SW130P - Polar Alignment Basic Question...

[patomlin76]

Hi,

I've just taken delivery of a new Skywatcher 130P scope, and as it is cloudy outside and late too, I thought I'd set it up and get to grips with the equatorial mount.

So following the instructions, I have done a 'mock' polar align in my living room - in the real world I would be focused on Polaris.

My question is if I wanted to focus on Jupiter, or Saturn, or M45 which are all in different areas in the sky, which is the correct way to get them in view? With my old telescope I'd just adjust the angle then rotate across.

Instructions say I should not use azimuth or latitude adjustments after polar alignment.

If I just use whichever combination of RA and DEC movement gets the planet into view, shouldn't I then be able to track it through the sky easily?

Thanks for any help you can provide...

[Freddie]

Assuming you get a good polar alignment, once you have used RA and Dec to get your object in view, you should then just be able to track in RA and keep the object in view.

[Stargazer Jack]

For a good guide, type 'Astro Baby' into google and then one of the links on the website is about polar alignment. Very easy to read and understand with pictures so you can see what to do

[patomlin76]

Thanks. It's beginning to make sense now. I'll certainly check out the link!

Cheers

[misc999]

I was pondering Eq mounts as I'm waiting for my new scope to arrive (EQ3-2).

I read all about aligning, but couldn't think how to then get to an object in, say the South.

Ended up Googling "Equatorial Mount movement" and found a couple of links that actually showed going from one place to another (Astronomy Boy's page and also Sky at Night ).

From your original post, you seem to have it sussed (release RA/Dec locks and move, then relock on target, then track via RA), but maybe the thing that is missing is that the scope ends up in "unusual" orientations (though still pointing in the correct place) compared to an Alt/Az mount just swivelling/ up/down .

Am I right, or does this just confuse??

[patomlin76]

No that makes sense. My first proper hour of observing tonight, had it roughly aligned. Then to get to the moon, Jupiter and M42 it seemed almost second nature to swivel the scope around the ra and dec mounts. However as you say, I ended up with very funny scope positions, sometimes having to rotate the tube in the mount to get to the EP

[patomlin76]

Oh, and another thing. I really started to enjoy the manual way of exploring the skies tonight. Much more satisfying than my old goto!

[kernowstargazer]

Hi, more of a question to the OP is the SW 130p explorer a good scope please. Hope you dont mind me asking,

[misc999]

Glad you're getting it sussed!

On another posting, someone was suggesting that if the finder is aligned vertically down towards the weights when polar setting, then it ends up in a "better" orientation in use.

Can't wait for my scope.........and actually using the EQ mount!!

[mallorcasaint]

A Newt will sometimes end up in funny positions on an EQ mount. You just rotate the OTA in the rings to put the eyepiece in a better position. Also remember it is the MOUNT that is Polar aligned, not the scope.

[Tinker1947]

You Polar align a mount so when you take images of a couple of minutes ect, there are no star trails, once align if you want to look at Jupiter, just swing the scope round it won't alter Polar Alignment as its the mount that's aligned not the scope, so once you have it aligned just mark the spot where the 3 tripod feet are and you won't have to do it again, take it down when your finished, next time out put it on the pre-marked spots, unless you want super accurate alignment.

[patomlin76]

Hi, more of a question to the OP is the SW 130p explorer a good scope please. Hope you dont mind me asking,

I am very satisfied with it yes, it is also showing more detail than my old 70mm refractor.

Maybe I'm lucky but it was perfectly collimated out of the box, the mount seems pretty well-built and sturdy to me (some Celestron Astromaster owners have complained about poor build quality)

I'm really enjoying the EQ mount, being able to track through the sky with a slow-mo handle.

On the limited observing night I had last night everything seemed crisp and clear (atmospheric conditions aside) and in low contrast moon-lit skies I got definite colour and shape to the orion nebula (hope for more in darker skies)

Hope this helps - are you looking at this scope yourself? I could't resist this for £180 from FLO.

Paul