Polar alignment

[matt]

G'day crew

Just got the new RA and Dec drive motors for the EQ5.

Very excited.

Took the scope out for a test drive Saturday night and don't think I set it up right. Didn't track too well.

Anyone able to help with links to previous threads or good websites/pages covering the topic??????????

Thanks veddy much

[Striker (Tony)]

This could help.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=5206

[rmcpb (Rob)]

Matt,

Have a quick look at the following. I just Googled on Polar Alignment and select pages from Australia and these were the first couple that came up.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~rog1/astro/info/polar/
http://www.users.bigpond.com/lansma/..._alignment.htm

[rumples riot]

Matt, it you don't do the star alignment at the begining then the scope will not track at sidereal and you have to manually go to setup and enter it in tracking.

[matt]

Thanks guys.

Rumples: not sure I understand what you're refering to?

I don't have Skyscan etc on the EQ5. Just RA and Dec clock drives on a German Eq mount.

There's no facility for anything to be "entered" for tracking purposes.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Thanks for the links Rob! I have stuck them in favourites and will print them off later. I'm going to need them.

No High tech gear here either Matt. Just an EQ with RA drive.

[matt]

Hey Ken

Nice to hear from you mate.

There's still plenty to learn and plenty of head scratching to be done!

I've gone a bit mad lately trying to give the old SkyWatcher a bit of a spit and polish.

Apart from the motor drives my new MoonLite CR2 focuser arrived today. Very nice bit of gear too. Only prob is the OTA curve adaptor holes don't match up with the holes in my tube when I remove the original R&P. Not a prob, you say? Drill new ones? Well, those new holes would be very close to the existing holes.

I'm not sure how much metal (space) I need betwen new and old holes to maintain some degree of integrity/ strength?

Any thoughts ....anyone????

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Matt, g'day, Shift your moonlite further around the tube and give it new holes. Just cover up the old holes with IceInSpace stickers!

Mike should be able to answer this as he fitted a moonlite to a GS dob and the holes weren't the same.

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Matt, that sounds like a better idea than drilling more holes in the tube. Ron sounds like a nice guy.

Bird

ps Umm, what's happening here? Matts post about Ron sending him a new baseplate just ...vanished...into thin air??

pps Okaaay, so my reply ended up higher than Matts post that I am replying to... okey dokey. I always thought I was ahead of my time, and I guess this proves it

Bird

[matt]

Ken

Great news on the MoonLite CR2 focuser. Looks like I won't have to go for a complete re-position after all.

Seems the problem rested with a new "narrow stance footprint focuser" on my Skywatcher not matching up with the curve adaptor supplied by MoonLite for my 8" OTA.

From what Ron at MoonLite tells me it's becoming quite common of late and just depends on what focusers are available in China at the moment?!?!?!?

The good news is Ron's sending me a narrow stance footprint curve adaptor so the CR2 should be straight "plug and play".

Ron's a champ. No doubt about it. He again got back to me with an answer to to the prob within minutes.

Gold medal service.

[matt]

G'day Bird

I deleted the original post coz it went all haywire posting Ron's original text.

Sorry to confuse.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

That's good news Matt!!!

But you made Bird look like a goose

[matt]

Bird .... goose ... there's an avian theme developing here

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Hmm, and I think I'm coming down with a cold...hope it's not the flu...

[asimov (John)]

Hi Matt, I have the EQ5 with motor drives as well. If I can help you out with any pointers sing out.

[matt]

Thanks Asi

You can be sure I'll be taking you up on that kind offer, m'friend