Help with new set-up???

[JASON]

Hi

just got a c80edr with a cg5 mount. 1st telescope.Puzzled with mount.When i release the Dec clamp the scope will not move far less go level with the ground.Slow motion control knob seems to move the scope left/right not up/down.Eventually got manual from T.planet clear as mud.Down loaded cg5 mount manual started again still the same.What have i done or doing wrong???

thanks in advance

[steppenwolf]

There are two clamps, one for the Right Ascension (RA - left/right movement) and one for the Declination (DEC - up/down movement) try carefully releasing both clamps and see if you now have the 'free' movement your were expecting. Up/down and left/right are relative descriptions visually depending on the direction that the telescope is pointing.

With the counterweights pointing downwards and the telescope pointing upwards at an angle, releasing the RA clutch will allow the whole of the moving part of the mount to move whereas releasing the DEC clutch will only allow the top part of the mount to move so you can identify which is which on your mount. This will allow you to familiarise yourself with which clutch does what!

[Astro_Baby]

Hope this doesnt sound patronising....

Are you confusing the altitude/Azimuth with the Ricght Ascension and Declination controls.

I'm not massively familiar with the CG-5 but I have messed about with the EQ5 which I'm told is broadly similar (most EQ mounts are much the same).

At the base of the mount head - where it joins the tripod - are a collection of adjusters. Usuall front and back and left and right. These control the left/right and up/down position of the etelscope but are only used for aligning the mount. Once thats done the telescope is controlled via the DEC and RA controls.

With the telescope over the weights and pointing up ( as in THIS pic ) the RA will move the telescope in a kind of tilt from side to side whereas the DEC will point the tube left and right. THe clutchs lock the RA and the DEC only.

The reason for the strange movement is that the RA 'tracks' a kind of circle which is what allows the mount to track the apparent motion of the stars.

If the clutches when released dont allow free movement of the telescope then something is wrong but the movemnt will appear 'strange' if your expecting the scope to go strictly up and down or left and right.

[JASON]

Thanks Astro_babe.I was giong with fig. in manual looks like it levels with ground.Had a shot of etx 70 and thought it would move the same ,how wrong.Thanks again