AZ EQ6 GT mount again!

[crush]

Hi all,

Had a post not so long ago because I could not connect a laptop to the mount, this now seems to work ok. Still using a USB to serial through the handset at the moment (just waiting for FLO to check the EQdir cable that went back to them). The mount does not have a USB connector.

Ascom connects now without fail and using CdC to control the mount.

The problem I have now is the alignment is way off. Start from park position and ask it to slew to Alp Cma (Sirius) and it is way off, so far that when you adjust it to target it wont accept the new position. I was having a similar problem when I was just using the hand controller but I thought it was just me and still could be.  

Then after swearing at the mount I press park in Ascom and the DEC returns very close to where it was set but the RA is about 90 degrees out, I have tried this a couple of times now and where it returns to when asked to park seems to be all over the place.

To be fair I am using planetarium apps at the moment to find objects because the cloud filled sky's not allowing the real thing, but that should not have any affect on returning to park.

It is like the mount cannot remember or is sending duff info back. Or am I overthinking how it works?

Does the mount remember the park position or would it be the handset if used or Ascom if used?

If it would be the handset could this still be causing a problem with the cable connecting through it?

I bought this mount second hand and in the back of my mind it has a fault, but again this may just be me.

I am hoping to get things something like before the sky's clear.

Any advise would be gratefully received.   

[bottletopburly]

In Eqmod you can clear all sync points , manually reset scope to park position and your all good to go , are you imaging or visual observing ? I’m assuming your using Eqmod .

[Ouroboros]

This sounds a bit like some of the quirkiness I have experienced with my AZ EQ6 mount. Quirks which have been widely reported on.  The mount pointing the wrong way seemed to occur after polar alignment.  A working solution was to first do the polar alignment, return the mount to the home position - weights down, telescope pointing towards the celestial pole - then switch off the mount and then switch back on again.  Skip polar alignment and move straight on to star alignment etc. 

With my mount the alignment was so far out that I could play with this during the day until I’d worked out how to stop it doing daft things. I no longer have this problem using the ASIair to control the mount. But occasionally I use the handset for visual only and I still have to do the switch off/switch on thing. 

Edited April 4 by Ouroboros

[crush]

Hi Bottletopburly I am not using EQmod cable at the moment, I have had to send the cable back for testing because I could not connect through it.

Ouroboros I should of mentioned that I am using it in AZ mode at the moment but I have tried it in EQ as well, but thanks for the info I will try this tonight and see how it goes. I have marked the floor from when I did the PA so it will be very close to being in the right place. I know this is not perfect but I have not seen any stars for weeks.

[malc-c]

The clue is in the title - EQmod is expecting the mount to be an equatorial mount.  An EQ mount set into ALT/AZ mode wont perform correctly when using EQMOD as a mount controller.  If you have to set up the mount each time you wish to use it then you need to clear all the previous saved sync points as they will be incorrect as the mount has since been moved.  

Also check if you have the DEC axis set correctly - if the dovetail is 180 degrees out then that could be another factor as to why the issue is with the DEC axis and not the RA which returns to the correct home position.

[crush]

Hi Malc-c

Thanks for the info and it makes sense that the EQmod is for EQ mode on the mount (even if I hadn't thought about it until I read your post). But CdC has an ALT/AZ setting so I thought it would work, my mistake and another lesson learned. 

I will check the DEC axis tonight as well.

[bosun21]

I have always powered the mount off after setting it in the home position. My routine is to polar align the mount then send it to the home position. Once the mount stops moving I loosen the clutches and set the home position manually. Power the mount off and back on again and select start from parked. Carry out the star alignment and that's it. The mount then works perfectly and the go to is accurate. At the end of the session I send it to park scope and it always returns perfectly to counterweights down and Dec pointing to the celestial pole. Then switch off. The mount then remembers the park position.

[crush]

Thanks @bosun21 I have been trying this tonight and every thing seems to be working ok now, especially after doing the now obvious and put the mount in EQ mode.