Scope hitting mount - can someone help?

[RSM]

Hi, does anyone know how to help me stop the mirror end of my skywatcher 200 PDS hitting the leg of my NEQ6 mount? Depending on the time I do my set up for an imaging run, sometimes the mount slews one way or the other (I think that might be dependent on whether my target has passed through its transit or not?). When I align on an object close to the pole star, the scope is at such an angle that it hits the leg during the image run, meaning the rest of the image run is wasted (I lost 3.5 hrs on the iris nebula last night - got 3 hrs of decent imaging so all was not lost!). I have overcome this in the past by stopping the run before the scope hits the mount and then redoing the set up and the mount slews the other way. However, most times I set up for an image run, I go to bed in the meantime. Is there any way to get the mount to slew round the opposite way in the first place to avoid that happening, or is it just the case that I need to realign on my target after transit?

thanks for any advice you can give. 

Richard. 

[Moonshane]

Could either add an extension to the tripod or maybe add some weight to bottom end of ota to allow you to lift it higher in the rings?https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq5heq5-extension-tube.html

[RSM]

17 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

Could either add an extension to the tripod or maybe add some weight to bottom end of ota to allow you to lift it higher in the rings?https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq5heq5-extension-tube.html

Thanks Moonshane for the quick answer. That's one solution which looks bound to work. Was wondering whether there might be any setting in the mount software which allowed me to request it to slew the other way?

[kendg]

Do you have 1 leg pointing north or south?

If pointing south, then move the index key 180 degrees so you have one leg point north. 

 

[Steve Ward]

A picture of the 'scope/mount as it was set up would help .

[Davey-T]

May be some slew limit settings in the handset, meridian flips are an annoying part of life imaging near the meridian.

Dave

[RSM]

39 minutes ago, kendg said:

Do you have 1 leg pointing north or south?

If pointing south, then move the index key 180 degrees so you have one leg point north. 

 

1 leg south. Will try that tonight. Thanks. 

[RSM]

25 minutes ago, Steve Ward said:

A picture of the 'scope/mount as it was set up would help .

Hi. Yes, good idea. Will get some piccolos taken next time it's set up (maybe tonight if the clear nights app is right?). I'm going to try orienting the mount the other way round to have one leg point north.  Cheers. 

[ollypenrice]

Fact of life: a long tube on a tripod working near the zentih will hit the tripod at some point and there will be a 'dead time' when it will hit the tripod either side of the meridian flip. During this period it is impossble to image. The only solution is to lose the tripod and replace it with a pier. Using a height extender is a half way house to using a pier and may solve your problem. This is on my (not inconsiderable) 'To do' list for our TEC140/Avalon setup.

Olly