Some advice please - scope mount

[ashenlight]

Hi everyone

As its cloudy I've been getting to grips with my scope and the mount. Just been learning how to balance so I know how to do it without referring to the Telescope instruction manual, etc.

Got a couple of questions regarding the mount when polar aligning:

1) When I try to unlock the hinge of the mount in preparation to set my latitude, it seems really stiff and doesn't seem to 'give' to suggest its been loosened at all - I turned it so much earlier it screwed out.... eek. So when I try to 'spin' the screw that changes the angle, its really stiff... is this how it should be? The manual says 'spin' as though it should be really easy to move, lol.

2) I've never polar aligned before, just been pointing the scope in the right direction and I've been lucky so far, finding things easily. Now I want to get into viewing galaxies etc I thought I'd better learn how to polar align. Now, when I loosen the RA lock knob and move the telescope around the RA axis, the RA setting circle MOVES WITH the telescope....I would have thought this would stay still, so that as the telescope moves, taking the pointer with it, you use the pointer and line it up with the right RA number on the circle. Hmm. Am I doing it wrong? Or would it all make sense when I'm actually out there, doing it for real?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I can actually see it being nothing but incoherent drivel, gah. I'm such a beginner.

Amanda

[steppenwolf]

Hi Amanda,

1. The 'hinge' is normally pretty stiff and I would not expect the latitude bolt to 'spin'. However, it makes sense to make this adjustment with no weight on the mount to ease the tension on the bolt.

2. This is correct as there should be a fixed pointer on the mount and as you turn the RA axis, the RA setting circle should revolve past the pointer.

[ashenlight]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply

on (2), just been turning the RA axis, the RA setting circle does revolve past the pointer, as it should, but after a little while of revolving, the setting circle moves a little, as though it is getting 'pushed' along with the revolving motion of the RA axis. It is a very small movement though. Any thoughts on this? The RA setting circle seems to 'move' up and down too, its as if its not properly attached to something?

[steppenwolf]

It is 'normal' for the setting circle to have a small amount of vertical movement in it. I am not entirely sure what you mean about "but after a little while of revolving, the setting circle moves a little, as though it is getting 'pushed' along with the revolving motion of the RA axis" as earlier in the same sentence you acknowledge that it IS moving as it should! Perhaps I am missing something here, however, I am a bloke and I am currently breathing so have used up my allowance of only being able to do one thing at a time so I have no reserves for anything like intelligent thought

[philsail1]

Sorry to "butt in" Amanda (and Steve), but are you aware that when adjusting the "Altitude" on the Skywatcher EQ mount, you need to tighten the opposite bolt as you slacken the other (or vice versa). If this is not done, you risk the mount head suddenly falling a couple of inches one way or the other.

I do beg your pardon if you are aware of this - or if I have misunderstood what you are trying to do.

Regards,

philsail1

[ashenlight]

Haha, Steve, it is probably me being a woman and not used to things other than the oven and the duster I've just been having another look at it, and after the RA axis moves through about 100 degrees (moving as it should, with the setting circle remaining still and the pointer moving) the RA setting circle starts to wobble a bit... and then moves with the pointer. This really is a small movement though. My main concern is if this movement, no matter how small, will effect the accuracy of finding those fainter objects with the setting circles. Hope this makes sense :/ Maybe I should just get out there and try it, lol. Just with all this cloud thought I'd take the opportunity to make sure I fully understand it.

Thanks again for your help with this Steve

[steppenwolf]

Good interrupt Philsail1, not sure if this is an issue for Amanda but well worth airing as it is so easy to take these things for granted when you already 'know'!

Amanda, I am not fully conversant with the EQ2 mount but I am assuming that the pointer is fixed solidly to the non-moving part of the mount - can you confirm this?

[ashenlight]

I've just been having a think about this... maybe I should have engaged my brain before I've been reading about calibrating the R.A. setting circle and the manual talks about 'rotating' the R.A. setting circle until it reads the correct coordinates for the star being used to sett he RA circle (in this manual they use Vega) - so I'm assuming that little movements of the RA circle are inevitable, seen as it is loose enough to be able to move yourself, in order to calibrate it.

phil, thanks for bringing that up, I was aware of it, always good to be reminded though

steve, yes I can confirm this. I feel I may have been being a bit neurotic and protective over the mount and perhaps when I get out under the night sky, I will see that the RA setting circles works as it should.

Hmm.

[steppenwolf]

I suspect that you are right and that under a star filled sky, this will all make more sense.

If there is still doubt after a 'real' sky test, you may find the following link of interest as although it is for the Orion version of this mount, the two are all but identical - don't confuse the issue for now but keep this in reserve:-

http://content.telescope.com/rsc/img/catalog/product/instructions/inst_eq-2_mount.pdf

[ashenlight]

Thank you Steve, I have bookmarked that and will keep it in reserve. Thank you for your time and explanation, I think I was just being a bit panicky that is all! How embarrassing lol! Brings a whole new meaning to the 'learning curve.'

Thanks again

Amanda

[Astro_Baby]

HI Amanda, I assume its an EQ2 mount.

My latitude bolt bolts were always quite stiff on mine. The RA circle has a small thumbscrew just above it which either locks the circle or loosens it. Its a small silver screw about 1 inch above the RA circle.

I attached a pic below of this pesky screw.....also might be worth you having a quick look at a guide I wrote HERE - it might help.

From memory the EQ2 RA scale should move smoothly with the RA axis. If I turned the RA scale by hand then the scale would move but with a kind of slick feel as if the scale was moving against a heavy grease. The small screw I mention would lock the scale and I never really understood what you;d lock the scale for. Theres a sense in lo9cking the RA scale on an HEQ5 as you need to lock it to use the polar finder calculator but it made no snese to have the RA locked on the EQ2 that I could see.

Setting circles are always a pain and very few budget mounts have really good ones. My HEQ5 has setting circles which are pants, I'm told the EQ6 is the same. My sister has an EQ3-2 and the setting circles on that seem VERY well made and she tells me they work pretty well.

[ashenlight]

Hi Astro_Baby, thankyou for your reply. It makes more sense to me now I'll have a read of your guide now, thankyou for linking me to it.

[steppenwolf]

My sister has an EQ3-2 and the setting circles on that seem VERY well made and she tells me they work pretty well.

I can confirm that even though I'm not your sister

[irishbloke]

Hi Amanda,

I had the same scope as you and on the altitude bit I just tilted the weight of the tube up of the screw and the screw will spin freely. I found that getting the angle up to 60 or so for balancing I could get it stuck on the mount itself. Bit of a pain. Could have had to take the scope of to unscrew the mount to free the lever!

Enjoy the scope. I know I did.

Brian

Ps Great lunar sketches. You got some serious talent!

[philsail1]

Hello Amanda,

I can see you're receiving plenty of good advice from "Steve," "Astrobaby," and "Irishbloke," so I will leave you in their capable hands!

Best wishes,

philsail1

[Terry]

Hi Amanda

I have to endorse what Astro Baby says, that setting circles on the 130 PM are not very accurate. I have the same scope and have tried to use the setting circles with little success. At best they only got me in the general area and then it was down to star hopping or just scanning round.

[ashenlight]

Thanks for your replies everyone - I had a look at that peksy screw Astro_Baby pointed out and on loosening it slightly, the RA setting circle had very very little movement in it when I was moving around the RA axis - methinks in my excitement on receiving the scope I may have twiddled it and tightened it a little too much, causing the RA setting circle to be a little to snug to the rest of the scope, making it move, if you see what I mean.

Will keep you posted on the accuracy of the setting circles, been waiting a week now to test them out but the cloud is unrelenting.

[Stars in Their Eyes]

Hi Amanda, I was having similar problem with my mount but reading this whole thread has helped me too! If only things were easy, but I guess that's half the fun of learning!!