Tripod leg - north or south?

[rkc]

For an EQ mount, does it work better to have a tripod leg facing north, or to have a 'space' facing north and a leg facing south?

I'm asking because the leg seemed to get in the way when trying to look through the polar scope - so perhaps 'leg north' would work better? I would need to move the alignment peg on the tripod over to the other hole, but that looks easy enough...

Richard

[Photosbykev]

I believe the alignment peg, as supplied, puts one leg to the South and yes it gets in the way. I've switched mine to the other side so the single leg is pointed North

[DaveS]

On my HEQ5 the leg goes north. There's even a big N by the leg to remind you.

[cantab]

I recall reading it depends on latitude whether the leg should be polewards or equatorwards. Can't remember which way round though.

[cosmojaydee]

I believe the alignment peg, as supplied, puts one leg to the South and yes it gets in the way. I've switched mine to the other side so the single leg is pointed North

hummmm, my HEQ5 tripod has one leg for north

[Kropster]

Yes... Big 'N' on the leg that faces north on my EQ3-2... leaving a gap for you head near the polar scope.

[Photosbykev]

interesting they obviously just slap the peg in at random lol

[steppenwolf]

EQ6s and The new AZ EQ6 GT, Celestron AV-X and many other mounts seem to ship with the azimuth post mounted between two legs. As this is where you have to kneel to polar align using a polarscope, it makes sense to move it to its other position which is over a leg. It is then natural to point this leg to the north at the the start of a session in readiness for kneeling in the convenient gap between the other two legs to look through the polarscope.

[RikM]

My NEQ6 came with the peg installed for a south facing leg, so I swapped sides to leg pointing North. My AZ4 steel pipe tripod (I believe the same as the EQ5/HEQ5 tripod, has a fixed post for a north facing leg.

[rkc]

Thanks everyone. I swapped the peg over so I have a north facing leg, and polar alignment was MUCH easier than last night (though it probably helped that the seeing was better too, plus I worked out how to turn down the polar scope LED brightness).

Now all I need is a telescope...

[M4lcs67]

Yeah. On my CG5 it came with the alignment peg in the inbetween hole and I was told that it worked better if you moved the peg to the other hole so that it is adjacent to the leg. It is more stable that way.

[Daniel-K]

dont forget to make sure your polar scope is callibrated. by this i mean put polairs on the black line and turn the mount in RA if it drifts of the line it needs tweeking with the tine grub screws HTH