Using a telescope on an equatorial mount at 90 degrees

[Nova Load]

Hi everyone.

I've just bought a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ and have noticed that some dealers have mounted the telescope at a 90 degree angle to the equatorial mount so that the RA slow motion control (that makes the telescope lean left or right) can be used to adjust the vertical movement of the telescope. Could anyone tell me if this is safe?

I've tried using the control at the back of the mount but it's kind of awkward.

This is a photo of a similar telescope mounted at an 90 angle. Thanks

[esxste]

Hi nova load,

I have a similar scope on a similar mount. The pictures I took to provide a quick guide might help you out...

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/204630-Help-in-Colchester-Essex

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[proflight2000]

The thing with Equatorial mounts is that the movement of them can seem quite strange when you first start to use them. The mount is designed as such to follow the movement of the sky, as you know, the stars do not move left to right and up and down in perfect directions when viewed from the earth surface, as the earth spins the stars are seen to move across the sky at an angle, the mount as such is designed to follow that movement. If you put your scope so the mount is facing north (normally one leg on the mount has an "N" on it ) then do a very very basic polar alignment by moving your actual scope so you get Polaris in the eyepiece, start moving the slow motion controls and you will get a very rough idea how the scope is designed to move.

Full polar alignment is the art of aligning the mount itself to the pole star by using a built in polar scope which sits in the mount. The idea is to look through the mount and to align it via the pole star, unless you are going to do serious astrophotography then it does not have to be 100%, what you will notice then is that the actual telescope is pointing much further upwards... in effect the scope is raised higher as it is the mount that is aligned, not the physical scope itself. I think that's what you mean, but come back if I am not reading this as to what you mean. Just play with the slow controls and see how it is very easy at times to break your back bending.

[Nova Load]

Thanks for the advice.

To be honest, I wasn't planning on using the mount to follow stars. The idea was to mount the OTA sideways so I could use the RA slow-mo controls to move the telescope vertically instead of using the vice-like control at the back that you're supposed to use.

It looks like I'll have to return the telescope to the dealer anyway as I'm getting some blurry, triangle stars even at 65x

[cantab]

I think said "vice-like control" is the altitude adjustment for the polar axis. You should only need to set that up once, to point the axis at Polaris, and then unless you move hundreds of miles north or south you don't need to touch it again.

And triangular stars may be down to miscollimation or to a pinched primary mirror. Collimation's a routine job, and unpinching the mirror isn't too hard assuming it comes out the tube easily.

[esxste]

Nova load, it seriously sounds like you haven't understood how the EQ mount works. The vice control you mention should only need to be adjusted once to be set to the latitude of your local location, to get you aligned with the celestial pole. Once that is done, you shouldn't touch that control.

There should be two other knobs, which tighten to lock the scope into a position. Loosening those knobs wy will allow you to move the scope in any direction. Once you have the scope pointed at the object you lock in and fine tune with the flexible controls.

I don't really understand why you would want to make it work in any other way, the point of the EQ mount is to make it easy to keep an object in view.

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[Nova Load]

I've just watched a video about Equatorial Mounts. Now I understand how they work! I think I would have been better with an Alt-Azimuth tripod.

[amosmiles]

Once you understand how the equatorial  coordinate system works (Dec and RA), you'll see that the having an EQ mount is such an advantage when trying to track an object. Is just a matter of getting used to the "new" reference system. 

[esxste]

I've just watched a video about Equatorial Mounts. Now I understand how they work! I think I would have been better with an Alt-Azimuth tripod.

I think once you get used to it, you'll like it. I know I certainly do. Just turning one control on my mount makes it easier, not just for me, but when I want to show someone else. I can just point and say, "turn that control slowly in that direction"

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[Langy]

Hi Nova

Hi have the 130EQ too. Yes the first time you use the EQ mount, which for me was even worse after years of general photography its very daunting.

Now even after a couple of small sessions, it's very easy to use. The hardest part for me is when you have found the subject whilst looking through the EP and trying to tighten the two clutches. Again after more use it will be easier.

Even if you roughly Polar Align the scope it's a dream to use the EQ mount. On the first night of viewing I was tracking Jupiter in the sky where all I had to do was move the RA slow motion and only after it went across the view finder about four times I had to slightly move the DEC slow motion.

Stick with it and you will soon find that it is ideal for when you want to track objects.

[Nova Load]

I guess it's a case of practice makes perfect. I'll give it a few more weeks and see how it goes.

[rory]

my first scope was a refractor on an E/Q mount. for visual use only its quite simple.

 set the (angle) of the mount to your location (roughly) . plonk the mount pointing towards north (roughly) and your away.

 obviously you can build up to a more accurate set up ,but that did me fine for casual observing.

you shouldn't have to ,but IF your struggling for what ever reason , you can set it up as a basic alt/az , so it gives you a simple left /right/up/down  movement. but honestly theres no real need .

 youll be fine.

[Langy]

Have a quick search on YouTube, there are some great videos on there in setting up and using the EQ mount.

As you have the scope already it's even better as you don't have to try and imagine you using one before you buy it, like I did.

[Nova Load]

I'll probably get used to it after a while.

Incidentally, do any fellow Astromaster 130EQ owners find that the image through the 10mm eyepiece looks less clear and sharp than the 20mm eyepiece?

[Paul M]

A lot of the time I never used to bother polar aligning my old Fullerscopes MkIII mount. I just had the clutches slack and slewed it round by hand at all manner of angles. 

What I'll likely do with that old mount and scope is do as the OP says. Put the DEC axis at 90deg and use it as an alt-az mount. Simples!

Ii's nice to have a well aligned equatorial mount for following your subject using the manual controls but it isn't the end of the world. The Vast, vast majority of my time at the eyepiece over the years has been without such alignment or control. 

I'd suggest to the op that it isn't a moral dilemma. just use it however is most comfortable and intuitive. He can always learn about equatorial mounts as he goes along,

Just needs that image quality issue sorting in time for Saturn

[Langy]

I'll probably get used to it after a while.

Incidentally, do any fellow Astromaster 130EQ owners find that the image through the 10mm eyepiece looks less clear and sharp than the 20mm eyepiece?

I do get a clear image with my 100mm. They may be budget optics but for someone new it's great to see. Remember that the 10mm is double the magnification to the 20mm so focusing is a more precise thing. Plus dependant on an awful lot of factors like cloud, jet stream etc. is to how well you see a more magnified object.

Enjoy getting out and tracking Jupiter first with the 20mm, then when you are confident you can follow it switch to the 10mm. After that have a hunt around for some other easy objects like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda. Both of those will show you how much harder it is to find objects, but Orion is still very bright and you know when you are near it when trying to find it with the 20mm.

Use Stellarium to work out where things are, Orion Nebula is easier to find for me than Andromeda.

When you are happy to use the scope as it is after a few hours viewing then it might be time to consider upgrading parts, if you do it that way I'm sure you will gain so much more benefit from the upgrades as you learnt the harder and basic way.