Thread: EQ alignment
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Old 26-12-2017, 05:22 PM
Malcolm
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Malcolm is offline
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Lismore NSW Australia
Posts: 242
There are four axis on the mount head. Azimuth, Latitude, Declination and Right Ascension. One of your tripod legs may be marked N, the degrees on the az scale should be zero at that point. Point that leg North and allow for the magnetic deviation of 11.5 degrees East. Use a compass. Lock the azimuth, the head should now be pointing to true South with the degrees showing 180. The counter-weight is now pointing South. Adjust the angle of the latitude scale to your location which is 32.7350° S. Lock it. If the scope is directly above the head the dec scale should be at 90. That is the starting position. Now move the scope only with the two remaining free axis (Declination and Right Ascension) by loosening their locking knobs. The RA axis is the axis that will follow the rotation of the Earth to keep objects in view if the Polar alignment is done correctly. Once you have leveled your tripod head and fine tuned its polar position mark the spot for future use. It is difficult as there is no actual Southern Pole Star, closest is Octans which is faint and not easy to find. Hopefully I've got this info right for you, and yes, those damn clouds. :-)
Here's a link: http://www.ozscopes.com.au/How-to-Po...ern-Hemisphere
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