Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra
Hi guys,
A mate just purchased an EQ8 and has asked me to set it up. I've used a range of EQ mounts, including an earlier EQ6, but this 8 seems like a different beast.
yep, it is nothing much like an EQ6
For current/former owners, would you please confirm a few things for me, and provide web links where relevant.
1. Encoders on axis. What are they for? If you bump the mount, it never loses its place? Or for absolute unparking/parking each night?
useless for imaging - they keep track of where the mount is for visual, so you can undo a clutch and go somewhere else - when you rengage the clutch, the mount still knows where it is. They are incremental, so need to be zero'd on restart - the mount has index sensors on both axes and will find the home position if told to through the handset or by software control (https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/2...thout-handset/)
2. Where is the default home/startup position?
weights down and scope pointing at the pole
3. Latest version of HC firmware? Any known issues?
whatever it is on the skywatcher site - works OK
4. Latest version of mount firmware? Any known issues?
as above
5. What is the pointing accuracy like on these?
depends on backlash. maybe a couple of arc minutes without help. I use plate solving and it typically gets within 20 arc seconds with ease. Skywatcher recommend that you turn off the encoders for best pointing if using the handset - the encoders have lower resolution than the internal ring counters. probably best to do the same when computer controlling via EQASCOM, but I never have tried it - come to think, there have been occasions where plate solve position update has failed in a strange manner - maybe I should do this.
6. Does the point mapping function in EQ Mod work? Any tips?
I guess it does? - whatever SGpro and EQMOD do together works fine - never had to think about what is under the bonnet. Used to use CartesduCiel with EQMOD and that also worked fine
7. Apart from AstroBurritoTortillaTequila plate solving, any other 'free stuff' out that that is simple to setup and just works? (Even ones that require online Astrometry.net)
If imaging, in my opinion the best software is not free but also not too expensive - try Sequence Generator pro - well worth the investment. Have been using ELBRUS with SGpro, but am about to try a local Astrometry.net server - ELBRUS seems to have a few sky regions where it cannot solve.
8. PEC. How does Pempro V2 go with these mounts? Any tips?
native PEC in EQMOD doesn't work. Others report success using Pempro. PE is typically only 7 arcsec p-p, so not a major issue anyway.
9. Gear mesh adjustment and re-greasing. Any good sites with pics/vids out there?
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...s/messages/398
http://www.dangl.at/ausruest/eq8/eq8_e4.htm
Cheers
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responses above in italics
The biggest issue is backlash - the mechanism is so rigid that there is no bendiness to allow for bearing runout, slight overtightening or temperature changes of the gear mesh. The only way to get reliable operation is to allow a moderate amount of worm gear clearance in both axes and this can best be managed with weight offsets to keep the gears loaded so that they mesh only on one side. If you do that, with guiding, these mounts can give you tight round stars, hour after hour.