Error message on handset, off by 45 degrees

[Mirrorgirl]

Hi there

I am really having bad problems setting up my Mount and I hope someone can help me. what it is, I do a polar alignment, put in the date and time, location is correct. I do a three-star alignment but the scope is off from the star by far, and when I finish, it comes up with an error message saying that I’m off by 45 degrees check the time and location but they're correct, then when it’s not working I move my scope to say M45 while it’s tracking and this does usually work but never last night. The object just kept moving along the screen leaving star trails my Mount. Tracking is set to sidereal, I just thought I would let you know.

Any help would be highly appreciated

Thanks

Rhoda

[Mirrorgirl]

Hi also when i put the polar star in right place and do a three star alignment and fail, i start again and put the scope in the home position but when i look in polar scope the north star seems to have moved considerably downwards and i don't know why?

thanks

Rhoda

[JayTee]

Let's throw in some obvious suggestions: Is Daylight savings set correctly? Do you use 12 or 24 hour time display? if 12 hour, make sure that AM/PM is set correctly. When you do your 3-star alignment, ensure you align on the star that the mount expects. Like mistaking Algol for Mirfak. Try a one-star alignment and see what happens. Let us know how these obvious suggestions work out.

Cheers,

[Mirrorgirl]

Let's throw in some obvious suggestions: Is Daylight savings set correctly? Do you use 12 or 24 hour time display? if 12 hour, make sure that AM/PM is set correctly. When you do your 3-star alignment, ensure you align on the star that the mount expects. Like mistaking Algol for Mirfak. Try a one-star alignment and see what happens. Let us know how these obvious suggestions work out.

Cheers,

hi JTee

Yes I'm doing all them correctly it still happens.

[Jockinireland]

Hi also when i put the polar star in right place and do a three star alignment and fail, i start again and put the scope in the home position but when i look in polar scope the north star seems to have moved considerably downwards and i don't know why?

thanks

Rhoda

Polaris will move in a circle in the polar scope fov over the course of an evening. So maybe that's the movement you are seeing?

But if it's way off, and not just moved in its circle around the actual pole then that's an issue we can look at.

When you do this are you manually putting it back to home, i.e are you unlocking the levers and moving the scope by hand. . If you do it this way (not by telling the scope to go home by itself using the motors) then it means that the mount / scope is moving after PA. This could be lots of things, sinking into soft wet grass, something loose (like the connection of the mount to the tripod or the polar scope in the mount),, one of the tripod legs being very slightly loose and the leg slowly getting shorter. Check all this

[Jockinireland]

Let's throw in some obvious suggestions: Is Daylight savings set correctly? Do you use 12 or 24 hour time display? if 12 hour, make sure that AM/PM is set correctly. When you do your 3-star alignment, ensure you align on the star that the mount expects. Like mistaking Algol for Mirfak. Try a one-star alignment and see what happens. Let us know how these obvious suggestions work out.

Cheers,

hi JTee

Yes I'm doing all them correctly it still happens.

Have you double then triple checked these by going to the settings in the hand set?. In the past I have assumed that because I set them previously they were all still right but the handset had somehow reset and they were now wrong.

[Mirrorgirl]

I think I know w what the problem is above the polariscope there's a little knob that turns left and right near R.A and it is very tight I have been told it needs to be loose I can remember tightening it this may solve my problem I hope lol but thank you David for your help I will let you know how I get on I hope your getting ready for Christmas David.

Rhoda