HEQ5 pro slewing reversed

[bootes (Graham)]

I’ve only used a dob before but recently purchased a HEQ5 pro mount. After going thru the init process and entering all relevant information required (I’ve done this several times so am pretty confident the correct info was supplied) I then pressed the slew buttons to check out its motion only to find that the buttons slew in a direction opposite to the one selected. E.g. mount is in park position pointed (roughly) at the SCP and I press the west button and it slews east. It is the same with the other 3 direction arrows, they slew opposite to where arrows indicate. I’ve checked and double checked that lat/long E/S are correct. Time zone is good as is date format mm/did/yyyy. I’m using a 240 to 12 V rectifier for power and the SynScan handset indicates a voltage in the 14 V range. I’ve run out of ideas and hope someone can help me out with this. I’ve used the rectifier with my dob without any issues.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[ChrisD (Chris)]

Hi Graham,

I couldn't help noticing that you joined IIS in 2008 and this is your first post! That has to be some kind of record

However, back to your question, I think your HEQ5 might be working correctly.

To understand this, rather than use north, south, east and west for the buttons (which will be confusing), lets just use up, down, left and right.

If you point the telescope up, towards zenith, it will be easier to understand as directions can be a little confusing around the south celestial pole.

The left and right buttons control the rotation around the Right Ascension axis. When you push the right button the telescope will move in RA to the "left", but it will be increasing the RA value. Pressing left will decrease the RA angle by moving to the right. This is possibly where the confusion is, the "right" button moves the RA "left", but increases the RA value.

The up and down work on the Declination axis, increasing the decreasing the Dec angle, just the same. Up is increasing Dec, down is decreasing Dec (more negative).

These directions don't change with North or South latitudes, the buttons only command the Dec and RA motors to move in a set direction. So above or below the equator a left button press moves the RA to the right on a HEQ5. I've got a HEQ5, and mine works like this.

Chris.

[bootes (Graham)]

Thanks for the post Chris. What you say makes sense and I’m relieved to hear it confirmed. You’re right about my absence of posts, using a dob is pretty straight forward and I haven’t had any issues with it. A gem mount is new to me and I’m far from being technically inclined. I do check in on the site regularly but leave posts to those with better knowledge. It’s a great site and really helpful. Once again thanks.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

So long as it is tracking the right way for the hemisphere you are in, going the opposite way to what you might have expected for a button press is no great thing, just orient the hand controller when you use it so that the directions the mount moves make sense.

I tend to think east and west when using the buttons for RA, but instead of north/south for declination I think clockwise/counter clockwise (Looking down at the axis from the scope) as north/south is subjective both in terms of which hemisphere you are in, and which side of the meridian.

[bootes (Graham)]

Cheers Paul, the point you make is valid. The mount does track and go-to correctly. I just need to change my perspective. Appreciate the feedback.