Polarscope for AZ-EQ5 mounts (off axis)

Polarscope for AZ-EQ5 mounts (off axis)

The polar scope has to be mounted to the right ascension axis and then adjusted using a distant target: rotate the mount's head on its right ascension axis and check the reticle: the center should remain on the selected target. During nighttime target the mount so that Polaris can be seen at the proper place. The constellations on the reticle helps to find the correct position.

These polar scopes can be used on the southern hemisphere as well, thanks to the stars of constellation Octans.

You can find a very detailed writing about this topic here.

 The Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 SynScan Go To mount is equally useful as a EQ mount, or operating in AZ mode. The AZ-EQ5 SynScan features hybrid stepper motor drives on both axes for smooth slewing at up to 4.2o .The mount accepts the standard ST-4 style autoguider input for astrophotography, and also has a DSLR shutter control port. Supplied with a SynScan handset with dual AZ/EQ firmware, it can automatically find and track 42,900+ celestial objects from its database.

    Freedom Find™ - tracking made easy!

    With the patented Freedom Find (dual-encoder) technology which allows the telescope to be moved manually or electronically in either axis without losing its alignment or positional information. After moving to a new object the telescope will automatically begin to track the new object accurately. No re-setup is required in one observing session.

 Quick Overview:

    ♦ Equatorial and Alt-Az dual mode

    ♦ Autoguider port, USB-to-Serial port, DSLR shutter control port

    ♦ Whisper slew, smooth PE curve

    ♦ Freedom Find

    ♦ Weight 40% of an AZ-EQ6

    ♦ Compact mount and foldable pier stand

    ♦ Full latitude(0 to 90 degree) range

    The AZ-EQ5 GT mount is equipped with an index on its R.A. worm. Thus the motor controller can keep track of the current position of the worm. After a proper PEC training routine, in which the training data is stored in the motor controller permanently, a user can start the periodic error correction (PEC) at any time to improve the tracking performance for short focal length astrophotography. A training process is not required in the next observing session (assuming that the polar alignment is always accurate). Thus this is a Permanent Period Error Correction (PPEC). A user can train the mount with manual guiding or auto-guiding. For detailed instruc­tions, please refer to the relevant section in the SynScan hand controller instruction manual.

    ♦ Batch Exposures Function

    The AZ-EQ5 GT mount is equipped with two SNAP ports which can control the shutter releas­ing of two cameras. Working with the SynScan hand control’s “Camera Control” function, a user can take batch exposures when doing astrophotography. Up to 8 groups of “Exposure-time & Frames” combinations can be set on the SynScan hand controller. For detailed infor­mation, refer to the SynScan hand control’s instruction manual.

We highly recommend to use the Skywatcher Wi-Fi unit (SynScanWifi), with which you can control your telescope via smartphone or tablet. Just plug the Wi-Fi unit into the hand controller slot and download the free App (Android or iOS) - it is ready to use.