ok first question

[acrux]

How do I operate my DD1 Controller on my vixen super polaris mount?

Do I have the RA and Dec Loose Or tighten?

What speed, 1.5, 2, ?

I know I set it to south when I turn it on for here in Australia.

I am running the D cell batteries for power.

Am I expecting to see too much movement?

I do not have the scope or weight on yet just the wt bar.

[DemonicOmelette]

Is there a light on it? Does it make a humming noise? It moves REALLY slowly. Try putting the scope on, going out in the day and pointing it at a chimney or something else far away, and see if it pans away. But I can hardly see mine moving, unless I really concentrate!

[Ant]

It moves really really slowly.

You can usually hear a faint noise if you put your ear to the mount.

The mount should just track when you switch it on. The speeds are for slewing. This will speed up the mount but only when you press one of the direction buttons.

As DemonicOmelette suggested stick a scope on it and point it at something distant, look through the EP - it should be really obvious if the drives are working.

Cheers

Ant

[acrux]

Is there a light on it? Does it make a humming noise? It moves REALLY slowly. Try putting the scope on, going out in the day and pointing it at a chimney or something else far away, and see if it pans away. But I can hardly see mine moving, unless I really concentrate!

Yep it does

tight ra and dec right?

I have not polar aligned it but I have set it up on orion whilst i type

I think I am just rushing in here I should do full set up and see if it tracks only thing is it does not have the polar scope?

[acrux]

Ok been outside for a while done a rough alignment to south at 35 degree and tracked saturn and omega centauri. Stayed generally in the FOV' next time I will set up in the day time so as to level the mount correctly. Do I need a polar scope or can I just get away with using a compass? -----------

[DemonicOmelette]

It depends what you're doing. If you are doing long-exposure photography, then you have to be spot on. If it's just for visual observing, at a fair approximation will be fine. I know more or less where North is, and that works fairly ok. If I'm looking at Saturn, and I use the motor to follow it, I only have to re-adjust every five minutes or so to keep it in view....

[acrux]

Thanks all for your advice.................