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Old 13-04-2020, 08:23 PM
Grass2020
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Can't get mount to align properly

Hey guys. I live out near Camden NSW. I bought myself a Star Watcher EQ5 pro mount last year. With the Synscan hand held device to try and do some planetary observing.

I have tried many times to try and get the darn thing to align. But for the life of me, I cannot get the thing to align correctly. I know it's something to do with aligning it via the southern pole, and I have tried that to absolutely no avail.

I have been trying and trying and failing miserably, and I am left with 2 options.

1) I am doing something very wrong and can't get it to work.

2) There is something wrong with the mount / hand held computer system that it came with and I need to get it replaced / repaired.

I was wondering, if there was anyone here familiar with this kind of equipment who may know how to set this darned thing up? I am at a complete loss and would dearly love any help that you may be able to give me.

Cheers.
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Old 13-04-2020, 09:26 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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I assume you mean it’s a Skywatcher EQ5 Mount ?
“Basic steps”!to polar align an ( EQ) equatorial Mount for visual observations
1/ Set tripod with front leg ( marked N ) pointing true south ( not magnetic south )
2/ Accurately level tripod on all 3 axis using a builders level
3/ Place mount on tripod and set “home position” for mount
4/ Install counterweights and telescope
5/ Balance Mount
6/ Set Mount back to “home position”
7/ Perform 2 star alignment in accordance with Synscan prerequisites for equatorial Mount
8/ After 2 star alignment , perform Synscan “polar alignment routine” in accordance with manual
9/ Return mount to home position
10/ Your ready to slew to targets in the night sky and observe

I have detailed methods on all these procedures. Another member has asked for help too about 5 days ago to align his new HEQ5 mount , so I will post procedures for him when he’s ready and others like yourself can read and use them
I’m sure the EQ5 is similar to the HEQ5 mount
Cheers
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Old 14-04-2020, 12:03 AM
Grass2020
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Set "Home position" and "True South"

I am not too sure what you mean by these two statements? I am sorry to be such a pain but could you please elaborate?

I would very much love the detailed methods that you spoke of. Thank you very much for your reply and your willingness to help.
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Old 14-04-2020, 05:57 AM
Pepper (Steve)
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hey mate,
I had dramas with this when I first got my mount. But once you get your head around it, it will become easier.
Martin has outlined it pretty well. better than the manual that's for sure.

here is how a dum dum like me does it. im using the Eq5Pro too.

1.find out your magnetic declination.which according to magnetic-declination.com is +12.54deg

2. true south is 180deg - the mag dec for your area. so you need to point the front leg of your tripod toward 168deg.

Level the tripod with a proper spirit level.
I do this by levelling between leg 1-2, 2-3, 3-1

Using a inclinometer, set the altitude to 34deg using the 2 silver screws with the flappy tab on them to move the head of mount

3. balance your scope on each axis. one axis at a time.
when balanced, lock up the clutches so the scope is in the home position.
this is with the scope pointing south, and up 34deg.

4. now your ready to turn it on.

5. ALignment of Synscan.
when you turn on the controller you will have to input critical information.
First its gonna ask for your location. make sure when you input this you have the latitude set to south, and the longitude set to East.

When it asks for date, it needs to be put in MM/DD/YYYY. Very important you get this right or your scope will take off in wild directions.

make sure time zone set to +10 and the daylight saving is set to NO.

When setting the time, I make sure I input it to the second.

once all that is done, your ready to align the Synscan on the beast.

using the up and down keys on the bottom of the controller, choose 2 star alignment.
it will prompt you to choose first star.
scroll thru the list until you find your chosen star and hit enter.
the mount will slew to where it thinks that star is, don't worry if its not deadly accurate at this point.
when it stops, it will ask you to centre the star in the eyepiece.
A illuminated reticle eyepiece is invaluable here, although not absolutely necessary.
you can change the slew rate by pressing RATE-number-ENTER to slow it down or speed it up.
once you press enter it will ask to choose a second star.
once it slews to the general vicinity and stops, you will have to centre the star in the eyepiece just like the first one.
after you press enter, it will(or should) say ALIGNMENT SUCCESSSFUL.

Now, using bottom arrows, scroll down to POLAR ALIGNMENT

when you hit enter, it will ask you to choose a star.
when you choose star from list your mount should slew to star with reasonable accuracy but may not be spot on.
anyhoo, it will ask you to center star, and when you press enter it will move off the star a little bit.
it will then be asking you to use the altitude adjuster screws(silver flappy ones at front and back) to recenter the star. when close as you can get it, press ENTER
the mount will then move off star a tiny bit again then prompt you to re-centre the star using the azimuth knobs. adjust azimuth knobs until star is close to centre.
when your satisfied, hit Enter.
Now scroll back up to 2 star align, and do that procedure one more time.
at the end of the 2 star aligh after it says ALIGNMENT SUCCESSFUL, it will give you your polar alignment error. you wanna be seeing lots of zeros here. if its still way too high, do the polar alignment routine and star alignment routine again until your happy.
if your happy, exit out of the alignment menu.
you can then head into the search menus and find something cool to look at.

my eq5pro is spot on after the alignment. everything i wanna look at will end up smack bang in the middle of the fov without any intervention from myself.
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Old 14-04-2020, 08:23 AM
Startrek (Martin)
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Steve
Great easy to read summary
One more bit of advice I would add and that is selection of alignment and PA star
I found after nearly 4 years of using Synscan that selecting stars within 20 degrees of the south meridian and between 30 degrees and 60 degrees in Altitude results in less PA error and of course less iterations
At the moment I’m using Acrux and Hadar and getting down to 000:00:20 to 000:00:50 on a regular basis
I use Acrux and Hadar as 2 star alignment stars and Acrux as my PA star

I’m an observer and imager so really tight PA is important to me for imaging , not so much for visual

My 2 cents.......
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Old 14-04-2020, 04:58 PM
kon1966 (Kon)
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Home position and true south

Home Position of the mount, also known as Parking Position, is the initial state from were we begin to operate our mount.
https://www.myastroscience.com/homeposition
I have a celestron AVX and they are marked for me already.

True south, go to this YT link and will explain magnetic south,true south and basic setup of your eq mount.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SZ8Otnr3rs

regards
Kon
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Old 26-04-2020, 03:25 AM
Grass2020
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Sorry it has taken me so long to reply to this thread.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted a reply on my thread here. I have read every word, and have still not been successful in my attempts.

I think I am going to wait until this COVID thing calms the heck down (Or they get a vaccine) and pay someone to come to my home and set it up with me. To see if it's something that I am doing, or if it's something to do with the telescope itself.

Again, I very much appreciate everyone attempting to help.
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Old 26-04-2020, 09:17 AM
Startrek (Martin)
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Have you seen my recent post on setting up an HEQ5 mount ( similar to EQ5 )
It has clear step by step procedures
Have a look I’m sure to will assist you as I’m sure your frustrated
If you follow carefully step by step I’m sure you can polar align your mount
Have another try !!
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  #9  
Old 26-04-2020, 02:02 PM
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Outcast (Carlton)
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Just in case you have trouble finding the thread Martin is referring to:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=182271
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Old 26-04-2020, 03:46 PM
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xelasnave
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Search on YouTube...there are plenty of videos ... watching may show something fundamental that you miss...so fundamental no one mentions it.
Alex
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