Setting up HEQ5 PRO mount and OTA in Southern Hemisphere

[Noeltg]

Hi,

I have just obtained a secondhand HEQ5 PRO mount and OTA.

I have read the manuals a few times and have made some progress.

The mount seems to track the moon or Jupiter fine, when set up as well as I could with a rough polar alignment.

Using a compass phone app and a level. And yes I know about true South vs magnetic South.

My question is.

when attaching the telescope to the mount, which way should the scope point.

should I just follow the images in the manual.?..

For example should the knobs for the scope clamp be up or down, and should the scope look towards the East or West?

I am in Australia which is South of the Equator.

Thank you in anticipation.

noeltg

 

[bottletopburly]

With the mount in park position ie weights down ,scope pointing to the sky , 

[Merlin66]

Noeltg,

I’m close to Melbourne, the scope should point towards the South Pole with the weight pointing down.

Clamp in this position, and use the hand controller to move the scope.

[AstroMuni]

5 hours ago, Noeltg said:

For example should the knobs for the scope clamp be up or down

I am in the Northern hemisphere and I have to set these knobs to the left hand side and the scope pointing towards North Pole. So I am guessing you will need to do the same but pointing towards the South pole.

[Noeltg]

Thank you.

I will try this.

 

[cletrac1922]

Noel

Which part of Land Down Under are you?

Few things to know about setting up HEQ5 mount where we are

First of all when sitting the mount, the North Leg has to face south

When comes to Polar alignment, we do not have Polaris like the northern hemisphere

What I do, and other club members on the Goldcoast, use a compass to find due south allowing for 12 deg magnetic variation

The scope will also face south

To find the South Celestial Pole, it is approximately four times length of The Crux, Southern Cross

In have a ED80 on a EQ5pro mount, which is not much difference to the HEQ5 mount, as the sighting is the same

Attached pic is of my ED80 on my EQ5pro mount taken at a club solar viewing day last year

The ED80 in background with camera attached, a HEQ5 mount

I also use a car jump start pack to power my EQ5pro mount, and other club members use the same, or 12 Volt marine battery box

If you have any more queries, do not hesitate to contact me

Members of your local astronomy club will only be too helpful to advise, if they like ours, have not meet since February due to COVID-19

Also check out Southern Astronomy Society website as well, which I was also a committee member for many years

Event Horizon is their monthly newsletter

https://sas.org.au/

John