NEW HEQ5PRO help please

[spikkyboy]

Hi all,

I got a new HEQ5PRO mount last week and as expected have a few issues.

I have read and re read the manuals.

So I get that my position on earth will change the angle at which I am viewing Polaris.

51.5 degrees according to my GPS.

So I set the dial on the side to 51.5.

I see the polar scope and remove the end cap from the mount and the black plastic plug from the body, so with the counterweight shaft fully extended I can see all the way through. GREAT!

I am expecting to look through this polar scope and if it is aligned to polaris and I have adjusted the left and right azimuth bolts so that we rotate around said star all is peachy?

No.

My mount is only a week old. It has arrived with an updated reticle and not as in the manual.

There is an addendum referring to this and the dates have been marked where Polaris will be for years to come.

When I look through the polar scope it is illuminated bright orange, I am not looking through and seeing Polaris so here I am stumped.

What exactly am I supposed to be aligning and what was the point of looking right through the shaft if I am not?

Does anybody have the latest version of this mount that can advise?

Am I supposed to have the power on? maybe with power off the reticule is not illuminated?

To be fair the manual is pants and does not explain at all well what is needed.

Answers on a postcard please.........

Edited February 6, 2020 by spikkyboy

[Stub Mandrel]

You should have it turned on.

Polaris is not very bright and you will need to get your eye in to spot it quickly.

Don't assume that setting the angles will get you roughly aligned on Polaris! Sight along one of the corners of the mount body to get it roughly aligned with polaris, and be prepared to jiggle the mount around a bit to get it in view.

To align the reticle you need polaris (or anything) dead centre, and adjust the reticle (gently, carefully!) until it stays central when you turn the mount. This can take ages... I did it in daylight, aligned with a distant TV aerial.

Polar aligning is easy with the new reticle if you download the Jason Dale Polarfinder app, then update the reticle (both linked here on my website: http://www.stubmandrel.co.uk/astronomy/123-new-style-reticle-for-polarfinder)

All you have to do is set the cross hairs vertical/horizontal and then adjust to get polaris in the same place on the reticle as Polarfinder displays it.

[spikkyboy]

Yes I found Polaris on one of my phone apps and roughly aligned down the mount body. The bright orange reticle is so bright that I cant see ANY stars through it. Just the orange circle. Shame there is no way to turn it down. If I turn it off I cant fine align. Hmmm. It's a problem. Will look at your link thanks.

[MarcusH]

If the hand controller is V3 or newer there should be an option to change the illumination level of the polar scope in it. The instructions how to change it is in the Synscan manual.

Also make sure your polar scope is in focus. Try to focus on a distant object in daytime so you will be close and can do the finetuning when you see Polaris.

[jif001]

 

I don’t know if this answers your question, but have a look at my responses in this thread...

 

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by jif001

[Peakedge]

There are a few simple gotchas with the polar scope and I'm ashamed to say, both have caught me out!!!!!!!

1.     Have you removed the black cap from the opposite side of the mount? 

2.     Is the Dec axis in the correct position. There is a hole in the Dec axis spindle/axle that is aligned with the polar scope.

A symptom of either of the above, as well as not seeing any stars, is that the the polar scope illumination will appear too bright.

Hope this helps but both can easily catch you out.

David

[Stub Mandrel]

On 07/02/2020 at 06:35, spikkyboy said:

The bright orange reticle is so bright that I cant see ANY stars through it. Just the orange circle. Shame there is no way to turn it down. If I turn it off I cant fine align.

Turn it off and find polaris, focus sharply, then turn it on.

[Jiggy 67]

On the handset under the utilities menu you can alter the brightness of the polar scope . When I first turned mine on it was at 100%, useless, couldn’t see a thing, now it’s about 50% and I can see everything including the reticle. Obviously make sure dec is horizontal or your view wil be blocked.

ensure the polar scope is calibrated. To do this place Polaris at the centre of the scope, then using the altitude bolt only put the star on the top of the circle, if it’s at 12 o’clock you’re ok, it’s callobrated, if not, move the mount in RA until Polaris is at 12 o’clock, there is no need to start messing about with polar scope, and lock the mount. Your mount needs to be as level as you can get it for this 

Now use an App like Ps align pro. The scope is a clock, the app will show you where to place Polaris , based on your location, time and date, using alt/az bolts only, just replicate the view. Return to home (if you moved in RA to calibrate the polar scope) and you are polar aligned.

PS Align Pro even has a daytime routine which will get you really close to Polaris by just putting your phone in the dovetail. It uses a compass type bubble to get you close so at night when you look through the polar scope you only have the tweek for good polar alignment 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Jiggy 67

[orionette]

On 12/02/2020 at 19:40, Jiggy 67 said:

Return to home (if you moved in RA to calibrate the polar scope) and you are polar aligned.

Hi! Wouldn't returning to home cancel out the whole polar alignment process? Could you please explain? I have a HEQ5 too with the same problem as OP (i.a.).

[Tomatobro]

Once the axis is Polar aligned it does not matter what you do. Park, unpark and move and park again its still aligned.

[Gerr]

Hi, I also have a HEQ5 Pro mount. I was always forgetting to rotate the Dec Axis 90 degrees (the one which makes your telescope go in the horizontal plane). This is essential before you polar align as telescope/declination axis rotation results in the polar scopes optical  tube being 'cleared' so you can see through it properly. 

 

[Neil H]

Hi I have the older HEQ5 and polar align day time using polar alignment pro , I use a spare dove tail and mount my phone on the dove tail once I have it aligned I switch to stellariaum then hold my phone up and ask if to show me Polaris once the arrow comes into the screen I re-mount my phone and do a tiny adjustment to make sure the arrow for polaris is straight up . Then at night I check it and it's normally spot on 

[Jiggy 67]

5 hours ago, orionette said:

Hi! Wouldn't returning to home cancel out the whole polar alignment process? Could you please explain? I have a HEQ5 too with the same problem as OP (i.a.).

Polar alignment is a mechanical process, to place your RA axis (the axis on which your polar scope is looking along) pointing straight at the NCP. This enables you to move the scope in RA, and follow objects as they move in RA.

The process I described above enables you to calibrate the polar scope so it matches the polar scope reticle in whatever app you are using to pinpoint the correct position of Polaris. Once you have done this, you physically move the mount to place Polaris in the correct position in the polar scope. Once you have done this, it doesn’t matter what you do with the RA as long as you don’t physically move the mount because it is physically polar aligned and will remain so.

Don’t forget, you have to move the mount in RA and dec to point at objects, it doesn’t affect polar alignment 

[spikkyboy]

Thanks all for the replies. I did find the illumination control in the handset menus and got a lower level of illumination about number 3 and yes Polaris was very dim but managed to align ok. I have purchased the sky watcher 90 degree polar scope eye piece and now don't have to lay underneath the telescope to look through the polar scope.

I used the alt az bolts to set correctly and the pre set altitude degrees was a fair bit wrong so got that set and locked down too.

I was pointed true North, this was some trouble as soon as you put a compass any where near the electronics it goes haywire.

So with scope nowhere near Drew a line on my patio in marker to North.

Drew a very accurate line thru E to W.

Plonk front leg on N and rear legs on E and W hey presto almost perfect instant alignment every time.

The difference being the little wobble that Polaris makes around the Zenith.

I am amazed by the mounts accuracy when correctly set up.

I had Saturn in view and went away and had a cup to tea. When I came back 20 minutes later it was still dead centre. Wow.

So a lot of reading has taken place and thanks to all of your efforts I feel that I now understand fully how this mount works and why.

Something so simple seemed so tricky.

As usual you lovely lot had answers so thanks to all that have contributed.

I have now bought the Sky Watcher guide scope and hoping to do some AP next. Without proper alignment any photography was going to be a waste of time so I am fairly excited to be moving forward with that.

I am currently investigating cameras..........

[Neil H]

Hi glad it now working well for you I love my HEQ5 pro , getting set up get quicker the more you do it , you may want to get the latitude upgrade bolts as the standard ones can bend in the mount