Sheila Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Having a crisis here! I have 3 sets of instructions for my 8" newtonian reflector and EQ5 go to mount with Synscan. 1. Astronomical Telescope user guide 2. Instruction manual EQ5 mount 3. Instruction manual SynScan 1 and 2 say I have to align the reticule then polar align. The other (3) says only polar aligment necessary? Any help or advice would be appreciated cos the instructions are written in ancient greek as far as I can see. I can't follow any of it Neither have I seen Polaris since about march!!! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Hi. From what I understand from when I was round yours, it is all a matter of how acurate you want your mount to be. If you want it "as near as - not fussed if it is a bit off" then just option 3 will do, but who wants that? But if you want it spot on perfect (which most people will, also a must for astro photography!!) then you need to align the mount so the leg with N is pointing North, then polar align so that Polaris is bang in the middle of the little circle on your reticule, then you need to do at least a 2 star alignment (3 star will be even better), so than when tracking, the mount will track perfectly and if doing astro photography, you will not get star trails. If I had your setup, that is what I would do. Somebody please correct me if wrong, as I don't own an eq mount! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Doctor Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 It's so long since I had my scope out I'm having to exercise the grey matter trying to remember lol Daz you are spot on: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Doctor Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Continued...... pressed the wrong key der!!! 1 point the mount North 2 polar align 3 2 or 3 alignment stars (the more the better and centre acurately in both the finder and scope) 4 2-4 calbration stars (the more the better and centre acurately in both the finder and scope) It goes without saying that the more time you spend and the more accurately you carry out the alignment process the better the goto will find things. Sorry there's no short cuts to this but you do get faster with experience. Job done sit back press the keys and the mount will find everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 What do you mean by callibration stars? Tell your mount to find 2-3 stars, each time fine tuning the mount manually, does the mount learn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I know I have to polar align but the step I am talking about is before this. It says to do it in daylight and focus on a distant object and rotate to see if it stays in the same position? The fact that all I can see in the polar scope is a star map does not help? Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Errrrrrrr, lost now, sorry. Not quite sure what that is implying. Polaris is not stationary hence the little circle in the reticule is part of a slightly bigger circle, the bigger circle being the "orbit" of Polaris. As Poliris is not stationary, I don't understand the point of picking an object and rotateing the mount to see if it stays in the same position. Handing over to somebody else who knows, sorry Sheila. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 The step Sheila is referring to is aligning the polar scope to the RA axis. Ignore this, ignore everything bar two simple steps. 1) Point the scope North 2) Do a two star alignment using the handset This will get you close enough to GOTO most objects, and keep them in FOV for a good while The rest can come with time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Thanks for that, I was begining to believe that old adage about blonde and dumb was true! When I get a clear night will have another go, want to do some astrophotography but that can wait while i get used to things for a while Thanks Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Thanks for that, I was begining to believe that old adage about blonde and dumb was true! When I get a clear night will have another go, want to do some astrophotography but that can wait while i get used to things for a while Thanks Sheila If you want to try your hand at photography, then yes, the rest of the alignment stuff will need to come The other thing I should of suggested to do it daylight is to align the finderscope (the small one) with the main scope. You can do this with a distant tree, telegraph pole, electric pylon. Ideally a mile or more away, however you can do it on a closer target if you absolutely must. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Will have a look in the instructions for aligning the finderscope and hope that is not all in ancient greek too!! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 (edited) Will have a look in the instructions for aligning the finderscope and hope that is not all in ancient greek too!! Sheila Don't worry about the instructions The finder scope (the small one that sits on the main scope) has three adjustment screws on it. If you look through the finder scope whilst you tighten and untighten these screws, you will see the view "move". All you are trying to do is point the main scope at something (by looking through an eyepiece, try and get say the top of a telegraph pole in the centre of the view) then get the finder scope to point at the same thing by adjusting those screws (and looking through the end of the finder scope and trying to align the crosshair over the same telegraph pole.) Edited July 18, 2012 by Kheldar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Thanks, I don't understand why these folks can't write instructions in plain English. Will try this when I finish work today many thanks Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 I think "Align the reticule" posibly refers to collimating the polar scope - it has three adjustment grubscrews for that. But I think at this stage you would be well advised to hang on till we all meet and someone can show you. I know the principal but haven't attempted doing it yet. Basically the polar scope needs to be square to the mount before polar aligning the mount. Alternatively it might refer to aligning the finder scope with the OTA - that bits a doddle lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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