TheSkySearchers

OK, just letting you all know, I was in the process of doing another test last night, taking the advice that has been given to me so far, when this happened:

https://www.theskysearchers.com/viewtop ... e85#unread

Because this caught my attention, I was unable to fully do the test for the mount. I will try again later.

I have isolated the cause.

I was out tonight, doing an attempt at aligning the telescope. I noticed that at some points, the telescope would slow down during the slew. Sometimes, it would stop entirely, then start up again. However, the motor was still going at normal speed the entire time.

On closer examination, I discovered that the gear that connects to the mount and turns the mount was slipping.

In a nutshell, the computer was accurate, but due to the slipping of the gear that the computer was not accounting for, it was not getting directly to the object, even though the computer thought it was getting there.

I’ll work on fixing it tomorrow.

Is it the Alt or Az axis slipping?

The alt is easy to snug up, should be a 13mm socket. Make sure the felt pad is clean as well.
If it is greasy or getting old it can be replaced with regular hobby shop felt.
Only snug it though, you do not want it so tight that you cannot move the scope up/ down with moderate pressure.
Do not try to move the mount in Az though as you could strip the plastic gearing.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this to you before or not, in the manual it says to put the dovetail clamp knob down.
It is actually better to put it up.
If you look at the clamp with the knob up this has you place your telescope dovetail on the solid side of the clamp not the spring side.
Much more secure as it cannot move around against the springs.

Follow up question, is the AZ left and right? If so, that’s what is slipping.

I have more news today, very unfortunate. Something is shorting inside my mount. I did a test on the sun, and I went to Mercury, then Venus, then back to the sun. Something was shorting, this time, making the motor run faster and stopping entirely.

I think my mount got fried.

At least I have a spare. It’s an older model that needs to be updated, but at least I have a spare until I can figure out the problem with this one.

Yes Az is left/ right. It just may need a good cleanup inside.
There should be 3 small tabs that the Az axis rotates on, like teflon they can get sticky over time.

There are many YouTube videos on how to fix a slipping azimuth gear. Your mount is either the GT or the SLT. It matters not for the video you need to watch to see how it's done.

Everyone has given you some great advice so I'll just summarize a few things for you that have been mentioned already by others and a few pointers I have.
1. You need to figure out exactly which mount you have and download the manual in PDF form so you can reference it. Maybe post a photo of the scope and any plates with descriptions on it, we can help.
2. Use an eyepiece instead of your cell phone for your alignment steps. (A reticule eyepiece has already been mentioned and would be great but is not 100% needed.) Just make sure when looking through the eyepiece you are seeing the entire field of view and get it as exactly on center as possible.
3. Try using stars on opposite sides of the meridian for your alignment. Even with an Alt-Az fork mount, I think that's a good idea. The manual will probably have a list of recommended alignment stars.
4. DON'T use Polaris. Kathy gave you the best technical reason not to. Even if you do not understand that technical explanation, trust her and others by NOT using Polaris.
5. If your mount will allow for a 3 or 4-star alignment, use that option rather than the 2-star option.
6. Having the manual will help with this or just looking through all options on the hand controller, maybe you can find a SYNC option. The SYNC option lets you further refine your alignment process. Say you have completed the 2-3-or 4-star alignment, then move to M42. Once you get to M42, make sure it is dead center and look for the SYNC option. This feature adds yet another alignment point to your "pointing model". Actually, because M42 is so large and diffuse, it's probably not a good selection to add via SYNC. Look for a globular cluster or additional stars or maybe a small planetary nebula like M1.
7. The videos may be helpful for you to remember what you did, but for us, not so much because we can't also see what you are doing with the setup and hand controller.
8. Get yourself a small jumpstart battery like the Jackery. You don't want to be running your vehicle all night wasting gas and you also don't want to chance running the car battery dead.
9. Relax...this is supposed to be a hobby and enjoyable time. I know issues like this can be frustrating but getting worked up is no good. I've been doing this since I was 12 years old and I'm pushing 58 now. There are some nights when stuff just doesn't want to work right. Those are the nights you just pack it in and go watch a movie.
10. Don't give up. We are here to help you!

Hi guys,

I am aware of this is an old thread, but I wanted to let you know that I finally got around to fixing the mount.

I wasn’t able to fix it before, I’ve had a lot of things I needed to do. I finally got to fixing it yesterday, and it is fixed now. I’m doing a field test as soon as I find my finder scope, which fell off in my car.

I appreciate all the help you have given me.

Jared.