major synscan / EQ5 alignment problems

[Legion Of Andromeda]

Hi Folks, this is my first topic. i recently purchased a second-hand 200mm skywatcher / EQ5 . i had it working perfectly and accurately on the first night of use, since then i have updated the handset to 3.27 (i think) and i can get it to align anywhere near the alignment stars.

I think im missing a small but essential detail during setup. the EQ5 mount is perfectly polar aligned and i check it every so often to ensure that polaris is still within the reticle circle,

The settings entered into the handset are thus;

coodinates ; 001 03' W, 52 57' N. (Nottingham)

time zone; 00.00   (should this be + or-?)

date format; mm/dd/yyyy

time as per... 24hr clock, then confirmed as 12hr am or pm

daylight saving; NO - since we are in uk winter

the polarscope position is confirmed as per any app i check it with

elevation; 55m

So i am assuming that Synscan accepts that the scope is also pointing in the same direction, towards polaris with the  counterweights down. (Synscan doesn't actually 'know' where the scope is pointing) but when i test it with a one star alignment the mount slews round to a point in the sky that can be anywhere but my chosen star, so i am assuming that Synscan needs to know where the scope is pointing from a 'parked' or 'home' position (is there a difference?).... but the handset doesn't ask me to do do this first, at least i think this is where the problem lies....

any help much appreciated, TIA

 

[david_taurus83]

Hi and welcome. I had an EQ5 for my first mount. When the mount is switched off and on again, it's settings are reset and it assumes it is starting from the home position, as you say, weights down and pointing north. When you try a 1 star alignment, does it go towards the general direction of the star or a completely different direction? How far is it out after it stops slewing?

[Owmuchonomy]

All seems fine in your set up.  It's not necessary to be so accurate with your polar alignment if you are just using Synscan for observing purposes so don't get hung up on that aspect.  Synscan will assume that your scope is in the HOME position.  That is, pointing roughly at Polaris with the counterweights pointing toward the ground.  Does the handset (after the update) now ask you if you require EQ or Alt-AZ mode?  If so, choose the former.  I am a bit surprised that you can use a one star alignment set-up in EQ mode.

[Cornelius Varley]

Just now, Owmuchonomy said:

All seems fine in your set up.  It's not necessary to be so accurate with your polar alignment if you are just using Synscan for observing purposes so don't get hung up on that aspect.  Synscan will assume that your scope is in the HOME position.  That is, pointing roughly at Polaris with the counterweights pointing toward the ground.  Does the handset (after the update) now ask you if you require EQ or Alt-AZ mode?  If so, choose the former.  I am a bit surprised that you can use a one star alignment set-up in EQ mode.

The handset auto detects whether the mount is az or eq and sets the alignment procedure automatically. And you can do a 1 star alignment with an eq mount.

[stash_old]

All true except for when starting from "Parked" position - that is not the "Home" position its the position of the mount when you select "Park at current". This is only true  if you are asked "Start From Parked Position"  - you can answer y or N.

I don't think that is your problem but you should be aware of that just it case the old owner had this set and you assumed "Parked" and "Home" are always the same. ?

[Owmuchonomy]

3 hours ago, Cornelius Varley said:

The handset auto detects whether the mount is az or eq and sets the alignment procedure automatically. And you can do a 1 star alignment with an eq mount.

Thanks for clarifying that.  My handset asks first at start up if I need EQ or Alt-Az 'mode' but then I do have an AZ EQ6 GT.

[Legion Of Andromeda]

Thanks for the replies. To clarify, the scope slews to a point many ten's of degrees from the target. I always start , stop and return the scope to the NCP home position. I'm pretty sure it's working in EQ mode.. I didn't see anything in the menu offering a choice. Also, I'm only doing one star alignment to save time in going through this whole shebang... I will only be doing a 3 star once I know it's able to get close to 1 star. I'm wondering if a factory reset might help?

[stash_old]

It will be in EQ mode as Julian says  so EQ5 is EQ only - the only exception is when you have mounts that can be either EQ or AZ (like Chris's AZEQ6-GT)  and then it asks what you want else there is no option.

FYI - Its dictated by the board in the mount  and interrogated by the startup protocol. ?

3 star improves the alignment so just try it and "Dont worry be happy" ?

[DougM43]

Mine often misses the first alignment star by quite some margin, when I slew the scope to it and then select the second alignment star it usually finds it spot on 

[Thalestris24]

Just a suggestion - I would double check that you are, indeed, polar aligned. A sanity check with a compass is useful  The other think to double check is whether you've entered your lat/long and date/time correctly. It be useful to use the Moon as a sanity check object - it's, er, full at the moment,,,,

hth

Louise

[fwm891]

I've always found that after a polar align I tell the scope to go to its home position. Once it thinks its home, release the clutches and use a level on the side of the counterweight shaft and tube to get them vertical (my level has a shallow trough so you can put it on round objects). Lock off the clutches and start the star alignment. It's an EQ5 so your not dealing with encoders.

[Legion Of Andromeda]

I assume you mean horizontal...ive seen folks doing this on YouTube but i assumed that was just to realign the setting circles.

 

[Thalestris24]

Ignore the setting circles - they're a waste of space. Provided you've got good PA, you're pointed north and weights are pointed down (home position), you're good to start star alignment. The eq3, eq5, and heq5 don't have encoders so they just count steps from the home position.

Louise

[Legion Of Andromeda]

Yep, still having a problem... OK, it's daytime but I've got my scope in its 'home' position on a level mount at 53 degrees pointing north... Yes,  I know where north is..... Even if it was 5 degrees off North it still should get me close... Starting with one star alignment to save time and choosing any star in line with west or east and it's still well out, I repostioned according to where stellarium tells me the star is now...  Tells me successful alignment, then I tell the mount to go to star in line with east and it goes northeast and below the horizon.

[Legion Of Andromeda]

The following might or might not give a clue, but when I check 'show position' I get 'Dec +74, RA 19h' plus 'alt 66, azm 17' then 'ax1 +90, ax2 000'

[Legion Of Andromeda]

Finally resolved, i was right, as i suspected it was all about the intial setup from levels and the angles in both axes and getting this carried out in the correct sequence. i finally found this procedure and now its perfect.

https://worcspaul.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/accurately-setting-the-%E2%80%9Chome%E2%80%9D-or-%E2%80%9Cpark%E2%80%9D-position-on-a-skywatcher-eq5-pro-mount/