The wedge isn't fixed

[Shimonu]

I'm just getting started in AP and I'm collimating my polar scope on my NEQ6 for the first time.

So I'm trying to collimate my polar scope and at first I got a little scared because after I did the first adjustment and rotated the RA 180 degrees the polar scope was way off all of a sudden. After I recentered and looked through the polar scope while doing another rotation I realized that the wedge moves a little in azimuth. Like it has a play, even if I lock down the azimuth screws I can still move it. I tried to make sure the long bolt underneath which holds the accessory tray and everything was also screwed in tight. But it still moves.

This feels very strange to me as it makes the polar alignment very iffy. While handling the mount you could easily nudge it and go out of polar alignment, even though you haven't actually touched the screws or moved the tripod legs.

Any thoughts?

[Shimrod]

15 hours ago, Shimonu said:

I'm just getting started in AP and I'm collimating my polar scope on my NEQ6 for the first time.

So I'm trying to collimate my polar scope and at first I got a little scared because after I did the first adjustment and rotated the RA 180 degrees the polar scope was way off all of a sudden. After I recentered and looked through the polar scope while doing another rotation I realized that the wedge moves a little in azimuth. Like it has a play, even if I lock down the azimuth screws I can still move it. I tried to make sure the long bolt underneath which holds the accessory tray and everything was also screwed in tight. But it still moves.

This feels very strange to me as it makes the polar alignment very iffy. While handling the mount you could easily nudge it and go out of polar alignment, even though you haven't actually touched the screws or moved the tripod legs.

Any thoughts?

Have you tried loosening the bolt from the accessory tray first and then tightening up the bolt into the mount itself? Once that is fully tight, then re-tighten the nut below the accessory tray. It's possible you have not fully bolted the mount to the tripod and now the accessory tray is preventing it from being fully tightened.

[Shimonu]

51 minutes ago, Shimrod said:

Have you tried loosening the bolt from the accessory tray first and then tightening up the bolt into the mount itself? Once that is fully tight, then re-tighten the nut below the accessory tray. It's possible you have not fully bolted the mount to the tripod and now the accessory tray is preventing it from being fully tightened.

Yeah I think that's it. I loosened the screw for the accessory tray and made sure it was first really screwed in to the wedge. There wasn't much movement but I could tighten it a little more and then I properly tightened the accessory tray and made sure the azimuth bolts were tight too and it seems pretty good. I'm sure I could still move it if I really tried but just rotating the RA didn't seem to have any effect now. I think the problem before was also that I was sitting by the polar scope and using the counterweight bar to rotate the RA.

Thanks. That should really allow me to do the collimation now.