Help Wanted: Someone in NSW to check an AZ-EQ6 mount prior to shipping

[BrianRaynor]

I'm hoping someone in NSW is able to help me with this.

I'm in Perth and am arranging to buy an AZ-EQ6 mount from a seller in Cherrybrook, but I'd like to get someone to check it out before it's shipped.

If you're able to visit the seller's house and check the mount, I'm happy to pay a service fee.

PM me so we can discuss details.

[Baza]

Hi Brian
Where in Sydney please? Suburb, I may be able to help. What do you expect from an inspection?

0421279542

[BrianRaynor]

Still looking for someone

[Wavytone]

I don’t think you realise how big Sydney is, and how awful the traffic.

Until you say where it is you’re unlikely to get any offers, most sydneysiders won’t do 4 hour drives on a whim. It really is cheaper - and possibly quicker to send a courier across the continent - than crossing this city end to end.

[Kunama]

The post above says Cherrybrook

[Zuts]

Hi,

(1) I go to Castle Hill on the weekends, which is close to Cherrybrook. However you need to say what you expect.

Is a one star alignment during the day, check can slew using hand control, all the bits and pieces are there enough or do you expect more.

More could be night setup and viewing, check of guide port etc.

Do you expect the checker to guarantee the check...

Your request is a bit unclear as to your expectations.

(2) A better way may be to pay for a mount service at Bintel. You could say you would buy the mount contingent on the service report. This would probably cost around $100 plus courier to Bintel (but that is my guess on the price).

Cheers
Paul

[BrianRaynor]

Yes, that's what I had in mind. Just a sanity check to make sure all is in order.

I know there's a lot that can be wrong with a mount that only a thorough inspection would reveal, but I can deal with those issues if necessary.

[Wavytone]

Just powering it up and seeing if the axes make “Bzzzzt” noises and slews doesn’t prove very much - as I found out once with an AZEQ6 that was basically stuffed.

I’d suggest take along an iPhone with Sky Safari and try the following test:

1. Set up equatorially without a telescope on top. Level and pointing north doesn’t really matter, for this well assume the mount is level and oriented north-south regardless of which way it is actually facing.

2. Manually put mount on the park position (declination -90, hour angle 0 ie dec axis pointing vertically down opposite the meridian).

3. Set the date and time for say 9pm in the evening.

4. Set Sky Safari for the same date and time (approximate will do).

5. Start a 2-Star alignment and pick two stars clearly above the horizon according to Sky Safari.

6. Observe where it slews to, from the park position it should go to the general direction of the first star; press ENTER and let it slew to the second star, and press ENTER for that.

If it appears to slew to roughly the right position, all good. If it tries to skew to some wacky position like driving the scope into the ground, it fails.

7. Assuming it passed 6, try a GOTO to some obvious candidate like Jupiter, if it points in the right direction (according to Sky Safari) then all good.