HEQ5 mount (HELP! Please)

[Tim]

Arrived yesterday. Typically didn't read all the destructions before going out, but Hey! got to see a few niceties. Full story here. http://new-telescope.tumblr.com/

Was a little disappointed with the (lack of) quality of the knobs. I have heard that 'Bob' has knobs which are better, but I guess it wouldn't be too hard for a mate with a lathe to knock up some nice knurled brass ones??

I managed to completely miss the polar scope thing all together.

Must try harder.

At this rate expect some quality images sometime soon (after summer 2009.......)

TJ

EDIT: I've just spent a couple of hours trying to make head and tail of the polar scope alignment, and it has just dawned on me that I might not have to do that at all, given that it is a GOTO scope. If I use the three star align setup, that gets me out of having to align the polar thing in the inside of the mount, am I right???

But if I wanted to do really accurate tracking, would it be best to start with it polar aligned as well? Would be very interested to hear from owners of the same mount as to their setup procedure, especially those who have it down to a fine 2 minute art

Thanks all. The way the manual reads is a little mind fuzzing, but not quite as bad as the Agricultural Wages Board order 2007 which I have been ploughing through. But do you ever get that feeling where all the words start to merge into one?

Cheers

TJ

[thing]

I'm no expert but......a quick very rough way to polar align if you don't want to naff around with the polar scope is just to set your mount to it's index marks, look through the finder scope and use the latitude and azimuth knobs on your mount (DON'T MOVE the actual scope, keep those index marks lined up,) until Polaris is centered then just centre it up in your eyepiece, the scope is now roughly polar aligned, it takes about a minute tops. The GoTo will find that acceptable. If you want to do photos and stuff then it needs to be more accurate.

I can hardly see anything through the polar scope on my mount, plus you have to be a contortionist to use it anyway. By the way, blog is excellent! I've had my scope (C8N-GT) a whole 2 week more than you so I know everything now.............

[Tim]

Its amazing how a few pictures clear everything up.

I've been reading the excellent 'Setting up an EQ Mount' article on this site http://www.themcdonalds.net/richard/astro/writings/setupEqFindTrack.shtml

The guy explains clearly and with pics what to do. (manufacturers take note!!)

So I guess I DO need to do the polar aligning at each setup. I guess that If I can accurately position the legs the same each time, that this will be easier. I gather that if I use a high mag reference eyepiece I can use the mounts software to do an extra accurate positioning. I guess i'll learn rapidly just by looking down the hole what level of accuracy I require to do what I want to do.

Still, I'd be interested if anybody has a ready made TODO list for this mount. Something like,

1) set up legs in normal position, align polar scope to NCP.

2) Attach and balance OTA.

3) (Im not clear on this one) Is this where you put the OTA in its HOME position? Or Park? And I take it it has to go back here at the end of the session?

Thanks again guys,

TJ

[thing]

I just set the whole shooting match up, balance scope an everything and then set the index marks and do what I said in the previous post. It seems to work for me, the GoTo on my scope is pretty damn accurate (which I found surprising). Don't know too much about your system but mine has the Nexstar thingummy and I've found (in the whole 5 times I've used it) that doing a 2 star align then adding at least 3 calibration stars keeps it spot on. I don't know if you have the option of calibration stars on yours but they are certainly worth adding on to the basic alignment.

[Whippy]

Thing, no offence mate but HEQ5/EQ6's don't have index marks (to be honest having had a CG5, they do come in useful but c'est la vie...) and TBH, it's probably better if you align the mount using the polarscope. Yeah it's bit of a pain, and you'll probably get a cold and wet backside (I use a carrier bag to sit on) but remember you're aligning the mount, not the scope.

Teej, here's the order I tend to do things...Some people may do things in a different order but it's essentially the same.

Sort the tripod out, remembering the metal stickyuppything is pointing at Polaris.

Put the mount on and lower the counterweight bar. The bar covers the polarscope hole! Make sure the mount is level using the bubble level.

Polar align the mount. For visual observing, there's no real need to get it exactly spot on. 'close enough' will do you.

Get your counterweights on FIRST, then get your scope on. Don't do it the otherway round, I've heard of scopes crashing into tripods because there's no weights on balance it....

Put an eyepiece in and balance it all up. Do the RA axis first, then the DEC. Again, don't go mad trying to get it super spot on. as long as it's pretty well there, that'll do.

Put it back into the Park position (pointing at Polaris), and power up, and off ye go.

It took me ages to get my head around a GEM mount, they're not the most intuitive of things but once it all clicks into place, you'll wonder what you were doing, honest .

Tony..

[Tim]

There is something on Skywatchers offering called Pointing Accuracy Enhancement that sounds similar to that. Next clear night I'll just spend playing around with it I guess and seeing what sort of results to expect.

I notice when slewing the view manually, in one direction there is a noticable lurch. I guess this is the part where the tiny bit of play between directions gets shown. Is it worth slewing past this point and then back in the direction against gravity or something to minimise that bit of play?

Thanks

TJ

[thing]

I've only used a CG5, I just assumed all mounts had them. You live and learn........

Surely if you have the scope mounted with the index marks aligned then find Polaris in the scope by using the latitude and azimuth adjusters on the mount it's the same as squatting on the ground looking through the Polar Scope? I just know that the answer is going to be 'No' but enlighten me..........

[Whippy]

I notice when slewing the view m :lol:anually, in one direction there is a noticable lurch. I guess this is the part where the tiny bit of play between directions gets shown. Is it worth slewing past this point and then back in the direction against gravity or something to minimise that bit of play?

Thanks

TJ

Could do, but it sounds like your backlash settings may need sorting out. Not a huge, important, 'must do it now' thing. But certainly one for the list...

I've only used a CG5, I just assumed all mounts had them. You live and learn........

Surely if you have the scope mounted with the index marks aligned then find Polaris in the scope by using the latitude and azimuth adjusters on the mount it's the same as squatting on the ground looking through the Polar Scope? I just know that the answer is going to be 'No' but enlighten me..........

, you're correct it is 'no'! When you're pointing the scope at Polaris, your mount necessarily isn't. Those stickers do move about and may even fall off over time. The mount's polar axis has to be aligned to the erm, pole. You're probably getting it close enough using the scope but it'll be a good idea to get in the habit of doing it if you decide to change mounts. Like I said before, it doesn't have to be exact, just as long as it's close that'll do. My old CG5 never had a polar scope, it just had a hold where one should be and all I ever used to do is just get Polaris in the middle of the hole. It did the trick for me (I did actually buy a polarscope but never fitted it!).

Tony..

[thing]

Thanks for that, I'll try using it again, although it's painfully dim seeing anything through, I think the lens is about 10 mil.......