AZ-EQ 6 setup

[ve1drg]

I just received my new mount (az-eq6) and noticed when I was putting it together that the tray that is attached between the tripod legs doesn't come all the way over to one of the legs.

I had the nut on pretty tight when I noticed that one leg wasn't touching the tray and am wondering if it will hurt anything if I just tighten up that bold/nut until things come together.

I of course checked to be sure that the legs are all pulled out to their stops. But still one leg seems pulled out more than the others.

So - will it hurt anything if I just tighten up that nut until evertying touches? Or leave it alone?

[jambouk]

Don't tighten the spreader nut too much or something will crack.

Extend all the telescopic parts of the legs evenly, and make sure they are all levered out to their maximum, and make the top of the mount plate level, then see if the spreader plate touches each leg evenly. If not, there is problem.

I certainly wouldn't crank the spreader bolt until it all touches without knowing what the issue is.

It's a great mount, i love mine, but i'm still learning about it.

James

[jambouk]

Things i wish i had known from the start (that's not to say they are not in the instructions), in no particular order:

- make sure the polar scope reticle is aligned with the RA axis of the mount before trying to polar align.

- make sure you enter the date and time and latitude correctly (not as daft as it sounds).

- a sky a night recent review suggested turning off the power after polar aligning and before doing a star alignment as the encoders might introduce some errors; i've done this since i read this review and it's behaved better.

- turning off the encoders (one of the reasons for getting the mount) makes the goto accuracy better.

- the lever which alters the elevation of the mount when polar aligning actually slots down into the shaft, which i only learnt two nights ago (i've had the mount 6 months!).

- when polar aligning, the hand set gives two times for polaris, the first represent where you should position the smaller polaris circle on an imaginary 12 hour clock face on the polar scope reticle, with 12 at the top, and 6 at the very bottom (3 on he right, 9 on the left); the second time can only be used if you use the setting circle on the RA axis and set 0 on that circle when the small polaris circle is at the 6 o'clock position when looking through the polar scope.

- i think to use the polar alignment feature from the handset, the mount needs to be very level, though it doesn't need to be levelled when just doing a rough and ready polar alignment.

I'm sure there are others.

Enjoy.

James

[ve1drg]

Don't tighten the spreader nut too much or something will crack.

Extend all the telescopic parts of the legs evenly, and make sure they are all levered out to their maximum, and make the top of the mount plate level, then see if the spreader plate touches each leg evenly. If not, there is problem.

I certainly wouldn't crank the spreader bolt until it all touches without knowing what the issue is.

It's a great mount, i love mine, but i'm still learning about it.

James

Hi James.

Thanks for your comments on not tightening up the bolt/knob that holds the spreader plate.

I have looked at the plate and it is metal. The bolt is large and heavy with its threading.

There is no plastic anywhere. I can't figure how anything could crack.

But one never knows.

Thanks again for your input.

[jambouk]

A friend fatally cracked his mount by over tightening the spreader plate.

A worry is that overly tightening the nut to force the plate upwards will put unusual stress on the shoulder of the mount where the two tripod legs, which are in contact with the spreader plate, bolt to the mount; this is where his cracked, and being a cast alloy it wasn't fixable.

If it's brand new i'd be tempted to speak to the retailer.

Hope you find a solution, as you don't want that third leg wobbling.

James

[ve1drg]

A friend fatally cracked his mount by over tightening the spreader plate.

A worry is that overly tightening the nut to force the plate upwards will put unusual stress on the shoulder of the mount where the two tripod legs, which are in contact with the spreader plate, bolt to the mount; this is where his cracked, and being a cast alloy it wasn't fixable.

If it's brand new i'd be tempted to speak to the retailer.

Hope you find a solution, as you don't want that third leg wobbling.

James

Hi James..

Thanks for your input on tightening things too much.   I brought my mount over to a friends place .  He has a new mount like mine and he showed me how that accessory plate should go on. 

So now things are ok .  He seemed to attach the plate to the bolt with the tips against the legs,  before the head was installed on top of the mount.  Once that was installed he than easily threaded up the anchor bolt into the head and all three points of the accessory plate remained in place against the legs.  And nothing was very tight.  Just slightly snug. But everything stayed in contact nicly with only mild pressure.

So - not sure that is how everyone puts the tripod mount together,  but this works for me now..

[jambouk]

Ah, that's a relief. Glad it's sorted.

James