Using a Motorised EQ3-2 Manually

[BargeGazer]

Sorry if this seems a stupid question but I have an EQ3-2 Pro GOTO which works just great when connected through the control paddle or to a PC. However, from time to time, either because I want to be quiet or I want a very quick "look see" and don't want the hassle of connecting everything up, I would like to just use it as a "dumb" manual mount.

I don't like to use the flexible knobs as this would drive the motors back through the gearboxes which is hardly a good idea.

Does anyone have a simple solution other than connecting up all the bits and waking the neighbourhood, and my dog, or buying a separate Alt-Az Mount.

If I were to go through the alternative mount route, what is the simplest, most rigid yet not expensive Manual Alt-Az mount with no bells or whistles?

Is there an Alt-Az "head" that would fit on the EQ3 tripod I wonder?

Scope is a Skymax 127 Mak.

Thanks

[RikM]

I don't know if you can still unlock the clutches and push the mount about with the Pro version, but that is what I used to do with my EQ3-2. As for an alt-az mount I can happily recommend the SkyWatcher AZ4. I actually did it the other way round though. I use the EQ3-2 mount on the AZ4 steel pipe legs. Much more stable that way.

[BargeGazer]

Thanks Rik,

Yes, you can unock the axes and swing it around but then it is not really easy to manually track the object or nudge it into the centre of view.

One gearbox can be withdrawn using an allen key but the other looks more permanently engaged so I am not sure if that is an option.

David

[Capricorn]

They usually make the noise when you tell them to Go.

The assumption being they have to get there as fast as possible so everything produces more noise.

Quite a few mounts have this "problem" and they also often have a "quiet" mode. The quiet mode being simply not slewing at maximum.

As an example on a handset with 0-9 the quiet mode will be something like 7.

Leaves 2 options:

Is there a quiet mode on the setup you have?

Can you limit the max slew to a couple down from the unrestricted.