Input needed.

[Redscouse]

Evening all 

Today I took possession of my shiny new HEQ5. Got home from work unpacked it and put it together simple enough. However, I have to give credit to Skywatcher for creating the most useless manuals I've ever read!. So, here I am with a question or two if you kind people would oblige, I would most appreciate it. 

1. (This is the daftest question of them all) Is it ok to use the mount indoors to get used to the controller etc. IE: It won't 'remember' where the alignment is when I tell it yes during the alignment stage and be forever out of sync will it?
2. Why does the declination circle move when the mount does but the RA circle never moves, ever? (very strange)
3. Can anyone explain this new polar scope engraving to me please? (see image. - Why oh why did they have to change it as the other looked so simple!) 
4. There is a leaflet asking me to update the firmware. I can do this easy enough however should I turn the handset on first? (with the mount of course) as I'm not sure if there is a first time start up program that may wreak havoc with the firmware update as I power up the handset for the first time. (again, thanks to a clear as mud instruction manual)

You answers will help a confused mind make some sense of this massive object in the middle of my office floor.
Thanks for looking.

Pete.

 

Edit: 
I have found a really good guide on Astro babys website that covers most of the questions above however as this is an old(er) guide, it doesn't cover the new etching.

[david_taurus83]

Yes, perfectly fine to play with it indoors. Helps to get used to the handset and it's menu functions. On my EQ5 with GOTO upgrade, whenever it's switched off it loses its memory. The only time it saves the last settings is if you PARK the scope and switch it off. When switched back on it returns to the previous time and date settings. These need to be input each session on the handset unless you are controlling via EQMOD on a computer. It always assumes it's starting off in the home position prior to star alignment.

 

When you say the RA circle doesn't move do you mean the circular setting ring by the polar scope? If so, mine has a locking screw to fix it down if needed. Perhaps yours is?

 

The polar scope has 3 circles to represent the position of Polaris in relation to the North Celestial Pole. Each circle closer resembles it's position relative to the current year as it eventually changes. Eventually, stellar drift will create too much distance for Polaris to be considered close enough to be considered as our Pole star. I'm sure I've read somewhere that in a few thousand years Vega will be the closest bright star to our NCP but by a number of degrees out.

[mikey2000]

Here are my thoughts...  

1:  Give it a go - I'm sure no harm can come.  As far as I know, the synscan handset 'forgets' everything when you turn it off.   The only thing it might remember is PEC training.  But then I suppose you won't be doing that indoors.... :-)   I spent a long time with my EQ3Pro and EQ6-R indoors, just tinkering and working out where all the wires etc go trying out the handset a little.  It was much better than fumbling around with an unfamiliar mount in the dark...

2:  Sorry, can't help.  Are there any little thumb screws to tighten it up?  I've never put much thought into these circles on any mount I ever owned.   I've never even looked closely at them.

3:  Do you have the newer one? Like the pic attached here?   Download the iphone app "Polar Scope Align" and choose that 'style'  then it shows you were to put polaris.   The trick is in making sure your polar scope is nicely aligned.  The main thing is to rotate the RA axis until the clock face is pretty darn near vertical.  Hopefully it is reasonably well centered.   I always found that using the polar scope was OK for an initial polar align, perfectly good for visual.  But to improve the accuracy for long exposure photos, you need to get a bit more into things like drift align and software tools.

If you don't have an iphone, from memory, when you initialize the handset it ends up giving you an 'hour angle'.  Eg in the pic below, 4:33.3.  Imagine the circle is a clock.  Put Polaris at 4:30.  Don't worry too much about the inner/middle/outer circles.  I can't even see them properly - it's all a bit crude (but as I said, fine for a PA for visual use.

4:  Sorry, it's over a year since I last updated a synscan handset. I seem to recall using a USB-->Serial port cable of some kind then downloading an updater from skywatcher. It's all a bit fuzzy though.

 

[Redscouse]

Thanks all. 
Mikey I just asked the wife to download that app on her iphone. Thanks for that tip, just what I needed.  

When I asked about the circles, I meant the setting circles. On my EQ2 the dec was fixed and the RA moved when I turned the scope.
On this mount the reverse is true. When i turn the scope the dec circle turns with it. When it turn the scope in RA, that circle remains locked in place. 
Yes, there's a screw to lock it there, however if it never turns, even with the mount in motion, what good is it. (that's not too important at the moment, just added to the confusion!) 

Thanks again for the tips all, I'm going to turn it on and see how it goes. 
Pete.

[mikey2000]

No probs.   Those setting circles are certainly weird.  I'm 100% sure you will get by without them.

 

Soon, you will attempt a '3 star alignment' to get improved Go To Accuracy.  I found this whole process to be immensely frustrating (not knowing names of obsure stars, then the ones I did know were hiding behind a tree. etc etc.)     If you have a laptop, it is *much* easier to use a planetarium app (eg Stellarium) in conjunction with EQMOD.  You can align on any old star (or stars) and the alignment accuracy can be rather good. (but you need the hassle of setting up a laptop too...)

[almcl]

31 minutes ago, Redscouse said:

When I asked about the circles, I meant the setting circles. On my EQ2 the dec was fixed and the RA moved when I turned the scope.
On this mount the reverse is true. When i turn the scope the dec circle turns with it. When it turn the scope in RA, that circle remains locked in place. 
Yes, there's a screw to lock it there, however if it never turns, even with the mount in motion, what good is it. (that's not too important at the moment, just added to the confusion!) 

 

Pete

There is (or should be) a pointer on the portion of the mount that does turn, above the RA circle and it is this that indicates the RA.  But with a handset, those circles are more or less redundant, a couple of star aligns and the handset will put the star or whatever in the field of view, even with a not very good polar alignment.

[Redscouse]

Well that was fun!  
Carted the scope upstairs to loft room and gave it a whirl. Pretty straight forward for visual and tracking by hand, surprisingly easy considering the user manual is useless. I was a bit gutted I couldn't polar align properly because I couldn't get the scope close enough to the window (pesky north facing leg!) to see that high up in the sky. I tried 1 star align however most of the options it gave me were to my south and I was looking out a north facing window. Then Dubhe was came up as an option.
I'm on here I thought, alas, too high again so I just made the most of scanning the sky, getting a feel for the handset. I was able to see Deneb quite easily. I popped in the 2x barlow and 6mm eyepiece - never been able to use that combo before due to the vibrations - can I ask, Is Deneb really red/blue/white or was that a coma I could see?  

First impressions; I'm impressed!

[cletrac1922]

Welcome from land down under

Have never bothered with a polar alignment, as South Pole is 4 times the length of the Southern Cross, and nothing but blank sky down there

Use Sirius and Canopus for 2 star alignment

With respect to N on the leg, have to face mine south, Skywatcher manual goes out the window with respect to that, as not mentioned

Use a compass to align south with my EQ5 mount, standing back about 10 paces from the mount, to sight through the compass

Have not update firmware on SynScan hand controller and still running V3.2

Select park and the scope homes prior to powering down, and last setting are saved in my SynScan controller

Hope my useless information been of assistance

John

[Redscouse]

Thanks for the advice John. Yeah I think I was a tad worried over nothing really as when I powered up the handset it had the latest version installed already. 

I wanted to take it out last night but by the time I got over my 'stage fright' it was a bit late. Now I know what to do (sort of) I'm getting it all outside and set up before it goes dark and fingers crossed it won't be cloudy when it gets dark!  
(still haven't figured out the polar scope malarky but as Mikey advised above to use that app, I suppose Polaris only has to match that position on the polarscope without me having to turn/fiddle with it. - I hope!)

Thanks again everyone, this is why SGL is the only forum I joined, don't need to go anywhere else for information with all your bright and beautiful minds ready and willing to share! 

Clear skies!
Pete.