Alt Az not tracking

[saltheeb]

I have a Alt Az mount and I will set up find an object I want to photograph and I will start to run a sequence of shots and my stars don't trail they STREAK across the filed of view. I have reduced the time down to 5 sec and you can see the stars moving slowly from one side of the view to the other.  I have made sure the mount was on properly, I have updated my SynScan, I have disassembled my SynScan and made sure it was clean. I have checked the power to make sure it had a good power source and nothing has seemed to help.  Does anyone have any ideas? I am at my wits end.

[AKB]

You don't actually mention that you have aligned the mount with, for example, a three star alignment?

 

[alanjgreen]

This may be a BALANCE issue. 

if you loosen the clutches on the mount, does the scope sit still or drop to one side?

if you are out of balance then you are putting extra load on one side of the mount.

Alan

[Filroden]

Something else to check is that you have date, time, time zone and location correctly set up. Also, can you hear the motors turning when it is running?

It would be useful to know what model of mount you are using and what star alignment process you use.

[ronin]

Data is the first thing to check and probably the best way is to write down all the data you need to set on a convenient sheet of paper - with the name of the data along side as in Latitude =  29.8N = 29  48" N same for Longitude = -95.4 = 95.4 W = 95  24" W, timezone etc and then read the actual data name and value and tick it off, or put it right.

DST would not cause them to fly across the field of view. 2 bits that would are:

Is it actually tracking? There are clutches on the mount and many a person (me included) has forgotten to tighten them up. So the motors go round but the mount doesn't.

Next one is which hemisphere have you set, or it set ? Could be rotating the wrong way, in which case they will go across the field fast.

Will say check the Lat and Long as we talk of Lat and Long but the data input may be Long then Lat and again that is an easily made error.

[happy-kat]

Need to see an image really. For example if the stars are streaking upwards then you are tracking but in azumith only and not tracking in altitude. Check balance if that is the case.

[TareqPhoto]

That kind of issue happened to me also exactly when i did polar alignment with the PoleMaster the other night, and i thought that PoleMaster will make it just dead easy, but sounds i missed up things rather than done it properly, in fact i got better results when i did polar alignment manually without it and without polar scope too, but i will solve this problem soon with PoleMaster i hope, and i hope you also solve your problem too.

[saltheeb]

Wow do I feel STUPID!  I had made a mental note of where to tighten my scope into the dovetail for it to be balanced with my camera attached but did not re-balance it when I added the Field Flattner/Focal Reducer. It was way out of balance. Thanks to you all for helping!! This pee brain never would have figured it out...lol

[tooth_dr]

Good result. Sometimes the best way to learn is from our own mistakes.

[Louis D]

Would a harmonic drive mount be much less susceptible to being out of balance?  Other than price, they seem like they have a lot of advantages over traditional mounts.