[Wavytone]

Here's the Idiots Guide aka "SYNSCAN for beginners":

1. Forgetting to level the tripod (D'uh).
2. Forgetting to set the mount with the RA axis aimed roughly at the pole (using a compass).
3. Forgetting to align the mount to +/- 0.5 degree with the pole (using dec circle or drift method).
4. Forgetting to put the scope in the PARK position before power-up the handset (and you wonder why it slews 90 degrees off, or into the ground...)
5. Forgetting to clamp the axes before commencing the SYNSCAN alignment routine.
6. "Fat finger" or ID=10T errors when configuring the SYNSCAN handset - eg setting the latitude to N when it should be S, timezone to being - 10h instead of +10h, daylight saving on/off.

All of the above play havoc. Only solution is to redo all the steps.

Symptoms:

A. If all works more-or-less but GOTO are consistently off by a degree or so in some direction, redo steps 1, 2, 3, and check the clutches are firm. If the clutches are locked and you're sure the rest was OK, use the PAE function to force a correction in particular areas of the sky, or redo from scratch.

B. if the result is an objects consistently drift in dec, and GOTOs are off be a few degrees, you missed steps 2 or 3.

B. During the SYNSCAN alignment, if the first slew to a target is way off target (ie >10 degrees, possibly 90 degrees or more) you have probably missed steps 4 or 5 or you have committed sin #6.. = power off and redo from scratch.

C. Failing to clamp the axes is fatal. This results in wacky results - some GOTO's will be close, some will be waaaay off. Power off and redo from scratch.

D. Slipping RA clutch - when clamped, push the scope in RA and it slips. As alluded to recently, if you are using an AZEQ6 the RA clutch can slip - no matter how tight the handle is pushed - when the clutch material has compressed with use. A temporary fix is to balance your scope so it doesn't slip when clamped. But a more permanent fix may require maintenance - ie disassembly - to fix the clutch.