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.
@AstronomyGarage10 ай бұрын
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
@Cs137mattАй бұрын
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
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
If it weren't for KZbin, I would never be able to keep my old Honda wreck running.
@uniformn8n6 ай бұрын
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.
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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!
@user-ij5rs7xq5y Жыл бұрын
The first KZbinr that mentioned us southern hemisphere folk lol!
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
I could never forget about you all - it's half the planet! Clear skies!
@Matt-xn4pr4 ай бұрын
Literally the best vid in EQ mounting. I love how clearly you explained where rhe latitude comes from
@AstronomyGarage4 ай бұрын
Thank you for the kind words - I'm glad it was helpful!
@Sassbag15 ай бұрын
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!
@AstronomyGarage5 ай бұрын
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!
@JANDLWOODWORKING2 жыл бұрын
This was a HUGE Help for a beginner Thank you so much!!!
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I was in the same boat a few months ago and wanted to share everything I'd learned. Clear skies!
@JANDLWOODWORKING2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
@@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!
@timwhitlock3500 Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
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!
@spartanbritto Жыл бұрын
Great video, loved the minute details, learned many things, 👍👍
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching. Have fun with your telescope!
@Shellback132023 ай бұрын
As others have said, what a wonderfully explained video. I'm learning this so I can help my son with his first telescope. Thanks!
@AstronomyGarage3 ай бұрын
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!
@frustratedempl0yee6 ай бұрын
This is the Best video i have ever watched on youtube.
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
Thank you for the very kind words. Admittedly, that is very motivational for me to get moving on the videos I have planned. :)
@perry92964Ай бұрын
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.
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
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.
@perry92964Ай бұрын
@@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.
@BenBreeg1138 Жыл бұрын
Video saved! My FIL gave us a telescope and we are just getting started with it. This is a great tutorial!
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
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!
@gee66078 ай бұрын
Sir, that was very clear and concise ...thank you
@AstronomyGarage8 ай бұрын
Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad it was useful. Clear skies!
@marcorc516710 ай бұрын
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.
@AstronomyGarage10 ай бұрын
I'm glad it was helpful. Have fun!
@pepeimc2 жыл бұрын
Well explained John. Not so easy at the beginning, but once mastered an eq is really convenient.
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
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!
@JoeJaguar2 жыл бұрын
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
@hivoltage528 ай бұрын
Awesome video Dude, I learned so much !
@AstronomyGarage8 ай бұрын
Glad it helped. Have fun!
@shrikantlimaye41688 ай бұрын
Nice video! Very helpful; Thank you!!
@AstronomyGarage8 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful! Clear skies!
@joemann2178 Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! It was fun to research and learn about why each step is important. Clear skies!
@tanusreepaul9839 Жыл бұрын
Perfect demonstration
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
I'm glad it was helpful. Clear skies!
@aritanner609 Жыл бұрын
Bought my Skymax couple days ago and during learning found your videos. Easiest subscribe button press ever :D
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
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!
@bradleycarlson6081 Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
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.
@rogerarts1 Жыл бұрын
Thanx! very clear explanation! Now go outside and try myself!
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Glad it helped. Have fun!
@reallifeengineer72146 ай бұрын
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. 😊
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@GarethRidout Жыл бұрын
This is great - thanks so much!
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Glad you found it helpful! Thank you for watching.
@brenthann2623 Жыл бұрын
thank you so much for this video.
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Thank YOU for watching. Hope it helps a little. Clear skies!
@sunnyye1655Ай бұрын
Nice explanation👍
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
I'm glad it was helpful.
@nathanhaber15137 ай бұрын
Wow, thank you so much!!!!
@AstronomyGarage7 ай бұрын
I'm glad you found the video helpful. Clear skies!
@edgaralvarez71956 ай бұрын
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 ?
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@HJMJH Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much.
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching. Clear skies!
@nathanhaber15137 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@AstronomyGarage7 ай бұрын
Wow! Thank you very much - These videos are a lot of fun to make, but admittedly, gifts like this are a really nice surprise.
@asicdathens2 ай бұрын
The first equatorial telescopes had clockwork escapements (big ones) to move the RA axis before electricity.
@AstronomyGarage2 ай бұрын
That's pretty cool - I'm always impressed by mechanical improvements (like in old watches).
@littlesunny632 жыл бұрын
Great, easy to understand video John. I know you’re a big dob guy, so. You still favor the dob?
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
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.
@littlesunny632 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@randallmarchant34436 ай бұрын
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?
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
That's a good question. Unfortunately I don't - I never motorized it.
@erikkayV11 ай бұрын
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.
@AstronomyGarage11 ай бұрын
Good catch. I think I recorded that at 6:00am - I clearly needed more coffee, lol.
@jmKali Жыл бұрын
Thank you ❤
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Hope it helps!
@GeorgePetko8 ай бұрын
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
@AstronomyGarage8 ай бұрын
I will eventually find a good used one to tinker with. Then I'll be able to make a video for it.
@chetanyasharma86186 ай бұрын
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
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@chetanyasharma86186 ай бұрын
@@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.
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@dude750117 ай бұрын
Thank You 😇
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
Happy to help!
@denmark27989 ай бұрын
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".
@AstronomyGarage9 ай бұрын
Excellent point. However, I doubt many flat earthers are into astronomy.
@RestorationAustralia2 жыл бұрын
Very cool telescope.😊
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@johnwarner19293 ай бұрын
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?
@AstronomyGarage3 ай бұрын
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.
@catgoddess11907 ай бұрын
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.
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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
@stevevanderzwaag8082 жыл бұрын
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
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
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.
@Allan_aka_RocKITEmanАй бұрын
At about 00:04 in this video... FINALLY! A _Telescope_ made at my height...😉
@RaphaelChan8883 ай бұрын
I think I need to set up my telescope in North America to get a good view of the North Star from Australia 😁
@AstronomyGarage3 ай бұрын
Well, that might be tough, lol.
@njoroge_mn6 ай бұрын
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
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@kisho267910 ай бұрын
istead using a poarscope, which smartphone app does the same?
@AstronomyGarage10 ай бұрын
You may want to try this free app (I use it a lot): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bF7CZmujiKytZ7M
@markyakubovsky33808 ай бұрын
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..
@AstronomyGarage8 ай бұрын
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).
@markyakubovsky33808 ай бұрын
Thx!! @@AstronomyGarage
@gequiros2 жыл бұрын
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....
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
As far as astronomical discoveries go, he's probably one of the most accomplished modern astronomers around. Thanks for watching!
@DavidMFChapmanАй бұрын
Did you need a special adapter plate to mount the telescope?
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
I did. That particular mount was just slightly too old to have a standard dovetail mount.
@DavidMFChapmanАй бұрын
@@AstronomyGarageis there a commercial adapter available
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
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).
@bauertime Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching. I'm glad it was useful for you.
@Astronurd Жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching. Clear skies!
@AmatureAstronomer10 ай бұрын
I am a dyslexic beginner. Equatorial mounts are difficult.
@AstronomyGarage10 ай бұрын
If you follow the steps carefully, it should get you all lined up. Clear skies!
@poggergen19372 ай бұрын
"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.
@AstronomyGarage2 ай бұрын
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.
@michaelmccorkle890610 ай бұрын
Someone help me understand this. What are the reasons you have to set your longitude? I really don't understand this type of mount.
@AstronomyGarage10 ай бұрын
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!
@seanflewin98033 ай бұрын
No wonder its called a hobby killer what a carry on to look at some stars for half an hour
@AstronomyGarage3 ай бұрын
After a few times, it does get pretty quick to set up. Those first few times, though, can be a challenge.
@RyykerHendrix-hg8wm11 ай бұрын
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!!
@AstronomyGarage11 ай бұрын
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.
@JimmyBackbeat2 жыл бұрын
The Skywatcher mounts bottoms out at 62° while I live at 62,5°. Does this mean that they are useless to me?
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
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 Жыл бұрын
@@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.
@beldarin6 ай бұрын
You feature my exact mount in your thumbnail, but not in the actual video. 😢
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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?
@beldarin6 ай бұрын
@@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
@AstronomyGarage6 ай бұрын
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.
@lornaz19752 жыл бұрын
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!?!
@AstronomyGarage2 жыл бұрын
LOL, it was an accessory with her AstroPhysicist Barbie.
@gt4748 Жыл бұрын
The music.....
@RaphaelChan8883 ай бұрын
This video was disliked by 17 Flat Earthers. They couldn't handle the geometry
@AstronomyGarage2 ай бұрын
It happens. :)
@carlhunsinger9638Ай бұрын
"Unloosen"? 😂
@AstronomyGarageАй бұрын
I wish I could update the audio, but KZbin doesn't have that feature, lol. :)
@carlhunsinger9638Ай бұрын
@@AstronomyGarage My wife and I catch ourselves saying "unthaw." Kinda' the same thing.
@DanielLaRusso-Do Жыл бұрын
Great video! Thank you very much sir! Cheers from 40,6 latitude 22,9 longitude 😉😂
@AstronomyGarage Жыл бұрын
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!