[AZ-Observing] Re: Troubles on the Pole [Was: Re: Re: Tonight (Friday)

On the smaller Meade fork mounts, there are set screws provided in the 
ends of the short "arms" that attach the tube, for small adjustment.  
There is a procedure of sorts described on the web to square on the tube 
assembly, which involves pointing the tube at a target on a wall, placed 
far enough away to allow checking the alignment.
I don't know about the 14 and 16 inch telescopes.
I believe that GEM mounts could also possibly be shimmed on the 
declination assembly, but it depends upon the construction.  Most are 
manufactured with the assumption that the machining takes care of that.  
But nothing is perfect.  There is software that will "model" the errors 
and compensate for them.  TPoint from Cyanogen is such a package.
Gene Lucas
(17250)

Stan Gorodenski wrote:

>Thanks for the tip on the Meade described method. I did not know this. 
>What might also drive someone crazy who may not be aware of it and is 
>striving for _perfect_ alignment is the fact that the two axis of 
>rotation are obviously not perfectly orthogonal. If off too far, it 
>might require putting some shims where the fork attaches to the RA 
>drive, assuming the individual has a fork type mount so they can do it. 
>Out of luck if the person has a German Equatorial to be able to make 
>this kind of correction.
>Stan
>
>gene lucas wrote:
>
>  
>
>>The two-star "go-to" computer-aided alignment routine, as explained in 
>>the Meade manual for equatorial alignment, does NOT work properly (as 
>>stated).  When re-centering on Polaris, going back and forth from 
>>Polaris to an equatorial star, you MUST re-center to only 1/2 the 
>>(error) distance.  Otherwise, the adjustment/solution will NOT 
>>"converge".  This will drive you craaaaaazzzzzy.  (The Meade folks know 
>>about all this.....)
>> 
>>
>>    
>>
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>  
>


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