Starwatcher Explorer 130M advice

[Firaxia]

Hi,  I have a Skywatcher Explorer 130M

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130m.html

I've been having trouble keeping the setup balanced. Everytime I position it on what I want to view the scope moves.  Am I doing something wrong?

Also I would like some advice on any additional equipment that's worth getting?  I've had this scope for a couple of years now but never collomated.  Should I do this also?

Thanks in advance.

[Putaendo Patrick]

Welcome to the SGL forums!

Is the problem with the scope balance something new, or has it always been like this? When you say the scope moves, is it a small movement or is it completely loose? A possibility is that the clutches are worn, or that you are not activating them.

As for additional equipment, a lot depends on what you want to do. With the two standard eyepieces and Barlow, you have a good range of magnifications. However, the 10mm is usually not the best. Are you happy with what you are seeing, or do you feel upgrading the EPs and Barlow would make a worthwhile difference. Some people experiment with colour filters for lunar and planetary observation, although with a relatively small aperture the results may not be significant.

Again, in general smaller aperture reflector telescope tend to maintain their collimation quite well. Do you feel your viewing quality has deteriorated? If there is an astronomy club near your, one of the members might be willing to take a look at this.

[ronin]

Are you setting up the mount first ?

The mount will have to have some polar alignment performed as it is an equitial based mount. Agreed there is no option for a polar scope so you would have to do an approximation as good as you reasonably can by eye. Not sure which specific bit of the mount you would have to aim at/towards Polaris BUT it is NOT the scope you align the mount. Only say that as we get a lot of instances where people point the scope at Polaris and it has to be the mount that gets aimed there.

Next is is the mount actually driving? Things will be lost if the mount is doing nothing as the mount will not rotate but the earth will, so Jupiter and the stars all drift out, which can be described as the "mount moves".

Where in the UK are you ? There may be people or a club nearby to recoomend you visiting to sort the troubles out. Even for the mount setup and assuming there is a latitude scale all anyone can say is that it should be set to something between 51 and 60 at present. So even basic ideas about mount setup cannot be suggested.

Forget collimation for now, until an object remains in view there seems little relevance.

[Firaxia]

Hi, Thanks for your help so far guys.

In terms of movement, they are only small but enough to lose the object I'm wanting to view.  It has done this for as long as I've had the scope.  I've tighten everything as much as I can.

As for equipment, I want to be able to view planets and objects with increased size and/or detail.  I'd like to eventually do some astrophotography.

I live in Morecambe, Lancashire. There is a local astronomical society who may help.