Flipping the telescope on the DEC axis? - Forums

Topic starter

Jul 29, 2021

Hello,

I am using a SkyWatcher Az-EQ6 mount on-top of a tall pier, which is only easily accessible from one side. However, the knobs to tighten the holder on the dovetail bar of the telescope are on the far side of the dec axis (and hard to reach).
If we undo the clutch and rotate the DEC axis and then put on the telescope (basically backwards compared to before), then the mount still thinks it is facing the original way.
It is impossible to align because the mount begins to track the wrong way on the RA axis whenever we do this.

So, does anyone know how to successfully 'flip' the telescope around on the DEC axis so the tightening knobs are on the other side?

Thank you for your help,
Izaak

Well Written Respectful

Scott Lockwood

Jul 29, 2021

Izaak,
Is it not possible to simply flip the Dovetail Saddle Plate around 180 deg. on the mount head to put the knobs on the other side with better access?
Scott

Concise

IzaakC

Topic starter

Jul 30, 2021 · Edited: Jul 30, 2021

Scott Lockwood:
Izaak,
Is it not possible to simply flip the Dovetail Saddle Plate around 180 deg. on the mount head to put the knobs on the other side with better access?
Scott

When this is done, and I go to do an alignment on the stars, the telescope points exactly opposite the star, into the ground. Even after rotating the RA, and it says alignment successful, when I try to go to something it will be pointing into the ground.

Ara Jerahian

Jul 30, 2021

Scott Lockwood:
Izaak,
Is it not possible to simply flip the Dovetail Saddle Plate around 180 deg. on the mount head to put the knobs on the other side with better access?
Scott

When this is done, and I go to do an alignment on the stars, the telescope points exactly opposite the star, into the ground. Even after rotating the RA, and it says alignment successful, when I try to go to something it will be pointing into the ground.

I believe what Scott meant was to actually remove the dovetail saddle from the mount's dec axis, rotate the saddle 180 degs. in your hands, and remount the dovetail saddle back onto the mount's dec axis. This way, the dec axis and its rotation stays untouched. You're literally just rotating the dovetail saddle and its knobs from one side to the other.

Well Written Helpful Concise

IzaakC

Topic starter

Jul 30, 2021

Scott Lockwood:
Izaak,
Is it not possible to simply flip the Dovetail Saddle Plate around 180 deg. on the mount head to put the knobs on the other side with better access?
Scott

When this is done, and I go to do an alignment on the stars, the telescope points exactly opposite the star, into the ground. Even after rotating the RA, and it says alignment successful, when I try to go to something it will be pointing into the ground.

I believe what Scott meant was to actually remove the dovetail saddle from the mount's dec axis, rotate the saddle 180 degs. in your hands, and remount the dovetail saddle back onto the mount's dec axis. This way, the dec axis and its rotation stays untouched. You're literally just rotating the dovetail saddle and its knobs from one side to the other.

Ok, thanks for clarifying that. That sounds like a promising solution, I shall try it out and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for your help.

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Michel Makhlouta

Jul 30, 2021 · Edited: Jul 30, 2021

I haven't used a skywatcher mount before, but there should be a way without dismantling it. If that wasn't the case, what would you do if you were to run a side by side dual setup where you "home" dec position is 90 degrees to the "normal home" position?

I've used Celestron mounts and Avalon (apologies to the gods for using these two in the same sentence), both have you set the home position at the start, and park position. Irrelevant of the current physical mount position, that will be take as zero position for the mount hand controller or controlling software. So future slews, will start from there.

There must me something in sky watcher hand controller or eqmod for this?