sky max 127 az auto tracker advise

[lestrex]

hi  just had this scope about six days now  thought i had set the a z tracker  up  correctly   but when i actualy engage the tracking it seemed to move the moon out of the field of view quicker than when it was not engaged so i have done something wrong because im talking out of sight in secs

would also like advise on making mount more stable because i think even the ants walking on the slabs are making it vibrate

[ronin]

How are you engaging the tracking?

[lestrex]

hi like it says in the book i get the correct button to flash i can hear the motor ticking over i look through the eyepiece and within seconds its moving out of the viewing area but seems to stay in longer when its not on i have set the mount up to north set local altitude cant see where im going wrong think it shoud be in view for a few mins is that correct

[ronin]

Still back to all I can think of is something got missed.

They are not exactly obvious.

Set up is:

Level mount and everything.

No idea if there is one but if a leg has an N on it point this one North - don't think it matters on this but if there you may as well..

Rotate scope to point North, then rotate scope in the vertical so that the scale is on 0.

Pull the power off.

Repower then using the handset move the scope so that the pointer on the scale matches your latitude 51.2 for you - I suppose you will have to choose 50 or 52 if the scale goes that fine.

Then press Fast and Slow together. Should keep this setting in the memory. The setting it keeps will be a movement not a latitude.

There is no time on these and no date either. So they cannot be wrong.

Don't take this wrong but when you use the scope afterwards (next day/week) you are setting it up level and starting out from the scope being North and Level (not 100% sure about level, as in on 0, but it will have to be aimed North). Actually it may need to start from Level, North and 0 so is that your start position everytime. To use I think you will have to set the scale to 0 then power cycle the scope. Then use the scope and handset "normally" to find things.

I am thinking that the scope powers up and assumes 0, then it will assume a movement equal to 51 degrees and you are at wherevere this is. So if the start is out everything is out. The power cycle tells the scope it is at the home position.

Simply mount level, pointed North and the scale on 0 is the start/home position to start from everytime.

[Cornelius Varley]

Actually you need to set the telescope horizontal (not vertical) and pointing north to start with (then power down the mount). Switch on again and use the keys to raise the telescope to your latitude, press the buttons marked fast and slow to set the latitude. To then track an object press the buttons marked guide and slow.

[lestrex]

ok thanks for the feedback so do i set my local  lattitude when the  scope is facing north and horizontal because i think i  set lattitude  when i was in a viewing position and not facing north

[lestrex]

 and i did not start my scope from north the next time i used it used it but the scope never moved to any position when i powered it up the scope is not the goto verion so should the auto track version do the same there is no mention of this in the instructions

[ronin]

Why did I say Vertical??? :eek:
Nothing starts from Vertical. :crybaby2:

Vertical is not even spelt similar to Horizontal.

Thank god someone (Peter) reads the gibberish I write. :icon_salut:

What makes it worse is that I even spelt it correctly as well. :BangHead:

[ronin]

Easy option is the next clear night do the levelling of the mount, point the thing North and set the OTA to the 0 marker, then pul the power off.

Reapply power and using the handset rotate the OTA so the scale reads your Latitude - 51 if possible or the best approximation you can get. Then set the position by pressing the 2 keys.

I would think that after that any time you take the scope out to use it then it has to start from the level, aimed North and the OTA on 0 position. It doesn't, I think, make sense if it does not start from that initial position.

Being a 127 Mak the better you set things then the better the results will be, simply the OTA has a long focal length and a narrow FoV. Any errors at the start will mean things drift out quicker. Maks are good for some things but that is to me their main drawback - they are not friendly in the field of view aspect.

[lestrex]

OK  thankyou everyone  i reset my scope today turned on the tracker  on a static  object this time it seems to be tracking in the correct direction will wait now for a clear night if all goes well what  sort off time does the tracker give you on the moon for example useing the 20 mm eye piece and two x barlow