Skywatcher Acuter Merlin Multi Function Mount - help please

[TinaP]

Hi everybody, still having trouble getting this mount to track the sun with my PST. After receiving a faulty mount and returning it to Skywatcher, a new mount arrived in the post. Yippee.

Well the new mount is working, but I still cannot get the mount to work as per the instructions. Yes, it all seems simple enough, but either I am really stupid, or the supplied instructions on how to track etc. do not match the actual workings of the mount.

I follow the instructions on which buttons to press to get the mount to track, but whe pressing the buttons once, nothing happens, it seems I have to press the buttons twice to get the handset to flash which apparently indicates that the mount is now tracking. Having set latitude and aligned north, it still does not work.

Getting frustrated as it appears so simple and I cannot believe I should be unable to get this to work.

Help greatly appreciated as always.

Thank you very much, Tina

[Capricorn]

The usual suspects are

Date in US format, our date format of 6-10-2012 will be taken as June 10 2012 by the scope but should still put you in the right area for the sun.

Longitude then Latitude.

Timezone (00)

Set DST is ON.

Cannot say any more as there appears no mention of the mount on the Skywatcher Site.

Neither Merlin, Acuter or Multi-function returns anything when searching their site. Also read all the support pages concerning manuals.

Not sure what all the great words/description for it is about as it looks like a fairly standard SW/Celestron Alt/Az mount. Everything looks fairly standard, especially when you read the features. Nothing there that I don't think was present 5 years ago.

Found the "great advance forward" it can talk with an EOS and make it take a picture. Seems you don't need to press a button on the camera, you have to press one on the handset instead.

Sorry, cannot suggest more then the above items, and only because they are "normal".

When you have the thing level and North what do you do next ?

[Cornelius Varley]

The usual suspects are

Date in US format, our date format of 6-10-2012 will be taken as June 10 2012 by the scope but should still put you in the right area for the sun.

Longitude then Latitude.

Timezone (00)

Set DST is ON.

Cannot say any more as there appears no mention of the mount on the Skywatcher Site.

Neither Merlin, Acuter or Multi-function returns anything when searching their site. Also read all the support pages concerning manuals.

Not sure what all the great words/description for it is about as it looks like a fairly standard SW/Celestron Alt/Az mount. Everything looks fairly standard, especially when you read the features. Nothing there that I don't think was present 5 years ago.

Found the "great advance forward" it can talk with an EOS and make it take a picture. Seems you don't need to press a button on the camera, you have to press one on the handset instead.

Sorry, cannot suggest more then the above items, and only because they are "normal".

When you have the thing level and North what do you do next ?

The Merlin multi function mount uses the same handset as the Supatrak so there is no need to set it up like a goto.

TinaP

From the manual there is a slight difference between setting up the "home" position of the Supatrak and the Merlin. The Supatrak requires you to align the telescope to North and level using the handset and then switching the mount off and then back on again. For the Merlin it appears that you only need to manually set this position before powering up the mount, I don't know why there would be a difference I've always assumed that the two mounts shared motors and electriconics.

To improve the tracking accuracy set the mount level and telescope pointing North using the handset and then switch the mount off and then back on. Set the latitude by raising the telescope using the handset to you local latitude and the press buttons 2 and 3. To start tracking press buttons 1 and 2. To stop tracking press buttons 1 and 2 again The above assumes that you are in the Northern hemishere

Peter

[TinaP]

Hi, thanks for your replies.

Peter, this is what I thought and what it says in the instructions. It also seems that this is what I have tried, although not sure if I did switch the mount in and off. Will give it another go with that in mind.

Fingers crossed.

Tina

[PaulB]

Hi Tina,

Don't worry, you are not on your own.

I brought my mount a week ago together with a Skymax 102 Mak for precisely the same function. I found it very difficult keeping our star centred, when viewing and more annoyingly, imaging.

I have since found this mount, will track better when, at night, you centre the pole star in an eyepiece. Then re-set the mount to home. Switch off then on again. And it will track.

That's know use when you want to do Solar observing. I've also tried in vain to have the mount set North-South. But it still doesn't really help. It will track, but I still need to adjust the mount with the hand set.

It is a good mount for the money. However a simple mark etched onto the mount to show North would have been useful. Together with a better way of aligning N/S for daytime Solar work.

[PaulB]

I thought you'd like to know. This morning I had my Merlin mount tracking the Sun. This is what I did.

Level mount and, Level OTA, which in my case is a Skymax 102 Mak. I then used the compass placed on top off, the level OTA to find true North. Then I switched on the mount and moved to the Sun.

In between cloud breaks and using a 35mm Celestron Ultima (x37). I placed our star on the edge of the ep field (Right or West in my star diag) And watched for any movement.

I'm happy to say I didn't see anything.

[PaulB]

I forgot to add. I used a spirit level on the OTA.