]

LOL this looks like a case of cloud sickness

- CLOUD SICKNESS /oD'BulL/ 1 Erratic behavior due to a lack of clear nights. 2 Searching in hope mods (related to modifications) need to be done 3 Unusualsleep patterns result in hysteria. 4 Often a problem associated with astronomers of poor climates.

[iamjulian]

As long as the right ascension axis is parallel to the Earth's, you can fiddle with the legs to get the extra degrees, by tilting the mount north or south. I don't think tracking would be affected, but maybe someone else could confirm that. No idea why the mount is built like this though. Perhaps they figure most astronomers live within those latitudes!??

[wrinkly]

With an EQ5, the only problem found so far is not being able to line up the finder unless the object I'm lining up on is really tall or on top of a hill and then, not always. At the upper entrance where I live, cannot line up on the top of the Crystal Palace TV masts but am able to on a lower entrance. Maybe it is because of the weight of 'scopes that the 5 can carry. If the scope or weights, mine has two of 5.1 kg each, were dropped whilst attached, it would shear off the stop and it is this need that is prioritised.

As long as Polaris is visible in the polarscope and one can see over the top of small trees, what is the problem unless you live on the top of Everest?

[bcfcciderhead]

I would think like said above, as long as you can polar align this should not be a problem.............just a guess

[iamjulian]

But that is the point the OP is making. If you live on Greenland the altitude adjustment on an EQ5 does not let you get Polaris in the polar scope, in the normal manner.

[wrinkly]

But that is the point the OP is making. If you live on Greenland the altitude adjustment on an EQ5 does not let you get Polaris in the polar scope, in the normal manner.

Perhaps they sell slightly differently specified EQ5s for other locations.

The good thing is that I have now cancelled my move to Greenland and I had been busy practising my unaccompanied version of "The Greenland Whale Fishery" to impress the locals. Probably for the best as "Greenland is a terrible place/It's a place that's seldom green." might NOT impress the locals.

[Raviv]

iamjulian, thanks for the clarification. What does the amateur astronomer do when one's altitude location is below 28 degrees or above 66 degrees when the altitude adjustment is limited to values that are between 28 and 66 degrees?

[spaceboy]

Remove the alt blocks all together. The front block would serve no purpose anyway at low altitude as all the weight bears down on the rear adjustment bolt. You could do the same with the rear block for high altitude but I agree this may require a small modification due to the way the internals of the mount are designed.

[Raviv]

Spaceboy, thanks for the idea. In the lower altitudes, the front T bolt only acts as a locking device anyway and the mount rests on the rear T bolt. Nice idea.

[Raviv]

As I checked this further, the removal of the white front block also allows the mount to tilt to the higher altitudes as it appears the front block is the only obstacle for both lower and upper altitude movements of the mount. This probably should be mentioned in the operations manuel. However, to be on the safe side, I would not recommend doing this unless absolutely necessary, that is for observing below 28 degrees or above 66 degrees altitude with this mount.

[spaceboy]

Finally I have offered some good advice

[bcfcciderhead]

Finally I have offered some good advice

Not the first time old chap..........

Gave me a few tips in balancing my scope.

[spaceboy]

Thanks Dave. I must be doing something right then

[iamjulian]

iamjulian, thanks for the clarification. What does the amateur astronomer do when one's altitude location is below 28 degrees or above 66 degrees when the altitude adjustment is limited to values that are between 28 and 66 degrees?

You make the north pointing tripod leg shorter or longer than the other legs to achieve the required altitude. Or you dismantle your mount

[Moonshane]

I had a Vixen GP mount which was very similar and I dismantled the mount and had the tab outside of the bolts so that I could point the polar scope up at approx 90 degrees, despite living at 53 degrees north. the reason I did this was to effectively create an alt az mount. It was at this point I realised that EQ mounts were not for me

[a10ken]

How about puting washers under the plate to extend it outwards allowing a greater range of angular movement.

keeping the plate would also allow you to lock-off your adjustments for your saftey.

[Raviv]

a10ken:

Thanks for your response. I checked it out but one still has to remove the white block with this mount. When you adjust the mount below 28 degrees or above 66 degrees, the front locking T bolt does not line-up in the proper place to lock the mount, because of the adjusted angle. The interior part of the mount (the place where the T bolt contacts the mount for locking) actually goes below or above the threaded hole of the block, thereby making it impossible to lock the mount with the T bolt. I hope this is clear enough.

[a10ken]

ok . it was just a thought. i have not been into mine yet

[JanH]

I live little bit further north and my EQ5's (I have two :-)) suffer from same problem. My altitude is 64°N and I can't locate Polaris without extending northern tripod leg. What's worse the longer bolt can't hold much weight at this angle and starts bending very easily. I guess bending bolts aren't so big issue for you people living in mid-range around 50°N.

I plan to disassemble whole thing some time to cut out this useless blocking piece of casing and also I might put some metal plate under the altitude bold end so it's pushing against flat surface (it's bending because it's sliding...). To do so I have to smash black round covers on the mount to take it apart. I tried to get under with screwdriver but those plastic plates hold like hell.

 

I can't say if lifting up the mount  have any significant impact on functionality. With short exposures and guiding even some sideways tilt can be easily corrected. What I'm trying now is to take some DSO images with this mount on film which means very long exposures (whole night's best). The only promising exposure so far lasted 5:30 hours and there is finally something but also there is terrible field rotation around guidestar. Tonight I'll try drift alignment, never did it before, that's the only solution I know about (or using my HEQ5 - goes up to 70°N and is rock solid but it's for bigger scope and imaging setup).

[wimvb]

My EQ3 had the same issue. I attached a wedge to the surface that the rear (south) alt bolt pushes against. This helped quite a lot in stabilizing the mount.

As mentioned before, to reach higher latitude, you can put washers between the mount and the front alt block. That still leaves the rear alt bolt bending under the load.

The alt adjustment limit and bolts were the main reasons I bought the AZ-EQ6. The alt adjustment on that mount is of much better engineering quality. For the EQ6 mounts you can buy an adjustment wedge

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p7490_Vimech-EQ6-Wedge-fuer-einfachere-Einstellung-der-Polhoehe-und-mehr-Stabilitaet.html

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Some people have done a mod to effectively move the normal mechanism e.g.