Are all equatorial mounts motorized?
A basic equatorial mount is mechanical, and rotates thanks to a set of knobs you need to turn.
More sophisticated mounts are usually motorised..
How do you set up an equatorial mount?
Setting up your equatorial mount
1The scope and mount head sit on a TRIPOD.
2) Place the MOUNT HEADonto the top of the tripod.
3) Screw the COUNTERWEIGHT bar into the mount head.
4) The RA axis needs to point up to the north celestial pole.
5) Fit a SLOW MOTION CABLE onto the small D-shaped shafts on the RA and the Dec..What does a telescope mount allow you to do?
A telescope is used to magnify the sky, but unfortunately it also magnifies vibrations.
A telescope mount has two primary functions: Support the telescope firmly so that objects can be viewed and photographed without vibrations.
Provide a system for smooth controlled movement to point and guide the instrument..
What is the advantage of an equatorial mount?
The advantage of an equatorial mount lies in its ability to allow the instrument attached to it to stay fixed on any celestial object with diurnal motion by driving one axis at a constant speed.
Such an arrangement is called a sidereal drive or clock drive..
What is the difference between the alt azimuth and equatorial mounts?
Computerized equatorial mounts and alt-azimuth mounts both track the motion of the stars and celestial objects, but they do so in different ways.
Alt-azimuth mounts track in iterative up/down - left/right movements.
Equatorial mounts are essentially alt-azimuth mounts but tilted at an angle based on your GPS latitude..
Which mount is best for astrophotography?
The mechanical design of an equatorial mount is better suited for astrophotography than an altazimuth mount (alt-az).
The latter will rotate the object in the focal plane, and generally have a harder time guiding the object..
Which telescope mount is better?
Equatorial mounts are superior to non-computerized Altazimuth mounts for astronomical observing over long periods of time and absolutely necessary for astrophotography.
As the earth rotates around its axis, the stationary stars appear to move across the sky..
Who owns Astro Physics?
Founded in 1975 by former Sundstrand Corporation engineer Roland Christen, the company is noted for its line of apochromatic refractors as well as high-end mounts.
The company is located in Machesney Park, Illinois.
The company is owned by Roland and Marjorie Christen..
Why are Goto mounts so expensive?
GOTO gets a little tricky.
The mount has to somehow build a computer model of the sky so it knows where to go.
Once again, the precision of that model increases with cost.
The whole thing has to be built well enough that it can operate, night after night, consistently..
Why is a telescope mount important?
The mount serves as a “motorized tripod” which allows us to point at the object and take a picture of it.
By using motorized and computerized mounts, it is also possible to track the apparent motion (caused by Earth's rotation) of the observed object..
Setting up your equatorial mount
1The scope and mount head sit on a TRIPOD.
2) Place the MOUNT HEADonto the top of the tripod.
3) Screw the COUNTERWEIGHT bar into the mount head.
4) The RA axis needs to point up to the north celestial pole.
5) Fit a SLOW MOTION CABLE onto the small D-shaped shafts on the RA and the Dec.- A basic equatorial mount is mechanical, and rotates thanks to a set of knobs you need to turn.
More sophisticated mounts are usually motorised. - Equatorial mounts vary widely in price.
Determine your budget and compare different options to find the best balance between features and affordability.
Almost all telescope manufacturers make equatorial mounts.
Brands to look for are Sky-Watcher, Celestron, iOptron, or Losmandy. - Equatorial Mounts
The most common type of mount for small telescopes is the equatorial mount.
It works by having one axis aligned to the Earth's celestial pole, which is parallel to the axis of the Earth's rotation. - The AP counterweight has a spring loaded shaft that the knob presses against to push a small piston into the counterweight bar and hold it tight.
The 10Micron counterweight doesn't have this feature, it's just a threaded piston connected to the knob that tightens against the counterweight bar.Dec 30, 2022
