EQ8 - Installation and Commissioning

[jetstream]

Excellent job

Gina,do you have access to a welder?A MIG welder is very handy to have and easy to use,around here they are very reasonably priced-a lot of people have them.They are great to play with when the sky is full of clouds....

[Gina]

We do have a small electric welder - yes.  But I'm frightened of damaging my eyes

[Zakalwe]

We do have a small electric welder - yes.  But I'm frightened of damaging my eyes

Worth their weight in gold:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Fusion-XDH1-200-Powered-Auto-Darkening/dp/B008UQJ6DI/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1384713311&sr=1-3

[Gina]

Worth their weight in gold:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Fusion-XDH1-200-Powered-Auto-Darkening/dp/B008UQJ6DI/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1384713311&sr=1-3

WOW! - that's wonderful - just what's wanted   I've ordered one.  Thank you very much for that   I've always had problems in the past trying to strike an arc by guesswork.

[stephen_usher]

Well, my EQ8 has just arrived.

The case is rather larger and heavier than I imagined so I'm not sure how I'm gettig it home at the moment. Still, I have to wait until the workshop at work makes an adapter plate for my pier first before I can install it anyway.

(The mouse is for scale.)

[mal-j]

Well, my EQ8 has just arrived.

The case is rather larger and heavier than I imagined so I'm not sure how I'm gettig it home at the moment. Still, I have to wait until the workshop at work makes an adapter plate for my pier first before I can install it anyway.

(The mouse is for scale.)

Yes mine arrived yesterday too.

I have to get an adapter plate for my pier, not sure yet how to go about it as this is all new to me.

[Zakalwe]

Yes mine arrived yesterday too.

I have to get an adapter plate for my pier, not sure yet how to go about it as this is all new to me.

You don't need an adapter, as long as your pier has a flat top plate. See my post here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/189671-skywatcher-eq8-mount-pre-orders/page-7

You can even get away with tapping the top plate as long as you are able to spin a nut on the azimuth locking bolts from underneath.

[mal-j]

You don't need an adapter, as long as your pier has a flat top plate. See my post here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/189671-skywatcher-eq8-mount-pre-orders/page-7

You can even get away with tapping the top plate as long as you are able to spin a nut on the azimuth locking bolts from underneath.

Thank you for that.

I have a used pier-tech 3 to attach to but I don't know what used to be attached to it. It has a large top plate so I think it'll be a case of either using existing holes or getting new ones drilled. I'm not a good diy'er so I'm kind of stumbling through the mounting part.

[stephen_usher]

Well, I've temporarily put the EQ8 on my pier using the CGEM adapter plate, which means no pin to set the azimuth.

Given a very brief window of clear sky and the Moon I've roughly aligned it by switching it on, telling the mount not to align and then pointint at the Moon. Then I put the scope directly onto the Moon using the Alt and Az adjustments. It should be good enough. (The base is as close to level as it can be, so that should help.)

So, there it is!

[ncjunk]

Looks great Gina! Sooo a 30" telescope to go on it next

Can wait to see more photos from you and nice to see you're enjoying it.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4

[Barfbagger]

Has anyone called Gina an "old washerwoman" yet? (That's old washers, not old woman). I've finally got my EQ8 on the mount after waiting an age for Astro Engineering to come up with a suitable adapter plate for my AE pier. In the end I bought one from Ian King imaging and it fitted without any modification. Now all I need is some clear skies (and free time) to use the blasted thing. It certainly looks the business in my observatory though.

[tony210]

Hi - I turned my EQ6 baseplate for the AE pier upside down and re drilled it - perfect - no need for a base plate for my EQ8 - still lots of aluminium bits to hoover up in the observatory!-finally after PA and dec backlash adjustments have round stars at  8minute subs- Tony