Declination dial on 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

[OXO]

Hi Adrian,

Yes this should be as it is with yours, reason being everyone needs to set there Time and Location so the dial can be used/read.

James

[The Warthog]

I believe it is the Right Ascension dial that moves, the declination dial should not. The RA dial is the one at the bottom of the tilted axis, where the polar alignment scope's eyepiece is, if you have one.

[Greg]

WH,

On the EQ5, HEQ5 and EQ6 they both move and the DEC one can be set for greater accuracy

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

WH,

On the EQ5, HEQ5 and EQ6 they both move and the DEC one can be set for greater accuracy

On the HEQ5 the RA dial can be taken off for greater accuracy (tracking that is).

Captain Chaos

[Chubster]

Ok...Thanks all, now all ive got to do is to wait for it to stop

[Greg]

On the HEQ5 the RA dial can be taken off for greater accuracy (tracking that is).

How does the RA dial alter the accuracy of the drive....?

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

The tracking is affected by the ring binding see http://www.gas.uk.net/HEQ5

The locking screw only works if it goes into the hole in the ring, otherwise it tends to force the ring onto the shaft internals. This gives a very jerky action to the tracking, or in extreme cases can stop it altogether. AMHIK

Captain Chaos

[Greg]

This seems to be confusing??

I don't have this problem with my HEQ5.. If the screw is only designed to be locked in the hole, how do you lock the RA drive for different coodinates?

So it defeats thwe object of having a moving and lockable RA setting circle.

Oh I don't know.....

[MartinB]

You don't know! God help me then. Neither of the setting circles move on my super polaris but it does have a neat vernier scale which I need to remind myself how to use.

[Chubster]

Arghhh ......Well if you lot dont know hows a newbie like me supposed to (s)cope...... so what do I take from all this.....should the dec dial move or not ........and its definately the dec dial im taliking about, NOT the RA dial.

Lets have a vote SHOULD THE DEC DIAL MOVE YES OR NO

[Greg]

Don't all shout at me at once.....

I've never had a problem with my setting circles, they are designed to rotate for accurate (Fairly) findings. The only time you need to lock the ring on the RA dial is when you have found the object you are looking for and wish to keep the coodinate "Locked" that's when you lock the little thumb screw.

Beacause as your drive moves you scope it also moves your coodinate...So lock the coodinate with the thumbscrew and you have a refence coodinate to find your next object.

If you lock the thumbscrew in the little hole in the RA drive then you have only 1 coodinate, what's the point in having the setting circle??

As for the DEC circle find you first object "Dial" in the coodinate and turn the two little thumbscrews to lock..If you start on polaris then it should read 90 degrees (Or near enough)....Then leave it locked..

[Greg]

Brief Instructions..

Polar align your telescope.

Set up Dec setting circles and right ascension circle.

Swing the telescope over and center a bright star that you know the name of. You should be able to find the star both in the sky and on a star atlas that will give you its coordinates in Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (DEC).

Adjust your setting circles to match the RA and DEC values of the star. (See using star maps, celestial coordinates and names of bright stars.)

Using Your Telescope's Setting Circles

To find a new object with your telescope, find the RA and DEC of the object (for instance, the Ring Nebula, M57) in a star atlas or online.

Without touching or rotating the setting circles (!), move your telescope until the object's coordinates line up with the arrows on the RA and the DEC scales.

The object should be pretty close in the field of a WIDE angle eyepiece (low power). I usually have to spend a few minutes hunting around in a spiral pattern for it though.

Using an equatorial mount equipped with setting circles, you can "dial in" any object that you want to observe.

[MartinB]

See you at the star party Greg. I'm bringing my SP

[lunator]

Arghhh ......Well if you lot dont know hows a newbie like me supposed to (s)cope...... so what do I take from all this.....should the dec dial move or not ........and its definately the dec dial im taliking about, NOT the RA dial.

Lets have a vote SHOULD THE DEC DIAL MOVE YES OR NO

I have 2 EQ5 and the DEC dial moves on both of them.

So I'd say say YES

Cheers

IAn

[Chubster]

OK....Cheers for the info guys....With the advice from here and other forums im pretty sure that this dial is supposed to move.

Just wish I could actually get out and look through the damn thing

[lunator]

OK....Cheers for the info guys....With the advice from here and other forums im pretty sure that this dial is supposed to move.

Just wish I could actually get out and look through the damn thing

It supposed to clear up over the weekend so don't give up hope

[Greg]

See you at the star party Greg. I'm bringing my SP

i'll bring the scrumpy It's amazing how much more detail you see in the DSO's when you've had a few of the old apple juice... :shock: And after 3 you couldn't care less about the setting circles

I'll vote YES to the dial moving........

[Chubster]

Are newbies invited to the Star parties ????

[Greg]

Of course your invited.........

Get your name down or chat to daz. He's the main man.

Don't mind camping do you?

You don't snore or talk in your sleep do you?

[FLO]

Are newbies invited to the Star parties ????

Definitely

[daz]

The more the merrier (hic!) Adrian