AZ EQ6

[jambouk]

When setting up, the Skywatcher handset on the mount tells me "Polaris Position in P.Scope = HH:MM" (as per screen shot from the manual below).

Now, is the imaginary clock face it's talking about a 12 hour clock face, or a 24 hour clock face?

What does the "Hour Angle of Polaris" mean on the next screen of the handset?

And one last question:

Where is it best to check if the mount is level as I'm not convinced the spreader plate is absolutely parallel with the mount, but there is nowhere flat on the mount to rest a spirit level (see Google image).

https://www.all-star.../azeq6mount.jpg

Thanks

James

[johnpd]

Hi James,

The latest version of the Hand Contrtoller firmware (v3.35) does give you two values for Polaris: (1) the position of Polaris on a 12-hour clock face, and (2) the Hour Angle of Polaris which is the last time Polaris transited the meridian. The first one can be a little difficult to use because the display you get from the polar scope is very small and only has the crosshairs which do not even intersect the circle around Polaris. I have seen that some people hook up a webcam to the polar scope to get a better view of the display and help more precisely set the position of Polaris or use something like EQMOD to do it. With the second value (H.A.) you can use the R.A. setting circle to align Polaris very accurately. Here is a nice video explaining how to do this on a standard EQ6. It should be basically the same for the AZ-EQ6.

He also shows you how to level the mount. Start with leveling the tripod first. Use your spirit level to level each leg of the tripod. Once that is done I find the bubble level on my mount is dead center once I put it on the tripod. He has some nice tips and tricks in the video as well as a number of other videos explaining how to use Skywatcher mounts.

JohnD

[jambouk]

OK. That makes more sense.

I'm still not sure how I know that the small Polaris circle is dead correct at 6 O'clock for the starting position.

I'll give it a go sometime.

Thanks.

James

[Marki]

With mine, I usually level the top plate of the tripod before I put the mount on it, as I'm not so sure how accurate the bubble level on the mount is. If I get that done right, the bubble seems to be dead centre. I also just use the clock face method to get polar aligned - good enough for visual. One of the setting circles is broken on mine (at least, it doesn't seem to move even if I loosen the screw that seems to retain it), so never used that methid.

[johnpd]

OK. That makes more sense.

I'm still not sure how I know that the small Polaris circle is dead correct at 6 O'clock for the starting position.

I'll give it a go sometime.

Thanks.

James

With the Alt/Az adjusters on the mount, center Polaris on the crosshair intersection, rotate the mount in R.A. until you think the little circle is at the bottom, and then use the Alt adjustment to move it up and down along the crosshair. Once it moves right along the crosshair and into the small circle, then you are good.

JohnD

[jambouk]

Mark, both of my setting circles have two screws to fix position; this might sound daft, but have you checked one of them isn't hidden and tightened preventing it from rotating?

JohnD - that is genius! You are my new astronomy hero

Thanks both.

James

[ve1drg]

Hi James,

The latest version of the Hand Contrtoller firmware (v3.35) does give you two values for Polaris: (1) the position of Polaris on a 12-hour clock face, and (2) the Hour Angle of Polaris which is the last time Polaris transited the meridian. The first one can be a little difficult to use because the display you get from the polar scope is very small and only has the crosshairs which do not even intersect the circle around Polaris. I have seen that some people hook up a webcam to the polar scope to get a better view of the display and help more precisely set the position of Polaris or use something like EQMOD to do it. With the second value (H.A.) you can use the R.A. setting circle to align Polaris very accurately. Here is a nice video explaining how to do this on a standard EQ6. It should be basically the same for the AZ-EQ6.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwJ9O0lFnQs

He also shows you how to level the mount. Start with leveling the tripod first. Use your spirit level to level each leg of the tripod. Once that is done I find the bubble level on my mount is dead center once I put it on the tripod. He has some nice tips and tricks in the video as well as a number of other videos explaining how to use Skywatcher mounts.

JohnD

I watched the video of setting up the polar scope and have a question.  One of the things that is said in the video is that you can use the Hour Angle to set up your polar angle.  It sounds like once you enter the HA values in your RA settings scale that you are all done. Things will be perfectly aligned and ready to go.

Is this true?  Did I understand the video correctly?  I know it had said to first rotate the right ascension axis until polaris was facing straight down and then you set the RA settings to Zero.  Then you enter the HA figure from your hand control - into your RA setting scale.  The one that was just set to zero.  And apparently now things should be perfectly aligned.

I guess where I might be going wrong,  is that I was thinking that at some point you have to raise or lower your scope to put polaris  somewhere.  But maybe this happens when you rotate the RA axis to line everything up,  and when you move polaris to face straight down?

Any thoughts anyone..??   Do I have to adjust anything after entering the HA values in the RA settings circle.??

[jambouk]

Mostly correct.

With the little circle at the 6 o clock position when looking up the polar scope, set the RA setting circle to zero (as that is the point where polaris ends/starts its daily circle of the sky (though the polar scope has inverted the image)).

Then, the second lot of data the hand set gives you about polaris' position is "hour angle" i think; this is a time on a 24 hour clock. Rotate your RA axis around until that time is selected on the setting circle (i think there may be two sets of time, one for northern hemisphere and one for southern, so check which way you need to go).

Then the little Polaris circle will be bang on in the right place for you to then look through the polar scope and by adjusting the alt-az and elevation bolts to get polaris right in the middle of that little circle, then you are roughly polar aligned to within 5-30 arc minutes or so depending how careful you are.

Make sure the polar scope reticule is aligned correctly with the polar scope in the first instance; something which i think is easier to do in day light.

James

[Ouroboros]

I have found that the Hour Angle is correctly set using the Southern Hemisphere (top) scale of the RA setting circle on the AZ-EQ6 mount. In the Astronomy Shed videos, Dion sets the Hour Angle using the Northern Hemisphere scale on his EQ6 mount. The difference between the two mounts is that for the AZ-EQ6 the RA setting circle remains fixed (when locked) as the RA axis of the mount is rotated. On the EQ6 the RA setting circle rotates with the mount as it is rotated about the RA axis.

[jijc76]

I have found that the Hour Angle is correctly set using the Southern Hemisphere (top) scale of the RA setting circle on the AZ-EQ6 mount. In the Astronomy Shed videos, Dion sets the Hour Angle using the Northern Hemisphere scale on his EQ6 mount. The difference between the two mounts is that for the AZ-EQ6 the RA setting circle remains fixed (when locked) as the RA axis of the mount is rotated. On the EQ6 the RA setting circle rotates with the mount as it is rotated about the RA axis.

Hi all!

Ouroboros, Are you sure?, I have a AZ-EQ6 an observatory and past 4 hours the alignament the Polar is displaced. I had calibrated with upper scale.... and I'm north hemispere, maybe it's because I follow the upper scale...

thx

Juan

[ollypenrice]

Precise levelling isn't necessary. (Stricly speaking it isn't necessary at all and some mounts, like Takahashi, dispense with levelling entirely.) Having it reasonably level sets your polarscope reticle to the right orientation and reduces interplay between axes during drift alignment but great finessing is a waste of precious time.

Olly

[Ouroboros]

Hi all!

Ouroboros, Are you sure?, I have a AZ-EQ6 an observatory and past 4 hours the alignament the Polar is displaced. I had calibrated with upper scale.... and I'm north hemispere, maybe it's because I follow the upper scale...

thx

Juan

Yes, when aligning the mount to Polaris, I use the upper scale to set the hour angle of the little Polaris circle as viewed through the polar scope.

I have prepared the RA Dial as follows (during the day). I rotated the RA axis until Polaris lies at the bottom when viewed through the polar scope. This corresponds to an hour angle for Polaris of 00.00.

I rotated the RA dial to read 0 on the upper scale when aligned to the ¥ mark on the rotating head of the mount. This corresponds to a time of 23:30 (on the middle scale) relative to the ^ mark on the fixed part of the mount.

This allows me to set the RA dial correctly before I rotate the RA axis to the correct Polaris hour angle as viewed though the polar scope.

So, during alignment at night, I switch on the mount, go through the set up procedure -inputting date/time etc - until the handset tells me the hour angle of Polaris.

I then rotate the RA axis until the ¥ mark (on the rotating part of the mount) corresponds to the hour angle time on the upper scale.

I then adjust the mount to align the RA axis to Polaris viewed through the polar scope.

I then switch off the mount. I have read this recommended elsewhere. This clears the mount electronics before returning the mount to the home position prior to the 3 star alignment procedure.I have found it absolutely essential to switch off in this way. Otherwise my mount is always misaligned after going through the 3 star alignment procedure. By misaligned I mean way off ..... The telescope pointing at the ground!

I set the mount to the home position, switch on, input date/time etc, and then go through the 3 star alignment procedure. I usually find I am within a minute of arc of the correct alignment to Polaris - sometimes better, sometimes worse. Obviously further fine alignment of the mount is possible from this stage on.

I hope that helps.

[jambouk]

The post above is pretty much word for word what i have done, and what i do when i polar align too.

James

[jijc76]

Ok very thanks!!

regards

Juan