· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Mounts Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria HEQ5 (Orion atlas) tracking question.       #3066505 - 04/25/09 03:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi all. My heq5 mount has 2 ways to move in RA and DEC - manual (RA and DEC locks released) and using the motors through hand controller (RA and DEC locks tightened). When i release the RA and DEC locks to point the scope to the object i want do i disconnect the motors from the RA and DEC axis? If so this means that during the manual slew my mount is not tracking? If so do this mean that my polar alignment is gradually shifting while i search for ojects? Post Extras:       Skylook123 Postmaster Reged: 04/30/05 Loc: Tucson, AZ Re: HEQ5 (Orion atlas) tracking question. [Re: neptun2]       #3066572 - 04/25/09 03:57 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A few points to make: 1. Polar alignment is not related to the RA/DEC motor positions; it is the alignment of the polar axis of the mount to Polaris, which is set physically. This controls the tracking precision. 2. The HEQ5 is equivalent to the Orion Sirius; the Atlas is equivalent to the Synta/Skywatcher EQ6. 3. Loosening the clutches to move the the OTA loses any stellar alignment. The stellar alignment is based on the stepper motor counters related to the OTA position; once you loosen the OTA and move it manually without a link to the motors, any stellar alignment is lost as well as the hand controller knowledge of the tube alignment for Park/Home purposes. To maintain the GOTO capability once the mount has been aligned to 1, 2, or 3 stars, the clutches can't be released; otherwise, the star alignment needs to be redone. All movement must be done with the hand controller to keep the stellar aligment. But tracking precision will only depend on the physical polar alignment, not related to the star alignment so it isn't affected by releasing the clutches. Post Extras:       neptun2 professor emeritus Reged: 03/04/07 Loc: Bulgaria Re: HEQ5 (Orion atlas) tracking question. [Re: Skylook123]       #3066630 - 04/25/09 04:36 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks for the info. Yes heq5 is sirius not atlas. My mistake. My mount is pure heq5 and does not have goto or the stepper mottors so this is not a problem. About the polar alignment - i said that because polaris is moving around the north celestail pole but now i see that actually the polar axis of mount is pointed to the NCP and not polaris and NCP is not moving so my polar alignment should not be affected. Thanks again for the help. Post Extras:       Skylook123 Postmaster Reged: 04/30/05 Loc: Tucson, AZ Re: HEQ5 (Orion atlas) tracking question. [Re: neptun2]       #3066731 - 04/25/09 06:00 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Sounds like you've got it under control! Good luck. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 28 registered and 37 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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