How To REALLY Set Up An Equatorial Telescope Mount - Beginners only please! ( by

[@southerncross4956]

I am a retired mechanical technician, the EQ mount is a real bear to rap your brain around. I have watched many video about it, I have caused it and hate it with a great passion. BUT you have soothed my angry brow with reason and logic for my level of understanding the EQ. A thank you is weak but have added a “like” and prescribing to your channel.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I was in the same boat when I bought this equatorial mount. It took a while to figure out a logical approach to setting them up as quickly as possible. Thanks for the like and subscribing. If push comes to shove, you can always convert many of the equatorial mounts into a "fake" Alt-Az mount in about one minute. Here's the video that shows you how: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4e7kKhsebKAnqs

[@Cs137matt]

My parents gave me a telescope with an equatorial mount when I was 14, I could never figure out how to set it up properly, but that was before KZbin, I'm in my '30s now and I have a new telescope with an editorial mount and I absolutely love it. So for me an equatorial amount was a bit of a hobby killer in the beginning but KZbin University saved the hobby for me

[@AstronomyGarage]

If it weren't for KZbin, I would never be able to keep my old Honda wreck running.

[@user-ij5rs7xq5y]

The first KZbinr that mentioned us southern hemisphere folk lol!

[@AstronomyGarage]

I could never forget about you all - it's half the planet! Clear skies!

[@uniformn8n]

This is by far the best "how to" video I've ever seen on EQ mount setup. Thank you very much, I feel like I might actually be able to use mine properly now.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for the kind words! I had so much trouble stumbling through the setups for my EQ mount that I felt obligated to share the steps. Have fun!

[@perry92964]

i got my first scope with an eq mount when i was like 14 or 15, im 60 now. its a tasco 4.5 inch reflector and it came with a manual. at that age i was able to set it up but not perfectly cause i had no idea what my latitude was i could only get an about. no internet or smart phones back then. even though it was only close enough it still worked good enough. its sitting in the next room and it still works great.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad to hear that it still works! I can only imagine how much fun you had as a kid with it. My very first was a small refractor out of the JC Penny Christmas catalog and it was pretty bad, lol.

[@perry92964]

@@AstronomyGarage after i watched a few of your mirror cleaning vids i thought it was time, im a smoker and you dont want to know what the mirror looked like, i am amazed i was able to see the mars jupiter conjunction.

[@Sassbag1]

Being a complete newbi this was awesome for me to watch, I have never used any or even looked through one but have always wanted to. So I retired, and love learning a new thing! I bought myself a complete telescope which came with this mount. I was so scared to touch it because I know how fragile the telescope is. Thank you very much for teaching an old woman how to enjoy the beautiful skies of Oklahoma!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for the kind words. We were all new to this hobby once. I'm still learning new stuff every day. Congrats on the new telescope - have fun!

[@Matt-xn4pr]

Literally the best vid in EQ mounting. I love how clearly you explained where rhe latitude comes from

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for the kind words - I'm glad it was helpful!

[@frustratedempl0yee]

This is the Best video i have ever watched on youtube.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for the very kind words. Admittedly, that is very motivational for me to get moving on the videos I have planned. :)

[@Shellback13202]

As others have said, what a wonderfully explained video. I'm learning this so I can help my son with his first telescope. Thanks!

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful. I hope you and your son have a blast with his telescope. Even if you don't get it polar aligned, you can still use it manually for lots of fun sky targets. Clear skies!

[@timwhitlock3500]

Great lesson! IMO the hobby killer is the altazimuth mount. I find constant fiddling with two axes to keep the target in the FOV is frustrating for me. I remember the little Sears EQ refractor I had in high school didn't show a lot but at least I could keep the target centered with simple twists of the RA slo-mo control. And the learning curve was not difficult even for my 15 year old self.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I understand. My first telescope was a cheap alt-az refractor (with a locking bar). It was very frustrating and I got out of the hobby for about ten years until I built my own Dobsonian using Richard Berry's book. Thank you for watching!

[@JANDLWOODWORKING]

This was a HUGE Help for a beginner Thank you so much!!!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks! I was in the same boat a few months ago and wanted to share everything I'd learned. Clear skies!

[@JANDLWOODWORKING]

@@AstronomyGarage I bought an old Meade 4550 reflector to get started with. the mount is old but works we will see how it goes before I pull the trigger on a newer scope

[@AstronomyGarage]

@@JANDLWOODWORKING Buying used is a GREAT way to get into the hobby. Every one of my telescopes is used (formerly abused and neglected). It gives you a chance to get a feel for things without being afraid of ruining them. Clear skies!

[@spartanbritto]

Great video, loved the minute details, learned many things, 👍👍

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for watching. Have fun with your telescope!

[@BenBreeg1138]

Video saved! My FIL gave us a telescope and we are just getting started with it. This is a great tutorial!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks for watching - I hope the video helps you get setup quickly. Have fun with your new telescope! I recommend the Moon, the planets, and then try to find the Orion Nebula (it's worth the effort). Clear skies!

[@gee6607]

Sir, that was very clear and concise ...thank you

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad it was useful. Clear skies!

[@JoeJaguar]

The video goes into lots of detail this will definitely help a lot of new people and they will find it handy how to work the equatorial mount I also appreciate the comment to my channel cheers

[@marcorc5167]

This was a perfect explanation, thanks a lot for the video! Will try my telescope in the next few days and report back using your advice.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful. Have fun!

[@pepeimc]

Well explained John. Not so easy at the beginning, but once mastered an eq is really convenient.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you. They are worth learning thanks to the convenience factor of the single tracking knob. At star parties visitors can easily track the targets themselves. Clear skies!

[@bradleycarlson6081]

The polar alignment scope is nice; however, a beginner need not worry too much with this fine adjustment. Just getting close to polaris is fine, especially when using low powers. If viewing at higher power and/or longer period, one may need to also adjust the DEC axis knob slightly. But for me, this is less of a annoyance than two axis of an ALT/AZ mount. And no "Dobson hole" issues!

[@AstronomyGarage]

You are right. By chance I had a polar alignment scope and wanted to include it in case anybody else had one and wondered what it was for. But generally, it isn't really needed. The Dobson's Hole is for real! It can be a challenge to work around. Clear skies.

[@joemann2178]

Great explanation, it's quite a lot for beginners to understand, but with your drawings and globe it ought to be simpler for people to visualise why and what they are adjusting on the EQ mount for alignment. Well done! 😁👍

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks for watching! It was fun to research and learn about why each step is important. Clear skies!

[@aritanner609]

Bought my Skymax couple days ago and during learning found your videos. Easiest subscribe button press ever :D

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you! Your kind words really made my day. :) This is certainly a passion project. Have tons of fun with your new telescope! Clear skies!

[@rogerarts1]

Thanx! very clear explanation! Now go outside and try myself!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Glad it helped. Have fun!

[@shrikantlimaye4168]

Nice video! Very helpful; Thank you!!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Glad it was helpful! Clear skies!

[@hivoltage52]

Awesome video Dude, I learned so much !

[@AstronomyGarage]

Glad it helped. Have fun!

[@reallifeengineer7214]

Great video! My telescope did not show up with ANY instructions on the eq mount. Your video saved me hours of reverse-engineering “how would I have designed this to work like, if I were to have designed the world’s first eq mount”. 🤣 Thank you. 😊

[@AstronomyGarage]

Happy to help. This video was the culmination of a lot of trial and error, stumbling my way through EQ setup. When I'd finally figured it out, I just had to share it so other folks did't waste their time like I did.

[@tanusreepaul9839]

Perfect demonstration

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful. Clear skies!

[@erikkayV]

Ha, Un-loosen? So you are tightening the leg. Or just loosening or unscrewing. Just some light hearted teasing. Thank you for the video, it helped me out tremendously.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Good catch. I think I recorded that at 6:00am - I clearly needed more coffee, lol.

[@brenthann2623]

thank you so much for this video.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank YOU for watching. Hope it helps a little. Clear skies!

[@HJMJH]

Thank you so much.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for watching. Clear skies!

[@sunnyye1655]

Nice explanation👍

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad it was helpful.

[@nathanhaber1513]

Wow, thank you so much!!!!

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm glad you found the video helpful. Clear skies!

[@GarethRidout]

This is great - thanks so much!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Glad you found it helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@Omvrk27]

Thanks !

[@AstronomyGarage]

Have fun!

[@jmKali]

Thank you ❤

[@AstronomyGarage]

Hope it helps!

[@denmark2798]

Effectively, the equatorial mount and the act of polar aligning it, is simple proof that the world is a globe and not a "flat earth".

[@AstronomyGarage]

Excellent point. However, I doubt many flat earthers are into astronomy.

[@RestorationAustralia]

Very cool telescope.😊

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks!

[@dude75011]

Thank You 😇

[@AstronomyGarage]

Happy to help!

[@RaphaelChan888]

I think I need to set up my telescope in North America to get a good view of the North Star from Australia 😁

[@AstronomyGarage]

Well, that might be tough, lol.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

At about 00:04 in this video... FINALLY! A _Telescope_ made at my height...😉

[@asicdathens]

The first equatorial telescopes had clockwork escapements (big ones) to move the RA axis before electricity.

[@AstronomyGarage]

That's pretty cool - I'm always impressed by mechanical improvements (like in old watches).

[@edgaralvarez7195]

Best video explaining this, so, i have a question, do i have to "set" the tripod pointing to the North Star every single time i'm using the telescope ?

[@AstronomyGarage]

Well, it depends on your tripod. In theory you are setting your polar axis to true north. If your tripod has adjustments, then there is some leeway.

[@GeorgePetko]

Please consider a video showing how to polar align an older fork mounted right ascension declination telescope Like the Meade lx3 from 1980s . I’m trying hard but no success Thank you george

[@AstronomyGarage]

I will eventually find a good used one to tinker with. Then I'll be able to make a video for it.

[@littlesunny63]

Great, easy to understand video John. I know you’re a big dob guy, so. You still favor the dob?

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks for watching. Yah, I was really dragged into it kicking and screaming, lol. It was originally just a restoration project, but then I thought I'd give it a try.

[@littlesunny63]

@@AstronomyGarage I know the feeling. I have a couple EQ things 😳. I keep pushing them aside thinking I’ll get to them one day. Dreading the EQ mount. Dobs are sooooo friendly.

[@chetanyasharma8618]

nice job making the video helped me (whether i should buy an eq mount or a mount) actually i wanted to ask which telescope you are using and is it good for me as i am Beginner. Thank you

[@AstronomyGarage]

I always highly HIGHLY recommend a Dobsonian telescope, especially an 8 inch if you can afford one. They show up from time to time on Facebook Marketplace. If I were on a desert island and could only have one telescope, it would be a 32 inch Obsession Dobsonian... just kidding, it would be an 8 inch Dobsonian.

[@chetanyasharma8618]

@@AstronomyGarage thank you for your recommendation i really appreciate that, but Dobsonian telescope are not my type and will not be a great choice for me because i live in a place which is surrounded by tree and have some light pollution so i have to go like 100 meter away from my home or go on my house rooftop (which is really tough if i have a Dobsonian telescope ) So i was thinking of buying cassegrain telescope with an EQ mount (I know it is hard to setup the eq mount but as you know it provide a large range of motion) so i am thinking of buy either celestron astromaster 90EQ maksutov-cassegrain telescope or 127EQ model of it and liked your telescope also thats the reason why i was asking the name of it BY the way thanks for your efforts.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I've had very good luck with Maksutov-Cassegrains and they aren't too expensive. I've never had a Schmidt-Cassegrain though (those were very popular, made by Celestron. Be sure to read up on the 127EQ. The mount is a bit wobbly.

[@stevevanderzwaag808]

Hi I really love your videos. I’m new to this and I’m buying a telescope to start a hobby with my kids we just love it. I left you a comment on your other video 2021 ISS time lapse. Just had some questions if you could please answer. It would be a huge help for us. Appreciate it

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for watching! Feel free to ask any questions you like and I'll try my best to answer. I'm a frequent visitor to the Everything Telescopes group on Facebook too if that works better for you.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

I am a dyslexic beginner. Equatorial mounts are difficult.

[@AstronomyGarage]

If you follow the steps carefully, it should get you all lined up. Clear skies!

[@randallmarchant3443]

I got exactly the same rig as a gift from a family member. Do you perhaps know which motor drives fit this EQ for planetary tracking please?

[@AstronomyGarage]

That's a good question. Unfortunately I don't - I never motorized it.

[@johnwarner1929]

I can't see Polaris (tree in the way), so I try to use a compass (compensating for mag. north) but I am always off in my estimate. Maybe there is some electronic compass that I can attach to my AVX mount? Any ideas?

[@AstronomyGarage]

I'm honestly not sure what the best way is, but I know a lot of people do polar alignment during the day without stars (necessary to track the Sun, etc.), so there must be an alternative way.

[@bauertime]

I've had one for 25 years and never knew about the fine tuning knobs. I always thought it was almost impossible to get it on the north star by adjusting the legs while looking through the polar scope.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad it was useful for you.

[@gequiros]

Hey pal, BTW, how is Loren Ball doing ? i used to talk A LOT with him on different subjects, anyways, such a great guy And BTW, nice tutorial....

[@AstronomyGarage]

As far as astronomical discoveries go, he's probably one of the most accomplished modern astronomers around. Thanks for watching!

[@catgoddess1190]

I just got one of these, and there is NO instructional manual with it? This is my first telescope to boot. Hoping this video will let me get it setup correctly and easily. In any case, it's unlikely I will have it ready for the solar eclipse on Monday :( I have also emailed the company so hopefully they will get this info to me (along with a warranty card) in a short period of time.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I wish you the best of luck. Equatorials are a tough "first telescope" mount (at least I thought so). The good news is you can still use them without getting exact alignment. You can also make them sortof work like an alt-az mount. Just be careful on the balancing so they don't fall over (depending on the weight of your telescope): kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4e7kKhsebKAnqs

[@Astronurd]

Leveling an equatorial mount isn’t important like it is with an alt/az. It will still track accurately as long as it’s polar aligned. The declination axis also should be balanced but this is not possible with your scope fittings. You always pick the position in which the counterweight is lowest.

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thank you for watching. Clear skies!

[@kisho2679]

istead using a poarscope, which smartphone app does the same?

[@AstronomyGarage]

You may want to try this free app (I use it a lot): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bF7CZmujiKytZ7M

[@poggergen1937]

"For a long time, the equatorial mount has had a bad reputation as a hobby killer." I know this feeling all too well. Many moons ago, I went out and made probably one of the worst purchases I had ever made. I bought a Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ. I cannot describe using this thing as anything less than an absolute nightmare trainwreck dumpster fire. The scope was bad. The mount was bad. The optics were bad. The eyepieces were bad. The weather was bad. Given that it's a Newtonian on an EQ mount, anytime you wanted to adjust the scope you had to put it in this weird position to where you would be literally contorting your body in extremely uncomfortable ways to simply reach the slow motion controls. Which, mind you, are also bad. The knobs come constantly fell off and yes, the worm gears on mine did strip out. If you didn't have the courage to loosen the rings and rotate the tube every time you wanted to look at something else, you were out of luck. Not to mention the mount is barely stable, and the eyepieces that came with the scope have god awful FoV's. Do not buy a Celestron Powerseeker 127 EQ. I have since purchased a 10" Dobsonian. Life has gotten a lot better for me.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I completely understand. I own two of those 127EQ's (bought used). I have plans for how to "make the best of a bad situation" tutorial for the folks who bought one. That'll be sometime later this year. As for the Dobsonian, congrats. It is the only telescope that I recommend. It brings... happiness.

[@njoroge_mn]

Kindly assist . (I recently bought a celestron 130Eq-Md Telescope ) Still on the learning curve especially on what value I should mount it on if when I check at my latitude it reads -1.25552 ? ( I live In Nairobi Kenya. Kindly assist . Thanks

[@AstronomyGarage]

It sounds like you are just south of the equator, so your latitude is 1.25 degrees South. This means you won't be able to see the North Star (it is always below the horizon for you). However, as mentioned in the video, there is a "South Star" called Polaris Australis ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Octantis ). It is fairly dim, but it will work if you can find it.

[@markyakubovsky3380]

Rookie question- I have a Celestron Nexstar 6SE, and I really don't care much for the electric ALtAz mount and setup. Is a 6 inch SCT too big to put on a manual Eq mount?? I can't seem to find any info on it. Thx..

[@AstronomyGarage]

A 6 inch SCT should work fine on an EQ mount. You just have to get the proper connection method (usually a Vixen dovetail block).

[@markyakubovsky3380]

Thx!! @@AstronomyGarage

[@DavidMFChapman]

Did you need a special adapter plate to mount the telescope?

[@AstronomyGarage]

I did. That particular mount was just slightly too old to have a standard dovetail mount.

[@DavidMFChapman]

@@AstronomyGarageis there a commercial adapter available

[@AstronomyGarage]

Like many of my restorations, I eventually found a new owner. The only EQ mount I have now is on my Celestron 127EQ (you'll see that in a few upcoming videos).

[@seanflewin9803]

No wonder its called a hobby killer what a carry on to look at some stars for half an hour

[@AstronomyGarage]

After a few times, it does get pretty quick to set up. Those first few times, though, can be a challenge.

[@beldarin]

You feature my exact mount in your thumbnail, but not in the actual video. 😢

[@AstronomyGarage]

Hmmm, I think I took the photo the same day as the video. I'll double check it tonight. Which EQ mount do you have?

[@beldarin]

@@AstronomyGarage Oh thank you so much, but it's ok, I figured out the bit I was stuck on, I had the mount fully rotated when I attached the scope, the rest went well. ☺️ The rest of the video is very interesting, I'll be referring back to it I think

[@AstronomyGarage]

At that point in time, I had two identical EQ mounts, the only difference was color. One was shiny aluminum and the other was anodized golden color.

[@michaelmccorkle8906]

Someone help me understand this. What are the reasons you have to set your longitude? I really don't understand this type of mount.

[@AstronomyGarage]

I think you mean latitude, but it comes down to a quirk of geometry. You're technically setting it to point at the North Star (Polaris). Because the North Star is so far away and, in theory, it lies along the earths axis, the angle of the North Star above the horizon (no matter where you are in the northern hemisphere). The angle that the North Star is above the horizon happens to match whatever your latitude is (no matter where you are in the northern hemisphere). There's a visual explanation for this in the video. Have fun!

[@samgrieg]

So if it's single knob movement tracking, why are there two flex knobs?

[@AstronomyGarage]

The two knobs are used to get it precisely lined up initially. From that point on, you only need to use one to track the object.

[@samgrieg]

@AstronomyGarage sorry for not being clear, not the two for the initial alignment. What is the purpose of the fine adjustment flex rod at the very top of the mount? It's not a worm drive, and seems to have limited range of movement, driven by push pin on one side that's counteracted by adjustable tension spring on the opposite side. What is the purpose of this adjuster? Thank you.

[@RyykerHendrix-hg8wm]

Trying to set my skywatcher adventurer star tracker 2i the app doesnt come up on playstore. I downloaded synscan but cant connect to the device. The illuminator cant be on with the camera mount slider. So. Yeah, not feeling the “joy of astrophotgraphy yet!!

[@AstronomyGarage]

My experience with the smart goto telescopes is only with pretty ancient technology - I don't really know how to use the apps to control the telescopes (but I hear that it's pretty awesome when they do). You may want to seek out specialized interest Groups on Facebook. They can be super helpful.

[@lornaz1975]

I think we are all wondering, where did your daughter get such a small pocket size telescope and what size eyepieces does it take lol!?!

[@AstronomyGarage]

LOL, it was an accessory with her AstroPhysicist Barbie.

[@JimmyBackbeat]

The Skywatcher mounts bottoms out at 62° while I live at 62,5°. Does this mean that they are useless to me?

[@AstronomyGarage]

Good question. In theory, EQ mounts should all be able to tilt from 0 to 90. It's unfortunate that Skywatcher put that limit on yours. However, I think it might be easily solvable. Have you tried putting a book or something under one leg to "tilt" it that extra half degree?

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

@@AstronomyGarage Or just don't fully level the tripod. Achieves the same, doesn't require you to lug extra stuff around to prop up that leg. With equatorial mounts, it doesn't really matter whether the tripod is level, as long as the mount itself is polar aligned. So a couple of degrees high, to give you that headspace for polar alignment, shouldn't pose any problems.

[@gt4748]

The music.....

[@RaphaelChan888]

This video was disliked by 17 Flat Earthers. They couldn't handle the geometry

[@AstronomyGarage]

It happens. :)

[@carlhunsinger9638]

"Unloosen"? 😂

[@AstronomyGarage]

I wish I could update the audio, but KZbin doesn't have that feature, lol. :)

[@carlhunsinger9638]

@@AstronomyGarage My wife and I catch ourselves saying "unthaw." Kinda' the same thing.

[@DanielLaRusso-Do]

Great video! Thank you very much sir! Cheers from 40,6 latitude 22,9 longitude 😉😂

[@AstronomyGarage]

Thanks! From your coordinates, you're either in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (22,9West) or the middle of the Aegean Sea (22,9East). My only advice is to swim!

[@DanielLaRusso-Do]

Aegean!

[@nathanhaber1513]

Thanks!

[@AstronomyGarage]

Wow! Thank you very much - These videos are a lot of fun to make, but admittedly, gifts like this are a really nice surprise.