First time with my HEQ5 pro mount: Lessons learned

[stargazerlily]

Last Friday night was the first time I've used my HEQ5 Pro mount in anger since I bought it several months ago. It was a clear night .. I had no chores to do ... Right Said Fred ... get it out and have a play.

First task ... setting up the tripod. I'm setting up the tripod on my lawn away from the house so that I can see Polaris in the northern sky. Fixed the mount onto the tripod using the central screw then tried to attach the tray. It wouldn't fit ... argh ... tried every which way. Realized that I had not spread the tripod legs far enough apart.

First lesson learned ... make sure the tripod legs are fully spread out before attaching the mount.

All set up ... next task was to polar align. I had done a few dry runs in doors but outside it seemed to be much harder. Could see a star in the polar scope and decided that was Polaris (I think Polaris should have a big P next to it to make it easier to spot). Played around with the azimuth bolts ... going well ... played around with the azimuth bolts ... not working for some reason. Now getting a bit frustrated. Had a look at everything ... ah ... the mount looks a bit funny, like tilting to one side. Took the mount off again and measured the tripod. Not level ... by at least 8 degrees.

Second lesson learned ... make sure the screws on the tripod legs are tight to stop the legs sliding up the tripod.

Attached the mount to the tripod for the third time. It was third time lucky ... tripod level, mount attached ... Polaris ... moving the bolts to get Polaris aligned into the circle. Fantastic ... easy stuff ... away we go.

Attached the scope to the mount when suddenly the mount tilted forward by a few degrees. Thought the whole thing was going to topple over. It turned out that the azimuth bolt at the south side of the mount was too short even when fully wound into the mount. I was using the original SW bolt with the little latch thing at the end. The reason why I was using this bolt was because at my latitude (53 North) there isn't much room beneath the cover of the polar scope and the bolt. I just thought 'this can't be right ... why doesn't this work properly'.

Third lesson learned ... don't have the polar scope cover on and use better azimuth bolts (which I already have from Astrodevelopments).

I carried on with the session being careful not to rock the scope on the mount. I didn't bother to do a star alignment (I'm saving that for another evening). I just unlocked the RA and Dec axis and manually rotated the scope to the moon. I set the tracking to Lunar and enjoyed a good session just looking at the moon. Next target ... Jupiter ... again unlocking the axes and moving the scope into the general direction. I used the arrow keys on the handset to fine tune the scope so that Jupiter was in the center of view.

Great view of Jupiter. Saw three moons and two clear bands.

After about an hour or so I called it a day. It was getting cold and my eyes were turning funny. It was a good first session with the new mount ... lots of lesson learned.

Pete

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. I am considering upgrading to the HEQ5, and will take your lessons to heart. The one about the screws on the tripod I know. I check the ones on my Vixen tripod once or twice per session, as thermal contraction in cold weather may suddenly loosen them.

[Doc]

It is a big learning curve but the more you practise the easier it becomes.

[SplintUK]

I also have a heq5 and I find it difficult to see anything from my patio, so was thinking of setting up in the middle of my lawn. In an ideal world I guess I would buy some concrete stones or the like, but the lawn is mostly used for the kids to play football etc on, and is really small, so doing anything permanent is out of the question...

So my question is, how do you use your tripod on the lawn? Do you put it on something, or straight onto the grass?

With Autumn here and winter on the way, the lawn is going to get softer under tripod, so how do you intend dealing with it?

[CAB]

Hi I have HEQ5 Pro too and have had some step learning curves also so

here's a couple of tips:

I use mine on the lawn and out in grassy often uneven park fields and have found three small square bits of wood do the trick. You don't want something too big otherwise it is easy to trip over them in the dark. The weight of the set up on the wood seems to keep it all stable and level.

Another tip when you come to do the star alignment is to make sure you have a perfect 'home' position. I found something very useful about this which bascially means using the RA and DEC circles to rotate the scope back eactly 90 degrees from the balance points of the scope. Or a quick fix if the first star is way off just unlock the RA and Dec and manually put it in the EP then carry on the alignment this effectively also corrects a starting position that may be a little off.

Believe me anything that go wrong setting up this mount and go-to has happened to me but once you get the routine cracked it works a dream!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I prefer to use the paved area in the garden, but sometimes have to set the scope up on the lawn. I just put the tripod straight on the grass, and push it down a bit, so it does not sink slowly into the ground when loaded with mount, counterweights, scope, etc. Otherwise the polar alignment might start drifting off.

[Astro Imp]

Like you Michael I try to set up on hard standing but on occasions have to use the lawn to get to where I want to be.

I use three small wall tiles I had left over from a refurb. of the kitchen under the tripod legs. Seems to work well, stops that sinking feeling and not so big as to provide a tripping hazard.

[carastro]

I have a permanent Pier, but when I go to star parties I have to use my tripod and have bought castor cups to put under the feet of the Tripod. (These also protect the floor of my tent should I need to bring the set up inside if the weather is really lousy).

In the garden could you not put a few stepping stones (concrete slabs) where you put your Tripod? You can even mark the tripod leg positions so you can polar align more quickly.

carole

[SplintUK]

Thanks for all of your top tips everyone.

[dmahon]

I have changed the bolts, but I must admit having no problem with the length of the originals at all, just the poor quality metal.

My only problem setting up was putting the head on the tripod for the first time - I couldn't get it to fit. It was my first mount, so I knew no better, but after a bit of head scratching and examination, I realised that it come packed with the left/right polar adjustment bolts wound right in, with no gap between them for the "peg" to fit into. 15 seconds later I was sorted.