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EQ5 mount not behaving


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First time out in 6 months after all my health problems really looking forward to it. 

It did not go to plan and I need help please. 

Did two star alignment went to M42 nowhere in FOV managed to centre it. Thought right back into set up do a 3 star alignment from where I was the mount knows where it is. 

Sirius quite close Mirach just on the line of the inner circle of the Telrad OK all fine final star Arturus now this was nowhere near the Telrad circle nearly two full 5/6° circles away. 

Even the axis not playing well taking 6/7 seconds for the mount to move in any direction I can here the motors no sound of slipping once they move in any direction the directional moves all work fine it's just the initial movement. 

I have a 10amp power supply from the mains so it's not power. 

I have had problems backlash and have adjusted the axis but I am not mechanically minded in that respect. 

Is there anyone who I could post the mount to or close to me that could help. 

With my health issues I cannot stand or Ben over to mess about with the mount. 

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An EQ5 Synscan not behaving well? What else is new. 🙁

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

Sirius quite close Mirach just on the line of the inner circle of the Telrad OK all fine final star Arturus now this was nowhere near the Telrad circle nearly two full 5/6° circles away. 

I assume this is referring to the alignment routine. I'll refer to my experience with the mount, which I still have not totally mastered after nearly two years since upgranding it.

The initial movement from the home position often fails to accurately locate the first star, or the second.  As for a three star alignment, I have given up on that - it's hard enough to figure out where the alignment stars are with a two star alignment. Give me a Nexstar alignment procedure any night of the week.

I have found that if one does a good polar align followed by a two-star align, using two alignment stars on the same side of the meridian, the mount will then perform on that side of the meridian with gratifying accuracy.  However if you want to GoTo an object on the other half of the sky, then tough, you are back to using the finder or a Platesolve & resync, unless you want to go through the alignment process again with a fresh pair of stars.

I have found the mount works well in conjunction with an imaging scope and Platesolve & Resync.  If I was using it with a narrow field visual scope I would probably have concluded by now that it was a waste of space in my storage facilty.

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I have had this mount for 6 years now and it's never been right sent it to reputable astronomy shop cost me £85 at first it was spot on but the more I have used it it seems like its getting worse, loose somehow. 

As said I'm not mechanically minded and I don't go all over the sky last night I wanted to view doubles in Leo and a couple of clusters in Cancer and Monocerus. 

Even the 2 star alignment stars are way off Sirius then next I would choose Regulus but what does the handset up Algol, Mirach and Alpheratz. 

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Hi, hope you are keeping well.

Is there any chance you inputted the date incorrectly at the initial setup?

The format is mm/dd/yyyy.

That caught me a couple of times.

If that's not the problem it might be best to bring it to the astronomy shop again. They will know the mount like the back of their hand.

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As you are based in Mersyside it may be worth contacting the Liverpool AS with a plea for someone to come out and have a look at the mount for you.  It maybe something they can do in the daytime and then if the mount checks out maybe pop round on a clear night and check the alignment  for you

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1 hour ago, malc-c said:

As you are based in Mersyside it may be worth contacting the Liverpool AS with a plea for someone to come out and have a look at the mount for you.  It maybe something they can do in the daytime and then if the mount checks out maybe pop round on a clear night and check the alignment  for you

I have put a post on their Facebook page had a reply saying it sounds like backlash. I then replied saying could someone do what you have advised or if I could drop the mount off at the observatory as I live not 10 minutes away. I have had no reply so that's out the question now. 

Looks like I am going to have to have a go myself not looking forward to that. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

After adjusting the mount myself and thinking I had sorted it,  Well definitely out I've used the handset to polar align went to M42 centered that went to sirius centered that. Back to M42 it was out not to far. Sirius just a tad out. Went backwards and forwards until it was dead centre each time. Went to Castor no where near back to M42 way out over 5° out so packed up. I have no idea what I'm going to do now.

I'm open to suggestions please. 

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