Aligning & parking AZ EQ6-GT mount

[Guest fondofchips]

I'm having a few problems with aligning & parking my AZ EQ6-GT mount.

 

My pier in the obsy is level, the head isn't quite pointing North but close.

I tried to align it using only Stellarium as we haven't had much clear sky recently & the mount seemed to be going close enough to the targets selected.

So I left it at that, went out Monday night, not enough clear sky & objects to do Star Alignment.

Tried to set it up again last night, used Google sky map app to confirm targets but even doing a 3 star alignment it's miles out when another object is selected & the mount asked to go to it.

 

Parking - if you want to park your telescope in the horizontal position & use Custom Position to save it then how do you get the mount back to the start position, aligned with Polaris?

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

[red dwalf]

are you sure the settings in handset are correct ? longitude and latitude, also the date format is in american format, i.e. month day year not day month year

[Guest fondofchips]

Thanks Rob, I'll check them again, its a bit strange that is was working previously so you are probably right.

[dawson]

There is a problem with some of these mounts it appears; mine included.

The solution is simple.

Set up, polar align, put the scope into the home position, lock the clutches, turn the mount and handset off.

Turn back on, enter the time (the date and coordinates will still be correct), don't release the clutches now until after the star alignment. You are already polar aligned so no need to release the clutches, so just start from the home position to do a star alignment. All will be well, the GOTO will be much better.

- - - -

It seems there is some issue with the encoders i think, which some how can initially upset the alignment and subsequent goto. But not releasing the clutches initially on your star alignment set up routine seems to solve the issue. Once the alignment is done, and the encoders are turned on, then you can release the clutches all you like, and it will keep its sky map position.

I think another solution is to turn the encoders off right at the start and then turn them back on after the star alignment. Else have them turned off all the time. I seldom now use them, as if i want to slew to something i just use the handset.

The solution above was suggested in the S@N magazine last year sometime.

The other things to think about are:

- do you have much back lash

- do you have much cone error

- do you need a three star alignment or if staying mainly in one area of the sky, would two be sufficient?

- are you starting from the "home" position (roughly home position i mean, you don't need to be bang on)?

- are you well balanced?

I hope you get it sorted.

Jd

[dawson]

What version of the handset are you using? When you turn it on, one of the first screens quickly flashes up "v3.35" or other numbers. Otherwise, there is an option in either the setup or utilities menu for "information" and one of the sub-menus there gives you handset version. If you are running anything ore 3.35, then i'd get the handset flashed with the latest firmware. This is easy to do if you have the lead and a suitable link to a computer.

Parking... What i've done is at the end of the night, slew the scope into the position i want, then select "park in current position" (or whatever the wording is), then it tells you to turn off. Next time you turn on, enter the new date, and the new time (ideally use the same precise device for the time keeping as you used when setting up the first time, i use the same app on my phone and enter to the second accuracy), then it will ask "start from parked position" to which the answer is yes. Assuming you haven't moved the mount or the scope at all, your polar alignment of the mount will be as good (or as bad) as it was the previous time you set up, and the star alignment should be pretty reasonable; tell it to slew to a new target and see how it does.

If using the parked scope at night the second time then i personally wouldn't bother parking and just start from the home position and do a fresh star alignment as that takes <60 seconds. If you want to use the scope in a twilight sky where you can't see alignment stars, then that is another matter, and that is when i've used the parking function.

Jd

[dawson]

It was the September issue of the S@N magazine:

 

http://www.eastmidlandsstargazers.org.uk/topic/5744-sn-review-of-the-azeq6/

 

JD

[Guest fondofchips]

Thanks for the information James, handset version is V3.35.

Polar alignment is part of the problem, I do not have enough azimuth adjustment to get the mount into polar alignment, the peg is in the wrong position.

I will need to drill a new hole in the EQ6 adaptor, meanwhile I have removed the alignment peg altogether & polar aligned the mount without it.

 

With the mount polar aligned I did a 3 star alignment then asked the mount to go to Mars, it got close enough so just aligned it with the handset.

 

Then I asked it to go to Saturn, it pointed the scope roughly in the right direction but ended up below the horizon.

 

I did not switch off the mount after polar alignment though so I need to try that & all the other things you have suggested here.

 

A bit frustrating as I've had the mount 2 months now & not had much clear sky to set it up properly.

 

Cheers,

Harry.

[Brantuk]

"I do not have enough azimuth adjustment to get the mount into polar alignment, the peg is in the wrong position."

 

Shouldn't make any difference - just turn the tripod so the peg is pointing North - no need to drill extra holes. The peg is usually aligned with one of the legs which also points North - but not a biggie if it's between two legs cos the weight is well spread by the tripod base. Unless there's something more ominous. Or is it on a pier?

 

(Scratch that - I just re-read the op - drill away. lol)

Edited May 15, 2014 by Brantuk