Guest jameslcfc Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I have been trying to use my sons telescope but havent set it up correctly yet. I have been turning it to find certain stars and the moon to get used to my eye pieces. When im in position i try and turn the Dec and it only turns one way like its reached the end of the bolt. If i turn it the oposite way it locks off again. All i was wondering is where the dec or ra screws are supposed to be located when the scope is setup correctly So that they dont lock off halfway through viewing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hi James. First things first. What scope and mount is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Graham, I think It is a astromaster 114eq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jameslcfc Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hi, yes its an astromaster 114 eq mount Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werisit Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hello James. It is important to balance the telescope in the mount. If it's biased it will move easily in one direction but will put too much strain on the gears in the other and may make it hard or impossible to turn. Once it's all assembled, including finder and eye piece, unlock the RA and Dec screws, one at a time, so that the scope can rotate freely. You should be able to set it in any position and it stay there, ie, not swing around. To adjust Dec balance, slide the tube up or down in the rings. For RA balance move the counter weight up or down the shaft. Once you've found the best positions you can mark them with a bit of tape. If you fit an accessory of a different weight you may need to adjust it again. Are you ok with how to align your polar axis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werisit Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hello again. I just found a better picture of your scope and it clearly shows the Dec screw which is not a 360 degree gear so you will have to centre it to allow 2 way adjustment. I've added a red arrow to the pic pointing to the lug that you will need to centre with the Dec Knob. The pic shows it in the correct position to allow equal movement in either direction. It's best to have a play with the set up in the warmth and light of your living room. Celestron Astromaster 114 by Alan Piggott, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jameslcfc Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Thankyou for all your effort. I will have to center it before i start and will take a look later. I thought it was a 360 degrees. I have balanced it all up already although as the scope is new it is quite stiff anyway. I cant move the main telescope as the brackets only fit in one position but its balanced. I believe i know how to find the polar star and align although i have not done so yet. I have the telescope in my loft room and view to the south through the velux so cant see north to align. I will start taking it outside and take a look as the heat from my roof is affecting the image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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