NEQ6 Pro

[Kaine]

Hi guys, Yet again an annoying noob with the inevitable how do i align mount question?. (sorry) . I have read many posts and asto baby treads helped a lot. Problem i have is after following guide for idiots and using polarfinder for transit its not adding up. I have a transit time of 22.30 tonight for my position 6 degrees 15 mins. W. So i set Polarscope to down position and lock RA scale to 0 at mark. I set date to 11/26 and mark line to 0 L Degress on same scale. I believe thats it right?. Now here comes the problem !!!!. On the eq5 in astro babys pics the time and date scales are close making this easy. On neq6 time scale is at the RA axis mid way up mount, date/L scale is at the polarscope eyepiece making it terrible hard to be percise. Also there is another pointer in line with the RA pointer at the Date/L scale but i am lost as to what to align date with now. The pointer at the Polarscope eyepiece or try viusally match date to time scale line of sight on RA scale. I have been at this process now for 4 days since recieving mount and am about to give up and lock it away in shed for all time . No mater which i try, align time to site of Ra scale or 0 to RA scale with Transit Pos in polarscope and date to second pointer.... when i set current time of day and compair to polarfinder program polaris is no were near polar scope POS. Am i just totally making this complicated or am i just this dumb. Sorry again for another annoying post that you guys have covered a million times but im totally lost now. I know this is a long post so basically in short. 1. Can anyone with Neq6 mount help? as they will know pos of all dials. 2. Why does after locking Ra scale and say moving to a time make the date/L scale rotate aswell making it imposs to set a time to a date as i can see?. 3. Is there a transit approx every 24hrs of polaris?. 4. Do i just go out rotate Ra access till polaris is in little circle in Polarscope and Lock up mount and done?. Please please help anyone ...

Thanks guys .

[Steve 1962]

Hiya Kaine

I'm afraid I can't be bothered with all that messing about - I just use Polarfinderscope - a freeware programme which can be downloaded here;

Free Polar Alignment Software Download Polar FinderScope by Dr. Dale Jason Version 2.04

Run the programme, then just rotate the mount so that Polaris is in the position indicated by Polarfinderscope and then use your mount's alt and ra adjustment knobs to put Polaris in the target - job done!

Hope this helps

Steve

[Kaine]

Sweet , ima try that if sky stays clear which it is now. That would be much easier. Fingers crossed will let u know.. Thanks Steve

[Vic&Al]

As a newbee I also have had similar problems setting up this mount it does seem overly complicated, but basically all you need to do is set up the mount so polaris is in the same position through the polarscope as it is in the sky at that time. I think all setting circle positions are overridden after Synscan alignment (please correct me if I am wrong)

Regarding your second point I think the date scale moves the position of polaris in your polarscope relative not to the time of day but to polaris position throughout the year, so it should lock with the RA axis.

I found the polar alignment instructions that came with my mount are terribly confusing. And even when I am aligned when the mount does its 3 star alignment the first is alway MILES out. (where does the scope need to be pointed to start with????)

Just realised I have probably just asked as many questions as you have! but I am sure with a bit of practice it will come.

Al

[Astro_Baby]

If you have the Pro version with Synscan you dont need Polarfinder - during the alignment process the mount will give you the clock position of Polaris. ie it will see POlaris HA 15:00 CLock 08:30 - ignore the HA number - the clock is 22:30 so you align the mount so that the small circle marked as 'Polaris' is at the 8:30 position on a clock face - ie 6 o clock is dead down and 12 o clock is straight up. Imagine where the hour hand would be at 8:30 and theres where Polaris should be.

The polar alignment sequnece using the setting circles described in my guide is a skill thats ueful none the less as it allows you to set any EQ mount with its onw setting circles - and if you have just the basic versions of the mount its pretty much the most accurate way of doing it if your in the field with no computer.

[Kaine]

Yep i seen that info on screen assumed i used it to turn time and date etc so scope was looking at Polaris too. Now i see that it is just alignment of mount and not telescope. how simple it is i feel even more stupid lol, i just got bogged down in this alingment i think got stuck. Will do as u say and then carry out alingnment with controller which as Al states is no were near lol. Thanks guys hope this is end of probs and i can start viewing... will let you all know

[Astro_Baby]

I don't think anyone in the history of astronomy has ever gotten it right with the HEQ5 or EQ6 mounts for the first few times

[Steve 1962]

Thanks Astrobaby - I always wondered what the Polaris feature on the handset was all about - I've also just found the same thing on EQMOD

[astroimpulse]

I know I'll probably get shot down for saying this () but, forget about the setting circles for now.

PA via the PA scope is straight forward and to be honest...the setting circles often don't work/move properly. A lot of simple things can often be unnecessarily over complicated in this hobby.