eq mount questions...

[stevoggo (Stephen)]

Hi Everyone,
I have an 8" dob, had no problems using it..got me very excited about astronomy saw heaps..
recently purchased a 4 1/2" york reflector on a EQ mount from a garage sale ($50) I am very proud!) thought it would be quicker and easier to set up and use for some quick sessions in my back yard.
But now my astronomy evenings have deteriorated into hours of trying to find something to look at.
i have read the article on polar aligning and i am pretty confident when i start it is polar aligned..close enough...
From this point on..do I have to move it only using the two dials? because my garden faces north so by the time I have twiddled the nobs around the eyepiece no longer faces a convenient height, so i have to twist the tube in the mount....
It just seems so difficult compared to alt azi
Am I missing a big part of using this mount?
I have been up to the pony club before and will probably get there again when I get time..but just now i am wanting to spend some quality time with the night sky in my garden...but its getting harder...
cheers all
Steve

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

you have hit the plataue...

Now with the EQ, for me they arnt very good for just observing sure they give you the "fine" adjustment and work very well but they are fiddly when trying to dicipher which knob to rotate and what axis to twist. EQ mounts are generally used when guiding/goto are required or if your into photography.

Don't let this get you down.!!! The dob is specifically desinged to be used as a plonk and go maximizing your "Garden Time" and with 2 1/2 " more aperature USE IT!

Keep a hold of your reflector though, they make awsome guide scopes if you ever turn to the dark side! ive got a 4 1/4 " 6Ick Smith special mounted on the back of the 10" dob! its a brilliant guide scope!

So for now learn how to star hop this will serve you well (and make you look like a boffin when you show people things from the sky) and help you in your astronomical hobby to no end.

[dannat (Daniel)]

if you are roughly pointing south, and you have the angle of the mount pointing in line with your latitude that should be OK

are you using just the slo-mo controls to control the mount, there should be a couple of release levers for you to undo, then swing the mount to roughly the position then use th finder to get centred, then ude the two slo mo dials to move samll bits

[G1ZmO (Paul)]

I'm also a dob user but have noticed that EQ users often end up with the eyepiece in an odd place after moving from one area of the sky to another and resort to loosening the rings to enable rotating the tube so that the eyepiece is more accessible.

As for adjustments, if it's well ballanced then you should be able to unlock the releases and swing the scope around to the vicinity of your intended target.

I have found the Telrad finder a great help with the dob and think it would help many EQ users too.

All the best!

Paul

[astro_nutt]

Hi Steve!
Just a handy hint re:turning the tube in the rings...buy a pack of those self-adheisive rubber pads..get a pack of the larger variety...cut a few into strips about 1cm wide..stick a few of them onto the tube either side of the and against the tube rings to keep it in place when you loosen off the tube rings. This will help keep the the tube in it's balance point whilst rotating the tube...(I've made an Alt-atz mount using tube rings to make viewing more comfortable...I just rotate the tube for a better angle)
Cheers!

[Discocactus (Bill)]

Steve
My sympathies. I have been attempting to use a 6" tube on an EQ2 mount (also bought cheaply with a 4.5" scope). I have just added a fair amount of sheet lead to the counterweight because balance seems to be very important using this small mount. I expect the extra weight will help offset the light aluminium legs. The best improvement was recently when one of the slow motion controls broke off. Now it's very easy to move the scope without the knob getting in the way. Another improvement will be when a friend who is building a single engine plane will mould a resin handle for a broken RA knob. Finally, my next improvement will be to add a clock drive ($89 from Andrews for the deluxe model); although this seems like overcapitalisation, I just bought a 4 mm plossl (250X thru this scope) and tracking is gunna be a must. I'm also gunna buy a 40 mm (25X) plossl as a step up from the finder to use for easy location of objects. At least I finally got to see Jupiter's bands the other morning with this scope at 167X.

I have come to the conclusion that I should get a list of objects to look at in the same general area and plan my session beforehand.

Finally, the 4.5" I have gets out of collimation pretty easily so a combo collimator from Bintel was a good investment.

Have Fun

Bill

[M54 (Molly)]

Hi Steve,
In my beginners opinion, an equatorially mounted scope is much more difficult to use than a Dob. I'm dreaming of the day I can afford a 8" - 10" Dob.
The instruction manual that came with my Orion 130mm (which was a gift) says that once it is polar aligned, the scope should be moved ONLY on the R.A. and Dec. axes.
I've uploaded the relevant pages from the manual, I hope they are readable.
Hope this helps.
P.S. Bear in mind that the instructions are for the northern hemisphere, so the north and south instructions should be reversed, I think.

[stevoggo (Stephen)]

hi guys..
thanks for the advice lots of good tips there, especially the pads to stop the tube loosing its balance point as that does happen.
I was using only the dials..but worked out the quick release once I had a play in the daytime.
yes starhopping is probably a good idea.
Though i much prefer the dob..its large, packaged away, reasonably expensive so even though it would maximise viewing time..if I only have an hour before bed its much less practical to get it out and going when I can leave the eq mount set up and just start viewing straight away.
Thanks again everyone for your help i have tried it again and it wasn't as bad as the first time...
Lastly eq 2, EQ3, EQ4 how do you know what type of EQ mount you have?
Cheers all
Steve
PS M54 I got my dob second hand off this website and at a very reasonable price..after June the 30th the stockmarket will probably turn south again and at the end of july you might get yourself a telescope bargain...people will be selling off stuff to get through the hard times...

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

it isn't easy to see what you have, the easiest way would be to jump on Andrews,york,bintel and bring up photos the size does give it away and most likely with what you have it will be a EQ1 or EQ2.