NEQ6-Pro - mount bracket alignment?

[TerryW]

Can someone help please?

I had to change the mount bracket on my new neq6-pro. This is the interchangeable part that the telescope slots into. The mount was delivered with two mount brackets. The wrong one was fitted as standard and I swapped it over for the right one.

The issue is, the mount bracket swivels through 360 degrees and there is no locating pin. Great design eh.

When I do the star alignment the mount points the right way but the scope is swivelled on the mis-fitted mount bracket?

Does anyone know a simple method of aligning the mount bracket so that the scope is still pointing where the software expects it to be.

Thanks in advance.

Terry

[Merlin66]

I changed my puck to the GEOPTIK losmandy design. Once you've used the three small grub screws to attach the puck to the end of the Dec shaft it doesn't matter after that. The controller and or your PC GOTO etc sort things out...no issues.

[Merlin66]

the mount points the right way but the scope is swivelled - Have you tried undoing the Dec clamp and just rotating the scope in Dec to suit. The controller has no idea how the scope is clamped to the mount and when you make the initial star aligment it sorts itself out...

[TerryW]

Now I am really confused (what is new eh?).

I take it the "puck" mentioned is the 'whatsit' that is held on by grub screws that takes the telescope mounting bracket. I think it is referred to as the telescope mounting bracket in the blurb.

I must be missing something (probably my brain). The software doesn't know where the telescope is pointing as I understand it. It only knows where the mount is pointing. If you loosen the grub screws and swivel the puck round the scope could be pointing anywhere. The puck makes the telescope directionally independent of the mount in terms of declination (once the grub screws are loosened).

I would expect the instructions to say something like "place the groove for the scope mounting bracket at 90 degrees to the axis of the mount" or something like that.

Can anyone tell me what I am missing. I am sure I don't understand something.

Terry

[chrisshillito]

I must be missing something (probably my brain). The software doesn't know where the telescope is pointing as I understand it. It only knows where the mount is pointing.

In truth the software hasn't a clue where the mount is actually pointing - there are no absolute position encoders on the mount.

The software makes its initial moves based on the assumtion that you powered the mount up with the telescope pointing at the "home position". Goto alignment then allows the software to learn how the true telescope position relates in practice to the software's assumption of where the mount is pointing.

Chris.

[Merlin66]

I just positioned the puck/whatsit/ telescope mounting bracket so that the locking knobs were in the best position for me:p nothing to do with the mount...

Chris is right in saying (all) mounts are stupid and don't know where they are until you tell them!

[PeterW]

When you attach a side by side mounting bar you have to rotate the head 90degrees, as people have mentioned, the multistar align will sort most things out.

Cheers

PEterW

[Digz]

In truth the software hasn't a clue where the mount is actually pointing - there are no absolute position encoders on the mount.

The software makes its initial moves based on the assumtion that you powered the mount up with the telescope pointing at the "home position". Goto alignment then allows the software to learn how the true telescope position relates in practice to the software's assumption of where the mount is pointing.

Chris.

Thats useful to rememeber as I was wondering if I needed to do anything should I decided to go for a side-by-side arrangement with regards to puck orientation etc.

[TerryW]

Thanks everyone. I finally "dropped in". Yes, the mounting bracket can point the scope anywhichway you want. When you align with the first star you tell the software where it is pointing.

Martin in FLO mentioned that most people put the scope in an upward pointing pose with the weights pointing down. I moved the puck until this was achieved and I haven't looked back.

Thanks again.

Terry.