How do you balance AZ-3?

[turboscrew]

I think I need to balance my Omegon AC 102/660 on AZ-3, but how?
There is a tightening screw for AZ, but haven't found any for ALT.

[davesellars]

I guess the issue is when you have the scope tipped back it will not hold its position?

You could get some cheap scope rings and medium dovetail and use this so you can at least adjust the position so it will balance better. Or, cheaper still but not optimal is hang a counterweight off the front of the scope?

[Richard]

Not familiar with your AZ 3 mount but most have adjustments by tightening a bolt , these are fairly cheap mounts so one does not get accurate adjustments

[Bigzmey]

Bolt marked by the green arrow in the pic controls friction on Alt axes. When you tighten it it will prevent the scope from moving under the gravity, but it will also make harder to move the scope in Alt axes by hand, you will need to dial in the right amount of friction to balance the two.

When you loosen dial marked by the red arrow you can slide the scope up and down to balance.

Both functions are somewhat limited because of the simplicity of the mount design but they work enough to make it usable.

[turboscrew]

Well, well, well. It looks like the tube has a short Vixen dovetail. With my bigger tube I got a Vixen dovetail - the tube was probably used with HEQ5. That Vixen dovetail looks very similar to the block of metal attached under the Omegon. The Omegon dovetail just has a screw hole in the middle for attaching to a camera tripod, and the AZ-3 has an "attachment plate" just like an overgrown camera release plate.

[turboscrew]

Bolt marked by the green arrow in the pic controls friction on Alt axes. When you tighten it it will prevent the scope from moving under the gravity, but it will also make harder to move the scope in Alt axes by hand, you will need to dial in the right amount of friction to balance the two.

When you loosen dial marked by the red arrow you can slide the scope up and down to balance.

Both functions are somewhat limited because of the simplicity of the mount design but they work enough to make it usable.

Yep, I found the azimuth friction screw with a handle for easy rotation, but nothing similar for the altitude. Odd!
Also, the nut marked by green arrow is nylon nut. It won't like too many adjustments.
Hmm, I guess I need to loosen it enough to see how much the balance is off, then some adjustments before tightening the nut again?

[Bigzmey]

Bolt marked by the green arrow in the pic controls friction on Alt axes. When you tighten it it will prevent the scope from moving under the gravity, but it will also make harder to move the scope in Alt axes by hand, you will need to dial in the right amount of friction to balance the two.

When you loosen dial marked by the red arrow you can slide the scope up and down to balance.

Both functions are somewhat limited because of the simplicity of the mount design but they work enough to make it usable.

Yep, I found the azimuth friction screw with a handle for easy rotation, but nothing similar for the altitude. Odd!
Also, the nut marked by green arrow is nylon nut. It won't like too many adjustments.
Hmm, I guess I need to loosen it enough to see how much the balance is off, then some adjustments before tightening the nut again?

On my older version of AZ3 I had steel bolt with steel nut on Alt, if you have nylon nut you can find steel version of the right size in your hardware store. Yes, you can loosen it a bit, balance scope and tighten again.

[turboscrew]

Bolt marked by the green arrow in the pic controls friction on Alt axes. When you tighten it it will prevent the scope from moving under the gravity, but it will also make harder to move the scope in Alt axes by hand, you will need to dial in the right amount of friction to balance the two.

When you loosen dial marked by the red arrow you can slide the scope up and down to balance.

Both functions are somewhat limited because of the simplicity of the mount design but they work enough to make it usable.

Yep, I found the azimuth friction screw with a handle for easy rotation, but nothing similar for the altitude. Odd!
Also, the nut marked by green arrow is nylon nut. It won't like too many adjustments.
Hmm, I guess I need to loosen it enough to see how much the balance is off, then some adjustments before tightening the nut again?

On my older version of AZ3 I had steel bolt with steel nut on Alt, if you have nylon nut you can find steel version of the right size in your hardware store. Yes, you can loosen it a bit, balance scope and tighten again.

I meant that the nut has Nylon inside. It's supposed to lock the nut. But usually turning such nut back and forth several times "eats" the nylon, and it stops locking.

[Bigzmey]

Once you achieve the balance mark position of dovetail relative to the mounting base. Then, next time when you observe you don't need to mess with the Alt nut to rebalance. Balance with mid range EP in diagonal and focus to infinity.

Once the balance and friction set typically you don't need to make large agistments, so your nylon spacer should last for a while.

[turboscrew]

Once you achieve the balance mark position of dovetail relative to the mounting base. Then, next time when you observe you don't need to mess with the Alt nut to rebalance. Balance with mid range EP in diagonal and focus to infinity.

Once the balance and friction set typically you don't need to make large agistments, so your nylon spacer should last for a while.

Yes, I don't have any intentions to detach the tube from the mount any time soon.
The whole set goes fine in one hand.

[turboscrew]

It looks like it can't be balanced without some counterweight. When the tube points to zenith, all the mass is on one side of the pivot point.

[Bigzmey]

It looks like it can't be balanced without some counterweight. When the tube points to zenith, all the mass is on one side of the pivot point.

True. The center of gravity is above the rotation axes and as result the balance will shift. Maybe balance it at 45 degree?

[turboscrew]

It looks like it can't be balanced without some counterweight. When the tube points to zenith, all the mass is on one side of the pivot point.

True. The center of gravity is above the rotation axes and as result the balance will shift. Maybe balance it at 45 degree?

That might work, at least for now. Thanks.
At least might even out some of the imbalance difference.