Here's one for all the users of EQ5/GP style mounts.

[Franklin]

I've had a few SP/GP/EQ5 mounts over the years and being a visual observer I've only ever had a clockdrive in RA, leaving the DEC axis to a manual slow motion rod. I have recently upgraded my GP2 to a dual axis drive and am a little unsure which side of the mount is the correct place for the DEC motor. I am aware that it can be postioned on either side but it seems to me that it was intended to be at the left, judging by the way the casting that holds the motor is positioned. Either way there are some telescope positions where the DEC slow motion knob will make contact with the RA slow motion knob. Do people just remove these knobs and rely on the drives for centering or is there an optimum position?

[Cosmic Geoff]

I bought a used EQ5, added a single axis drive and manual Dec slow motion via a knob or long rod, and later converted it to Synscan. I was not aware that there were two possible positions for a Dec motor - you can see where I put mine if you look at any pics of a Synscan EQ5 mount.

I think you can dispense with the manual slow motion knobs. My RA drive had a clutch that disengaged the motor but it was too fiddly to use and I never used it.  For fine adjustment you can use the electrics and for coarse movement disengage the mount clutches.

[Franklin]

Yes, I've always just had an RA motor and a rod on the DEC but now I have a DEC motor and it sticks out quite a bit and also unbalances the scope. The fitting is, as you say, only on one side but if you reverse how you mount the scope, the DEC motor can be postioned on the left or right hand side. I've been playing around with it and settled on the left side, as it seems to clash with the RA least in this position. Although when I just used a DEC slo-mo rod it was always on the right. I think it was probably intended to be used on the left by the original designers as the safety bolt is facing upwards in that postion which is how it should be to have greatest effect.

[StarryEyed]

The worm in my EQ5 has an o-ring and a thread shaft at opposite ends of the worm housing. I have typically found less backlash by attaching the the motor so the gears are at the end with the threaded shaft with the locking nut. 

But as ever whatever works for you.