As some of you already know, our club bought a Saxon 120mm f8.3 Achro on a Duel Drive EQ5 off ebay.
Yes, ebay can be frought with danger. But on inspecting the scope on pick-up I was very pleased with it, as I mention in this thread, with pics:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=25217
On getting the scope home, I ran it through its paces and was happy that the motors seem to perform well. (I did test them before I paid for it, but only quickly). The Lens was spotless, and all parts immaculate.
Tonight I tested the drives for accuracy on the night sky. The 'REAL' test.
Astronomers curse struck again - CLOUD!
After waiting for over an hour the only clear spot in the sky was at a tiny sucker hole in the South.
I couldn't Polar Align through cloud, so I just guessed where the pole is. I pointed it pretty well near where my Polar Aligned EQ6 is pointing.
I used the only star visible in the sky - Achernar.
I centered Achernar in a 25mm EP and turned on the tracking. I waited a few minutes then had another look and it was still in the centre. So far so good. But it was a 25mm so not easy to see any minor drift.
I went for a walk up the back paddock to check out, in the dark, where I want to build my obs. I was up there for about 15 minutes. Then walking back some friends dropped in. I forgot about the Scope and I was talking to them out the front for half an hour, then I rememberd the scope!!!
I had been away from it for 45 mins and to my amazement, not only was the sucker hole still there, but Achernar was only 1/3 the way to the edge of the FOV!!!!!! And I didn't even Polar Align!
I think the tracking is working well
