Help with a DEC dial on a EQ5 mount

[Chubster]

This may be a dumb question but im a newbie so gunna ask anyway....and bear with me whilst i try and describe what im talking about.... :?

just set up me new scope and spotted something that may or may not be right ????

I have a EQ5 mount and the dec dial (the actual silver ring with the markings on) freely rotates by hand? Should you be able to do this????? I would have thought that this would be solid???? Any help would be much appreciated ?

Adrian

[geppetto]

Adrian

Thats normal.

Idea is to point your scope to a known star then manualy

turn the dials to the RA and DEC settings for that star.

Then find the RA/DEC coordinates for the object you want to

find and turn the scope to those coordinates.

[Chubster]

I hear what your saying philip.....but....and ive got a feeling i might be being dumb.......

in the manual for the mount it says "Unlock the dec lock knob and rotate telescope tube until the pointer on the setting circle reads 90degrees" but shouldnt said setting circle be fixed ? :? How can you be sure its 90degrees if it moves.....not explaining myself very well sooooory.

:)

Another example.......set the scope so the marker on the dec scale reads 90 degrees....but someone/me moves the "actual" setting circle to 0degrees....scope hasnt moved but dec reading is now completely different......??

Again apologies if i am being dumb but any clarification would be great

[lunator]

Adrian

I have an EQ5 and my advice is 'don't Worry'. The instructions sounds like part of the process of polar alignment and you dont need to worry about that straight way.

3 simple steps will get you going using the setting circles.

1- Make sure the Eq5 head is set to your lattitude (between 50-55 degrees in the UK)

2 - Get the mount to point as close to Polaris as you can (do you have a polar scope? this does make it easier)

3- Point the scope at a bright star and move the dial to read the correct declination (and RA)

This should get you started and should allow you to find fainter objects using a wide angle eyepiece.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Ian

[Chubster]

Ok Cheers.......obviously worrying cos im bored and its cloudy LOL

[Greg]

Don't panic,

The only time you need to "Lock" the RA circle is when you are observing an object for a long time and need to keep the coodinates... Otherwise just leave it undone..

I have a link for you... Hang on a mo!!

Here it is!!

http://stargazerslounge.co.uk/index.php?topic=2455.0

[Chubster]

Cheers Phattire

That link is certainly useful and i think im slowly getting it....i undertand the RA ring (sort off)....just thought that the dec setting ring should of been fixed. For instance it myh manual it describes using the setting circles for finding M57...briefly it says "unlock the Dec lock and rotate your telescope to 33 degrees".....this is where i start to lose the plot. Surely if the dec setting circle on the mount can move then the readings would be pointless wouldnt they ? Am i being dumb? For instance the altitude setting is fixed so that means that no matter how much i move the scope up and down on this scale i will always know that when i have 55 lat set and aligned with the mark on the mount the scope is set to 55......am i making any sense at all

[Greg]

When it says "Unlock the Dec lock" It means the Dec axis not the Dec ring - bit confusing I know!!

Practice polar aligning the scope, then we'll start playing around with setting circles. Don't get to hung up on them just enjoy observing with your scope.

Get youself some star charts or a star chart computer program.

Point the scope North, put 50 degrees on the altitude dial and look around!!!

Don't forget to tell us what you see and report it in the "Observation Report" section of the forum.

Greg

[Naz]

Adrian

I have an EQ5 and my advice is 'don't Worry'. The instructions sounds like part of the process of polar alignment and you dont need to worry about that straight way.

3 simple steps will get you going using the setting circles.

1- Make sure the Eq5 head is set to your lattitude (between 50-55 degrees in the UK)

2 - Get the mount to point as close to Polaris as you can (do you have a polar scope? this does make it easier)

3- Point the scope at a bright star and move the dial to read the correct declination (and RA)

This should get you started and should allow you to find fainter objects using a wide angle eyepiece.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Ian

Sorry to be picky Ian , but that is only for England, the UK latitude is between 50 and 60 degrees.

naz @ 59 degrees north

[geppetto]

Adrian

As I see it, if the DEC ring is locked to the mount then if you move the mount to a less than level ground

then the DEC readings are off. Its best to be able to set it on a known star I think :?

Its a bit tedious using those rings though, star hopping and a Telrad finder is far more fun