First test with new setup!

[04Stefan07]

I managed to sneak in about 20 minutes worth of stargazing before the good old Melbourne clouds rolled in (I still have hope for later!). As some may know I upgraded from a stock mount to an HEQ5 Pro. The only test I was able to do (due to bad weather and busy nights) was on a tree that was not far from me and was impressed.

Tonight driving home from work keeping an eye on the sky and hoping those clouds won't be a problem...got home...ate dinner...and started preparing my new setup.

Tonight was basically to test out a few things.
1) Dew heater and placement of heater band
2) Mount stability while observing planets and stars
3) OTA focus knob

After about 10 minutes of setting everything up I was ready! Turned on the mount, entered the correct time, skipped all alignments and went straight to free control. My dew controller was on with the band just around the front of the OTA. I didn't really feel any heat set about 1/4-1/3 on the dial so I took it off and put it on high for a bit and felt the heat to check it was working!

Anyway I located Mars and had to manually unlock the RA and DEC dials and move the scope (I did this when it was off of course), aimed it at Mars in the finderscope and bang, it was centred in my eyepiece!

Focusing
I was using a Zoom eyepiece ranging from 24mm to 8mm. Now the focus knob on the OTA seems a little strange to me.
When focusing I would turn the knob and nothing will happen for about half a turn then it would get into focus. When I focus the other way the same thing would happen, nothing for about half a turn then the focusing would start.
Is this normal for SCT/MAKs or did I break something when I took the knob off and accidentally moved the focus metal in and out?

Visibility
According to an astro app I have on my mobile it mentioned that seeing conditions are the worst even though there was no cloud cover, and transparency is meant to be decent. At high power I was able to make out a colour variation on Mars' surface and at low power it basically just looked like a creamy dot. Is this due to poor seeing conditions or is there something wrong with my OTA? Hoping there isn't a collimation issue. I know Mars is very small but how much detail is my telescope capable of seeing on a good night vs a bad night?? Also what is the quality using a MAK vs Reflector?

Mount
I noticed there is a little bit of flex on the RA part of the telescope. Not a lot at all but at high power may seem like a lot. The locking knob is fastened tight. Anyone with the same mount have a similar issue? It moves ever so slightly but is something I can get used to and isn't a major problem.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

I am hoping it clears up later so I can go out and test it out again.

P.S. how the hell do I change the latitude angle of the mount, it is sitting on 40 degree and I need to get it down to 37???

[Renato1]

I've got a 6" and 5" MAK, and used to have a 4" MAK, and their focuser knobs never behaved like what you describe.

MAKs are notorious for needing up to an hour to cool down before delivering steady images on planets.

Don't judge collimation on Mars, just aim at a moderately bright star and put it out of focus, and hopefully observe a bulls-eye pattern of concentric rings forming on one side of focus (the image on my three, had a dark centre on the other side of focus).

That colour variation on Mars is all you typically see. You need high power and a red filter to make the features stand out better.
Regards,
Renato

[LewisM]

You change the latitude/altitude of the mount by adjustment of the 2 sliver bolts with the flip-flop metal levers. Loosen one and adjust the other. If lowering alt, back off the rear one and screw in the front. Do NOT use any manufacturer applied lat scale - they are SO inaccurate they may as well not be there, especially Skywatcher ones. Just get the free bubble level/inclinometer app and use that with your phone (not sure with Apple, seeing you seem an Apple person). Otherwise, go to Bunnings and get either a mechanical inclinometer, or a digital inclinometer.

If using the app, remember to "zero" the settings AFTER you put it flat against the top of the RA axis, NOT before or it will tell you a bogus reading. And your phone needs to lie on it's thin edge, not flt on the mount :)

Mak cool down time is LONG. When I had mine, I would leave it at least 2 hours before touching it (the Mak Newt was WORSE - the corrector plate is about 2" think at it's thickest point). THe Skywatcher focus knobs are shockingly sloppy - you have to remove it and relock them on the shaft. Still always got mirror flop, but not really that bad. And no where near as recalcitrant as yours sounds.

My Mak was GREAT for lunar and visual on GX and nebs but for some reason was odd on stars - never could pinpoint ANY star. Collimation maybe, but I reverted to full time refractorian very quickly :)

[04Stefan07]

Thank you for the feedback.

@Renato, would a red filter make much difference? I only use a Moon filter.

@Lewis, I used to have an iPhone but now have a Note 3 therefore on Android. I will have a look for the app. What is it called? Ah ha! I had a feeling it was them two metal bolts, I unscrewed them and nothing happened. I will try it again.

[Merlin66]

Download the manual for the HEQ5pro from the Skywatcher website.
It explains (as best it can!) all the operations/ and adjustments to get it fully functional.

[04Stefan07]

Yeah I already have that manual. I read how to do a polar alignment but it's confusing. It ends to have more visuals.

[Renato1]

A red filter is best - No. 23A or the darker No. 25. I remember when I first looked at Mars with my 8"SCT that I couldn't see anything on it. Then after staring for a while over an hour, I noticed a slight bit of persistent extra white on one side. I then remembered that I had a filter, put it on the eyepiece - and saw the polar ice cap stand out clear as day. And a few other darker markings.

A yellow/green filter aids a bit too.

Also, if you have any of those old Ambervision or BluBlocker sunglasses, they work well on the planets too - I've cut pieces off a pair of Ambervisions and stuck them inside the eyepiece on the field stop with Blutack, for very good results, especially on Jupiter and Saturn.
Regards,
Renato

[LewisM]

I use the Android App XClinometer. Free,works perfectly. Remember to change the scale when measuring, otherwise it thinks you have gone from vertical, rather than measuring from horizontal.

[04Stefan07]

Cool I will have a look for that app.

Not sure if a filter would be worth it and make much difference in a scope my size. I have one filter which I purchased about 2 years ago, it's a yellow one I think and I never use it.

Looks like the weather is going to be crap down in Melbourne for a while now.

[julianh72]

I use an app called Smart Tools https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.aboy.tools&hl=en-GB - I have the paid version (which has a whole bunch of functions), but there are free versions of the various tools as well.

Specifically, the two functions that are handy for setting up a scope are the compass (handy for "homing" a GoTo telescope to true north or magnetic north as required, or pointing an EQ mount to the celestial pole) and the spirit level tool (handy for levelling the base plate, levelling the OTA on a GoTo mount if required for initialisation, and for polar alignment of an EQ mount).

Alternatively, if you attach your phone / tablet to your telescope while using it (e.g. velcro patch on the back of the case, or a sturdy rubber band around the OTA to hold the phone in place), you can use the compass and spirit level for real time Alt-Az positioning data on a manually positioned telescope.

[Renato1]

Can't hurt to try the yellow filter on Mars.

Though the only real use I ever got from the yellow filter was where I used it to see the Fornax Dwarf galaxy in my 14.5" dob.

Also, check sunglasses you have laying around - orangey ones may be useful.
Regards,
Renato