5
6. Position the telescope in the mounting rings so it remains
horizontal when you carefully let go with both hands. This
is the balance point for the optical tube with respect to the
Dec. axis. (Figure 4d)
7. Retighten the tube ring clamps.
The telescope is now balanced on both axes. When you
loosen the lock lever on one or both axes and manually point
the telescope, it should move without resistance and should
not drift from where you point it.
6. Setting Up and Using the
Equatorial Mount
When you look at the night sky, you no doubt have noticed
that the stars appear to move slowly from east to west over
time. That apparent motion is caused by the Earth’s rotation
(from west to east). An equatorial mount (Figure 5) is
designed to compensate for that motion, allowing you to easi-
ly “track” the movement of astronomical objects, thereby keep-
Figure 4a, b, c, d. Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on both the R.A. and Dec. axes.
(a) With the R.A. lock lever released, slide the counterweight along the counterweight shaft until it just counterbalances the tube. (b) When
you let go with both hands, the tube should not drift up or down. (c) With the Dec. lock lever released, loosen the tube ting clamps a few turns
and slide the telescope forward or back in the tube rings. (d) when the tube is balanced about the Dec. axis, it will not move when you let go.
Figure 4a Figure 4b Figure 4c Figure 4d
Figure 5. The AstroView equatorial mount (with attached telescope tube).
Declination
setting circle
Declination lock lever
Front opening in
R.A. axis
Latitude scale
Latitude adjustment
T-bolts
Azimuth fine
adjustment knobs
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Right Ascension
setting circle lock
thumb screw
Right Ascension setting circle
Polar axis finder scope
Right Ascension lock lever
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