HEQ5 and 200p, some daft questions!

[Combat squirrel]

You've set the daylight savings time set correctly right? And you're setting the clock to a 24-hour format?

I set the time as 24 hour when it asked, eg: 18:03:05, AFTER This the handset said ^06:03:05pm' .........when it said that, it was counting the settings, I hit yes to confirm..................daft question I DO tighten up the RA etc hand bolts to tight so the motor can 'catch them' and move correctly?

The N leg was dead North and I retried it and re focused polaris.

Also................. the degrees of rotation dials on the scope - do they actually inform the computer of anything ? frankly they are **** build quality so when i move and set them they move out of sync when the scope moves?

[Combat squirrel]

I set the time as 24 hour when it asked, eg: 18:03:05, AFTER This the handset said ^06:03:05pm' .........when it said that, it was counting the settings, I hit yes to confirm..................daft question I DO tighten up the RA etc hand bolts to tight so the motor can 'catch them' and move correctly?

The N leg was dead North and I retried it and re focused polaris.

Also................. the degrees of rotation dials on the scope - do they actually inform the computer of anything ? frankly they are **** build quality so when i move and set them they move out of sync when the scope moves?

Counting the seconds I should say ^^

[atmenterprises]

I set the time as 24 hour when it asked, eg: 18:03:05, AFTER This the handset said ^06:03:05pm' .........when it said that, it was counting the settings, I hit yes to confirm..................daft question I DO tighten up the RA etc hand bolts to tight so the motor can 'catch them' and move correctly?

The N leg was dead North and I retried it and re focused polaris.

Also................. the degrees of rotation dials on the scope - do they actually inform the computer of anything ? frankly they are **** build quality so when i move and set them they move out of sync when the scope moves?

Are you talking about the L bolts that you use to adjust the altitude? Or the clutch for the RA axis? Or neither?

[StuW]

Also................. the degrees of rotation dials on the scope - do they actually inform the computer of anything ? frankly they are **** build quality so when i move and set them they move out of sync when the scope moves?

No, they are pretty pointless IMHO. You really don't need them.

[malc-c]

Ok lets start from the beginning (mind you it's been a while since I used the handsets)

• Unlock the axis and place the mount (OTA removed) in the home position, which is with the weight bar pointing down, inline with the N leg of the tripod, with the cradle such that the tube when fitted will be above the N leg and intersecting the other two tripod legs.
  
• Use a compass to locate North and place the mount so that the N leg is facing that direction, and if the tube were fitted it would be parallel to the needle on the compass. You thus have the tube running North / South
  
• Now use the altitude bolts, raise the mount up until it's approximately the same latitude as your location.
  
• For now simply perform a crude polar alignment by rotating the DEC axis so you can view through the polar scope, and lock the DEC axis off. Now use the alt/ azimuth bolts on the mount to place Polaris on the cross hair of the polar scope. Once done, release the DEC axis and place it back in the original position
  
• Now place the OTA in the cradle. The scope should be pointing North / South, angled up around 50 odd degrees.
  
• Lock all clutches
  
• Turn the controller on, enter the date as mm / dd / yyyy
  
• If asked set the time zone to 0 (assuming you are in the UK)
  
• Say no to any daylight saving
  
• Select 2 star alignment, and choose a bright star you cab identify, and let the scope slew round to where it thinks it should be
  
• Hopefully it will be more or less in the right location. Release the clutches and place the star in the centre of the field of view using a low powered eyepiece, then swap it for a high powered one and center it again.
  
• Press the button to confirm the scope has targeted the 1st star
  
• Select the next star and let it slew to where it thinks it should be. It will be off as our polar alignment is out slightly
  
• Now use the direction buttons on the controller to centre the star with a low powered eyepiece and the the high powered one.
  
• Confirm the star is centred on the controller and hopefully you'll get the confirmation that alignment is complete.
  
• This should be Ok for any target in an area between the two stars, with a low power eyepiece. You will get some miss- alignment due to the polar alignment error. If you perform better polar alignment then the tracking and goto should be better
  

Hope that helps

[Combat squirrel]

Ok lets start from the beginning (mind you it's been a while since I used the handsets)

• Unlock the axis and place the mount (OTA removed) in the home position, which is with the weight bar pointing down, inline with the N leg of the tripod, with the cradle such that the tube when fitted will be above the N leg and intersecting the other two tripod legs.
  
• Use a compass to locate North and place the mount so that the N leg is facing that direction, and if the tube were fitted it would be parallel to the needle on the compass. You thus have the tube running North / South
  
• Now use the altitude bolts, raise the mount up until it's approximately the same latitude as your location.
  
• For now simply perform a crude polar alignment by rotating the DEC axis so you can view through the polar scope, and lock the DEC axis off. Now use the alt/ azimuth bolts on the mount to place Polaris on the cross hair of the polar scope. Once done, release the DEC axis and place it back in the original position
  
• Now place the OTA in the cradle. The scope should be pointing North / South, angled up around 50 odd degrees.
  
• Lock all clutches
  
• Turn the controller on, enter the date as mm / dd / yyyy
  
• If asked set the time zone to 0 (assuming you are in the UK)
  
• Say no to any daylight saving
  
• Select 2 star alignment, and choose a bright star you cab identify, and let the scope slew round to where it thinks it should be
  
• Hopefully it will be more or less in the right location. Release the clutches and place the star in the centre of the field of view using a low powered eyepiece, then swap it for a high powered one and center it again.
  
• Press the button to confirm the scope has targeted the 1st star
  
• Select the next star and let it slew to where it thinks it should be. It will be off as our polar alignment is out slightly
  
• Now use the direction buttons on the controller to centre the star with a low powered eyepiece and the the high powered one.
  
• Confirm the star is centred on the controller and hopefully you'll get the confirmation that alignment is complete.
  
• This should be Ok for any target in an area between the two stars, with a low power eyepiece. You will get some miss- alignment due to the polar alignment error. If you perform better polar alignment then the tracking and goto should be better
  

Hope that helps

Thanks for the detail here, greatly appreciated! I will have another go later, I will try just setting it up inside so I can leave it as it is and spend a few days trying to figure it out, I can see my target stars through the window so will get a good idea if its even slightly near where it should be.

[Combat squirrel]

Just a couple of questions on that also

· Now use the altitude bolts, raise the mount up until it's approximately the same latitude as your location.

- What exactly do you mean here? I am not sure I’m afraid, sorry to sound stupid,lol

· For now simply perform a crude polar alignment by rotating the DEC axis so you can view through the polar scope, and lock the DEC axis off. Now use the alt/ azimuth bolts on the mount to place Polaris on the cross hair of the polar scope. Once done, release the DEC axis and place it back in the original position

- Understand this part, I was doing this before adding weights and scope, possibly why it went wrong? However I thought the pole star was meant to follow the circle around the centre cross? Possibly where I went wrong also – so the pole star goes exactly dead centre under the cross ?

· Now place the OTA in the cradle. The scope should be pointing North / South, angled up around 50 odd degrees.

- Ok will do – I found a ‘reset’ option in the menus, leave this or once the scope is like that, reset it ?