This is what the internet needs more of. Relatable, clear directions that have been explained and demonstrated on equipment that people probably have at home. Very well done. 10 years old and still blowing people's minds on how easy it really is to use an EQ. Thank you sir.
I just got my daughter a Newtonian with an equatorial mount for Christmas. Needless to say, neither of us knew much about telescopes. There is a ton of information to process but I see that it can be done especially with the help of simple videos such as this one. Thanks for this! It was soooooo helpful.
@ItsGabeen it doesn't matter what she buys for her kid, it's non of your business. What you wrote was hurtful. I am happy that a parent is getting her kid into a fascinating hobby that could one day grow into something more. Try being supportive instead of insulting!
@Charles X Let me start by saying THANKS for your response to a comment I posted forever ago. This video was and still is much appreciated. In response to the negative comment. It is no biggie. I didn't even see it until today. Like you said commenting on a public platform should come with thick skin. Luckily for me I have just that. It comes with owning who you are and what you do/stand for. Can't be hurt by much once you've accomplished that. So it is all love 💙💙💙 Thanks again.
I am glad I found this video Sir. When I began watching I felt as if I was in a 5th grade classroom BUT that said I am a 58 year old man that really needed a starter class on alignment. I am buying a Celestron Advanced VX Series 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Go To Telescope and will need to polar align it. I have watched a few other videos and got lost in the "talk" very fast. Your teaching style would have been AWESOME for me when I took algebra many years ago as it would have saved me a summer school class one year. LOVED the video Sir and will visit your web site today. No need to update the video as I am fairly certain the mounts and stars have not really changed. Thank you.
I just got an F/5, 133mm (5 1/4"), Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ Newtowian telescope w/EQ mount, for Christmas (2019). I've been a casual observer for 45 years, but now that I'm retired, I have the time to pursue my passion for astronomy. EDIT : I just added an Orion EQ-2M right ascension motor to the RA adjustment shaft, with remarkable results. In all those years, I've never properly set up a telescope. We didn't have the resources "back in the day", like we do now, for such easy to understand instructions, like your videos. I'm now, for the first time, properly set up, balanced and aligned. What an amazing difference this is going to make. Thank you, I've subscribed, and will keep on watching you, and the night sky!
Eyes on the Sky, I just added an Orion EQ - 2M right ascension motor, and it's quite remarkable. I chose this system because it runs very quietly, it doesn't require removal to make manual adjustments to the RA axis, it has plenty of power, it's is DC driven (four D-cell batteries), and it has a hand pad for operating it. It's a really cool addition to my new Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ F/5 telescope w/133mm aperture (which actually has a 5 1/4" aperture, not the 6" aperture I thought it was. I did the math mentally, at first, and over estimated it ;) I edited the information, up top, to indicate the correct aperture and model.
I've never had a "goto", computerized telescope. They have some remarkable goto instruments available today, and I would probably enjoy one very much. I think though, that I have been forced to be a better amateur astronomer because of this. There's just so much more that you need to know, to successfully locate objects, the old school way. I think that I'm going to continue to hone my skills of locating objects objects on my own, before I upgrade to a goto type of telescope.
@@wadehampton1534 good idea. Fact is, GoTo still requires some knowledge if the sky just to align the systems. And even then, poorly designed ones can be a source of immense frustration just to aim them at objects that can be plainly seen like the Moon or planets.
I've been stargazing for 3 years now and I always just pointed my scope at the star/planet I was looking at and then found it difficult to track it. This video has been a massive help to me and now I always align. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work.
I am an old Dobsonian but bought my first EQ-Mount yesterday. Your video is funny but also very helpful. Thank you for this. It will help me very much using the EQ-Mount for the first time.
This was an excellent video tutorial for a complete newcomer such as myself. This not only helped me to understand how to setup and adjust my EQ mounted reflector telescope but why we do the things we do in order to achieve that.
Thank you for your kind compliment! This video is almost 12 years old, so I am incredibly glad that it is still helpful.for people. It's the exact reason I made it!
Old video...ancient BUT, after lots of searching youtube, still the best basic instructions around. Too many astronomy /telescope videos are either done by bumbling newbies or techies that love to hear themselves use 10 cent words the rest of us dont understand yet. Simple, easy to understand!!! THANK YOU!!!!! My only problem is now that Ive sucessfully done the alignment and all.... no matter what I do with the slow motion knobs, it doesnt track right. I still have to make sort of "zig zag" or step like turns to keep a planet aligned. Not sure what Im doing wrong. After messing with it more, now one of the slow mo knobs turns the scope and it moves but what I see in the scope stays stationary! ERF! Must keep playing lol!
It is an ancient video, but when I made it there wasn't really much of anything good out there for how to align an EQ mount either. It was done with an old point and shoot camera in video mode where I had to record the audio separately then sync it up. Rather time consuming, but it's been helpful to a lot of people over the years, so I am glad it helped you too! I'm not sure why you are still having to zig zag to keep things aligned - it should only require the RA motion to follow an object, with at most only occasional Dec adjustments. Are your clutches locking properly? Does the telescope move when you lock them then turn the slow mo controls? (It should.)
@@Eyesonthesky Wow. first and foremost...THANK YOU. the fact that you still reply directly is really admirable. If only more people on this planet were as giving! I will try! I will check to make sure those clutches are performing as they should. I think they are but....I really suck at this so far. subbed and thank you again!!!
Spectacular, I’m just returning to the hobby after 15 years. I’ve never used an equatorial mount but that’s going to change real soon. Many thanks, from Merry England.
Hello and Thank you for the three videos. Finally someone who made me actually use my telescopes equatorial mount - Wonderful. Besides that - All possible success for your anti-light pollution campaign. Best regards. Christof
Thank you so much for this. After three years finally someone who has the pedagogical skills to explain how to use the equatorial mount without confusing more than helping. Much, much appreciated. You made me actually use my telescope. Cudos!! Fahwad.
I watched this video a couple of times when I had bought a telescope on an equatorial mount and didn't understand much. Now that I had some practice with it this video totally makes sense and I'm ready to do proper polar alignments. Thanks, David!
As a photographer, never having used a telescope, I will be watching your videos ALOT. This one, is the first and so far the best. Thanks for giving me/us some confidence.
I have been trying to get this right for a while. Very informative and easy to follow. I wish the instructions were this clear on what to do in the manuals.
I agree fully! It actually saved me on my 2nd night of setting up my new scope and getting a lot of things wrong. In the end my frustration was too high and I went back inside, grab a beer and restarted this video. Then, it all made sense again. Lovely.
You sir have gotten yourself a new subscriber. You have gotten me started on telescopes and showed me what a bloody fun hobby anstronomy can be. Thank you
After spending 3 hours trying to figure it my self, I finally found your guide! Thanks man! Now thanks to you I can practicaly do something with it my telescope! Your guide is amazing and super easy.
Glad it helped! I have a new series on TH-cam right now that has objects you can starhop to easily - the Telescopes On The Sky tutorials. I hope you will check those out!
Great video! My wife has had one of these mounts for nearly two years and we have yet set it. I feel confident I can do it now and will try it some time soon to surpise her. Thank you so much!
Your video tutorial was sweetly done! I've polar aligned my equatorially-mounted reflector on several occasions in the past but that was many years ago. You did a good job in breaking the process down into easily understandable steps (with humor :)) and that brought me back up to speed. Thanks for that!
An EQ mount makes it far easier to find objects using setting circles, and track objects in the sky at higher magnification compared to other mount types. However, some people do find them cumbersome and prefer alt-az. I am glad this video helped you arrive at a good decision for your own needs.
Hi David. This video is an excellent, clear demonstration on how to use an eq mount......... the best I've seen online. Well done! Keep looking up. Regards. Mark, Southampton, England
Very useful information with clear instructions for polar alignment. I am fortunate in that I have a dedicated shed for my telescope so I can leave it all set up so all I have to do is lift it out and I’m ready to go. To speed things up I built a concrete base that I stand my telescope on and after making sure I had accurate PA I drilled three small holes so that I can stand the tripod legs in their correct holes and I am well enough aligned for accurate GOTO and visual observing. For astrophotography greater accuracy is required which means doing the PA every time, even then that does not guarantee precise alignment, that depends on how well the mount’s inbuilt PA observing kit is mounted. For precise, fast (2 to 3 minutes) very accurate PA, I invested £300 in a PoleMaster and have found it worth every single penny. It is especially useful for me because at my old age I am no longer able to kneel down and crane my neck back enough to be able to view Polaris through the mount, so sitting at my desk in the shed and watching it all take place on my laptop is priceless, without it I would have had to retire from astrophotography, which I dearly love doing as much as just observing. Just something to think about if you intend going into astrophotography.
Thanks a ton. My daughter and I are new to this stargazing and this was a wonderful intoduction. Your description was clear and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you.
Thank you!! I just bought my first Newtonian telescope with an equatorial mount and I was frustrated because I dind't know how to use it. Seeing your videos makes it easier!
Thank you so much! I last had a telescope almost 20 years ago and it didn't have an equatorial mount. The new scope does and I was befuddled by it, to my embarrassment. The manual and DVD the scope came with was marginally helpful at best. Thank you for making sense of this! I was using my latitude adjustment to raise and lower the the scope for viewing. I knew something had to be wrong and it was! Gotta love the Polaris in this video too. Assistants are great! Thanks for making this video informative, but also light and funny. Just keep it away from the sun when testing during the day.
Wonderful video. Just getting started with my first telescope and your videos have been the best guides I have found. Thank you! 4:41 Celestial Pole Alignment
Thank you so much for this & all your other videos. Picked up a Towa 339 today and the equitorial mount alignment was suspect. Now I just have to wait for clear skies & Polaris. Love your videos & the way you present them.
@metalskateboarder965 - thanks. Yes, use the R.A. and declination clutches to move the telescope to the desired object, and then relock them once you have it centered (or close). Use the slow-motion controls to recenter if needed, and use the R.A. slow-mo control to keep the object centered over time, to account for the Earth's rotation. Hope that helps!
Awesome video. You told me everything I needed to know without any extra information. The video with the nights sky made it so clear. This is the way kids should be educated in school.
This video is very well put together. I now have a full understanding of the alignment process. Furthermore, I am able to repeat this process every time! Kudos Mr. Fuller. P.S.I watch and learn from all of your videos. Your recent interview on a camping trip, you confessed it wasn't your favorite video. I really appreciate these videos.
This video has taught me how to set-up an eq mount with ease, i've watched other similar videos but they seem to over complicate things & have put me off from buying 1. I was going to buy a telescope with an alt-azimuth mount, but after watching this tutorial im definitely going to buy 1 with a eq mount..
Thanks, my friend. I was setting up my first equatorial and was on the verge of breaking something until your video made the correct neurons click in my brain. Now it seems easy!
Thanks, David. I'll do so. I like your video series on YT as well as on your website by the way. Quite to the point and humorous at the time. Thanks for sharing. Just ordered an Orion 10" reflector. Can't wait to exchange it for my old Bynostar 4592 ;-)
Just wanted to comment, I started astrophotography a few years ago and your setup videos with the eq mount was among the very first to actually help me on my way. I can polar align so fast now. I know its a little late but thanks again for the vids!
Brilliant video, thanks very much for uploading. I've just bought a Celestron Astromaster 130eq and this video was invaluable in explaining how to set it up correctly. All I need now is some good weather!
Thanks John! Glad the video helped. You're now experiencing the "Amateur Astronomer's Curse" by the way - you can expect cloudy weather at night for at least a week or two simply because you have a new piece of astronomy equipment. It will happen every time you buy an eyepiece, accessory, or another telescope.
Yeah! Awsome video. I'm from Barcelona (Spain) and i see this great video... Tonight i try to set up my equatorial mount. So thank you very much for teach me...
Nice clear professional presentation. I'll check your site for drift alignment techniques as I'm just a few degrees off the equator and in the mountains.
First of all, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with cheesy, everyone could use a little cheesiness in there lives. Secondly, I learned more about aligning my new eq mount here than countless other sources. You made it easy and fun, thanks!
You're welcome, and thanks for the nice compliment! That was the idea: To answer the questions about eq mounts in one video. Glad I accomplished that for you!
@Pyper70 - you're welcome for the video, glad it helped. After polar alignment, you can unlock the Right Ascension and Declination axes to point the telescope anywhere you want in the sky (so, two axes, not one). Since it will be well-balanced (if you follow this video), you can leave them unlocked to find a target, then lock them when you have sometime in your eyepiece to view. Use a low power eyepiece to start, and make sure your finderscope is aligned with the main scope, too.
This helped me a lot. I just got my first eq-goto mount and could not figure out why my tracking was not working properly after using star calibrations. I never understood the whole point of a polar alignment till now. Very helpful video, very informative. Good stuff and thank you!
Videos like this are just awesome. From a point and shoot start to my astronomy hobby, this video makes me appreciate the functions of my telescope. It makes the hobby so much more fun, when you know you are doing it right. Thank you for the video. I can't look for Polaris though, I've had to rely on southern hemisphere videos as well! Thank you again
Thanks for this video David. I'm new to star gazing, I just put together my first telescope. I have a Meade Polaris 114EQ-SD 4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope. I'm looking forward to watching more of your excellent videos.
@tich179 - thanks for the compliment, and I am glad you are managing to get things working for you. I never found that my goto scopes were terribly accurate, though achieving good level, pointing at true celestial north and making 2 or 3 star alignments helped. Goto is usually best for getting you "very close" - try using a long focal length eyepiece when searching, then if the target is smaller, bump up the magnification after the object has been found.
Hi David great instruction on how to align an equatorial mount,I have been wondering how I was going to get setup properly so I only need one hand or motorise my telescope.Thanks.
Wow! Thank you so much! I just got a telescope and the equatorial mount was baffliing. The instructions for setting it up were pathetic. Now I'm off to a great start. Thank you again!
@@Eyesonthesky no thank you, first night out yesterday, the setup was easy peasy thanks to you! saw the moon, jupiter and saturn for the first time. with perfect tracking ^^ thank you.
You're welcome - my pleasure to help. I think the reason the latitude only goes to a certain angle is so that the counterweight will not interfere with the legs; you'll be fine with just adjusting the tripod leg though. Be sure to check out my weekly videos for some objects you can find and see when you get your scope. Clear and dark skies!
Great set of videos. Thanks for the effort and the clarity in presentation. Your trick of using the red and blue masks to highlight the 2ndary mirror for alignment is absolutely brilliant.
Thank you very much, I think I'm ready for my purchase now :) I meant if it would affect in any way the movement of the scope on the mount, for instance if there's any chance of the counterweight being obstructed by the tripod legs or anything similar. But anyway knowing now that the latitude problem can be solved feels good. Once again thank you very much, you were very helpful! Great video by the way, easy to follow and very clear!
I was with doubts setting my Skywatcher, i went TH-cam searching some help... i found you and already joined your channel. Keep your excelent work and funny vids :) Love it PS: Started today for the first time and my toy it´s Skywatcher 130/900 w/ EQ2
The balance of the counterweight and scope has more to do with how the mount works than the balance of the tripod/overall setup. So I would balance it according to ensuring everything is in balance with each other (not with the tripod/ground), and simply be careful about the north side of your mount so it doesn't tip. Keep in mind that minor declination adjustments are not difficult even if the mount is level & slightly off polar alignment. Not sure what you mean by "mobility"?
Man you're a life-saver. I just bought my son a National Geographic 90/900 scope and the instructions are a little vague. Got it set-up but this video helped enourmously. I'm 52 degrees lattitude in the UK and it's cloudy at the moment so cannot use it. So thanks for this simple video and I will be checking out your others as will my son.
Glad it helped! I also have a video on how to use an eq mount in case you need any help there too. And I've got lots of videos on what to see along with Telescope and Stargazing Basics.
Thank you hugely for this demonstration! (was sent here by a forum buddy) Also, the humor has me lmao. And I don't know you, but it really looks like you're trying not to laugh in the turtleneck parts, cracking me up. Was using my Eq mount like a donkey until today, finally I understand it!
Thank you for the nice words - I much prefer an equatorial mount to the alt-az ones myself. One handed slow-motion control to follow objects at the eyepiece is so much simpler! I can concentrate more on observing, rather than tracking.
You mean the mount can spin freely on the tripod? If so, is there a screw missing somewhere in the mount that can be replaced? If not, is there a way to jam the azimuth motion from moving? For visual observing, polar alignment need not be perfect - just "close." So if it is off by several degrees in azimuth, it won't affect viewing except for occasional declination adjustments every so often. See if there is a way to lock that in place somehow.
@TheFuelFreak - well, using RA and Dec coordinate is one way to find things, but you don't have to use them. If you do, you will need to calibrate the RA setting circle to an object of known RA - say, Sirius or Arcturus or Deneb. Then with close enough polar alignment, you can then "dial in" other objects. But the other way is simple star hopping - no coordinates required. Either way, unlock the RA & Dec clutches, dial in coordinates or point to the object using the finderscope. Make sense?
Just received a telescope for Christmas and have started looking at setting it up tonight to get going withthe stargazing :) Very ,uch enjoyed this video as I tried to read the instructions on the telescope website but they were not quite as clear as this! Thank you!
Saga Efraimsson You're welcome, and thanks for the nice comment! I have a lot more videos on my channel showing how to find various objects in the night sky, as well as telescope and stargazing basics tutorials.
So yesterday was the first time I spotted and did an alignment with the north star. I did exactly what you said. Wow, I was so amazed on how it operates .Sadly there was nobody to high five with. But it's ok because I'll be ready when it comes to share with my kids. Thank you
@@Eyesonthesky thank you. I been at the bar celebrating national margarita day and the same time secretly celebrating the the findings of the stars, Location Omaha, Ne
@@Eyesonthesky you did mention your close to Chicago. Been so long that I been at Chicago planetarium 08 and at the Griffith observatory in 2018. I travel from time to time for my job. Clinton, Illinois to Sidney, NE. I'm have a Meade 4500 Telescope and what crazy I thought I was buying just some telescope from marketplace Facebook, I didn't realize what I was in for. Thinking just aim at the stars. I got into it because I wanted to get my kids involved. So that they could remember as I did with my oldest brother in 85 summer backyard camp fire in California L.A. Stuff like this you dont forget
This is what the internet needs more of. Relatable, clear directions that have been explained and demonstrated on equipment that people probably have at home. Very well done. 10 years old and still blowing people's minds on how easy it really is to use an EQ. Thank you sir.
This is so kind of you to say - thank you for taking the time to write this comment. Very much appreciated!
10 years later and this video is still helpful, thanks again!!
I just got my daughter a Newtonian with an equatorial mount for Christmas. Needless to say, neither of us knew much about telescopes. There is a ton of information to process but I see that it can be done especially with the help of simple videos such as this one. Thanks for this! It was soooooo helpful.
@ItsGabeen why would you say that? Grow up!
@ItsGabeen it doesn't matter what she buys for her kid, it's non of your business. What you wrote was hurtful. I am happy that a parent is getting her kid into a fascinating hobby that could one day grow into something more. Try being supportive instead of insulting!
@ItsGabeen what wrong with a eq mount for a kid?
@Charles X Let me start by saying THANKS for your response to a comment I posted forever ago. This video was and still is much appreciated.
In response to the negative comment. It is no biggie. I didn't even see it until today. Like you said commenting on a public platform should come with thick skin. Luckily for me I have just that. It comes with owning who you are and what you do/stand for. Can't be hurt by much once you've accomplished that.
So it is all love 💙💙💙
Thanks again.
I am glad I found this video Sir. When I began watching I felt as if I was in a 5th grade classroom BUT that said I am a 58 year old man that really needed a starter class on alignment. I am buying a Celestron Advanced VX Series 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Go To Telescope and will need to polar align it. I have watched a few other videos and got lost in the "talk" very fast. Your teaching style would have been AWESOME for me when I took algebra many years ago as it would have saved me a summer school class one year. LOVED the video Sir and will visit your web site today. No need to update the video as I am fairly certain the mounts and stars have not really changed. Thank you.
This was perfect! Detailed enough to make it understandable, but brief enough to keep my eyes from glazing over. Well done.
I just got an F/5, 133mm (5 1/4"), Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ Newtowian telescope w/EQ mount, for Christmas (2019). I've been a casual observer for 45 years, but now that I'm retired, I have the time to pursue my passion for astronomy.
EDIT : I just added an Orion EQ-2M right ascension motor to the RA adjustment shaft, with remarkable results.
In all those years, I've never properly set up a telescope. We didn't have the resources "back in the day", like we do now, for such easy to understand instructions, like your videos. I'm now, for the first time, properly set up, balanced and aligned. What an amazing difference this is going to make. Thank you, I've subscribed, and will keep on watching you, and the night sky!
Thank you, Wade!
Eyes on the Sky, I just added an Orion EQ - 2M right ascension motor, and it's quite remarkable. I chose this system because it runs very quietly, it doesn't require removal to make manual adjustments to the RA axis, it has plenty of power, it's is DC driven (four D-cell batteries), and it has a hand pad for operating it.
It's a really cool addition to my new Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ F/5 telescope w/133mm aperture (which actually has a 5 1/4" aperture, not the 6" aperture I thought it was. I did the math mentally, at first, and over estimated it ;) I edited the information, up top, to indicate the correct aperture and model.
I've never had a "goto", computerized telescope. They have some remarkable goto instruments available today, and I would probably enjoy one very much. I think though, that I have been forced to be a better amateur astronomer because of this. There's just so much more that you need to know, to successfully locate objects, the old school way. I think that I'm going to continue to hone my skills of locating objects objects on my own, before I upgrade to a goto type of telescope.
@@wadehampton1534 good idea. Fact is, GoTo still requires some knowledge if the sky just to align the systems. And even then, poorly designed ones can be a source of immense frustration just to aim them at objects that can be plainly seen like the Moon or planets.
I've been stargazing for 3 years now and I always just pointed my scope at the star/planet I was looking at and then found it difficult to track it. This video has been a massive help to me and now I always align. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work.
Thank you - glad it help!
I am an old Dobsonian but bought my first EQ-Mount yesterday. Your video is funny but also very helpful. Thank you for this. It will help me very much using the EQ-Mount for the first time.
This was an excellent video tutorial for a complete newcomer such as myself. This not only helped me to understand how to setup and adjust my EQ mounted reflector telescope but why we do the things we do in order to achieve that.
Thank you for your kind compliment! This video is almost 12 years old, so I am incredibly glad that it is still helpful.for people. It's the exact reason I made it!
Old video...ancient BUT, after lots of searching youtube, still the best basic instructions around. Too many astronomy /telescope videos are either done by bumbling newbies or techies that love to hear themselves use 10 cent words the rest of us dont understand yet. Simple, easy to understand!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
My only problem is now that Ive sucessfully done the alignment and all.... no matter what I do with the slow motion knobs, it doesnt track right. I still have to make sort of "zig zag" or step like turns to keep a planet aligned. Not sure what Im doing wrong. After messing with it more, now one of the slow mo knobs turns the scope and it moves but what I see in the scope stays stationary! ERF! Must keep playing lol!
It is an ancient video, but when I made it there wasn't really much of anything good out there for how to align an EQ mount either. It was done with an old point and shoot camera in video mode where I had to record the audio separately then sync it up. Rather time consuming, but it's been helpful to a lot of people over the years, so I am glad it helped you too!
I'm not sure why you are still having to zig zag to keep things aligned - it should only require the RA motion to follow an object, with at most only occasional Dec adjustments. Are your clutches locking properly? Does the telescope move when you lock them then turn the slow mo controls? (It should.)
@@Eyesonthesky Wow. first and foremost...THANK YOU. the fact that you still reply directly is really admirable. If only more people on this planet were as giving!
I will try! I will check to make sure those clutches are performing as they should. I think they are but....I really suck at this so far. subbed and thank you again!!!
You're cheesy as heck. But you're awesome and got a great sense of humor - and you execute it magnificently!
*H E C K I N G F R I C K*
burnt waffles This is a *christian server* so no swearing allowed
@@iuliandascalu4078 Christian*
HECKING FRICK
HECKIN FRICK
Spectacular, I’m just returning to the hobby after 15 years. I’ve never used an equatorial mount but that’s going to change real soon. Many thanks, from Merry England.
Hello and Thank you for the three videos. Finally someone who made me actually use my telescopes equatorial mount - Wonderful. Besides that - All possible success for your anti-light pollution campaign. Best regards. Christof
Thank you so much for this. After three years finally someone who has the pedagogical skills to explain how to use the equatorial mount without confusing more than helping. Much, much appreciated. You made me actually use my telescope. Cudos!!
Fahwad.
I watched this video a couple of times when I had bought a telescope on an equatorial mount and didn't understand much. Now that I had some practice with it this video totally makes sense and I'm ready to do proper polar alignments. Thanks, David!
9 years onwards, still found this amazingly useful. Well done!
Thank you!
this video was posted 10 years ago but i just bought myself a telescope with an eq mount, so thank you for doing this!
That's why I made it! I have recent content that can help you find things in the night sky to see with your new telescope too.
As a photographer, never having used a telescope, I will be watching your videos ALOT. This one, is the first and so far the best. Thanks for giving me/us some confidence.
I have been trying to get this right for a while. Very informative and easy to follow. I wish the instructions were this clear on what to do in the manuals.
I agree fully! It actually saved me on my 2nd night of setting up my new scope and getting a lot of things wrong. In the end my frustration was too high and I went back inside, grab a beer and restarted this video. Then, it all made sense again. Lovely.
You sir have gotten yourself a new subscriber. You have gotten me started on telescopes and showed me what a bloody fun hobby anstronomy can be. Thank you
After spending 3 hours trying to figure it my self, I finally found your guide! Thanks man! Now thanks to you I can practicaly do something with it my telescope! Your guide is amazing and super easy.
Glad it helped! I have a new series on TH-cam right now that has objects you can starhop to easily - the Telescopes On The Sky tutorials. I hope you will check those out!
I’ve had one of these mounts for years, had no idea what I was doing, thanks for this.
I've previously used a GO-TO scope so now that I'm trying out an equatorial mount this guide is exactly what I am in need of! Most helpful! :-)
Great video! My wife has had one of these mounts for nearly two years and we have yet set it. I feel confident I can do it now and will try it some time soon to surpise her. Thank you so much!
This is great, I think I actually understand how to use my mount properly for the first time. Glad I found your channel!
Thanks to your video, I just aligned my telescope for the first time ever. It was freaking awesome!
HECKING FREAKING FRICK
Dude I love you. The passion is visible in your eyes. And that livelyness is just as much as how clear your explanation is.
Your video tutorial was sweetly done! I've polar aligned my equatorially-mounted reflector on several occasions in the past but that was many years ago. You did a good job in breaking the process down into easily understandable steps (with humor :)) and that brought me back up to speed. Thanks for that!
An EQ mount makes it far easier to find objects using setting circles, and track objects in the sky at higher magnification compared to other mount types. However, some people do find them cumbersome and prefer alt-az. I am glad this video helped you arrive at a good decision for your own needs.
Very helpful as I am a total novice. Thanks very much! Best video I've found.
Thank you. This is much easier and more thorough than the written instructions included with my scope.
Good tutorial broken down nicely into digestible segments. Your video has helped me a lot. Cheers David.
Hi David. This video is an excellent, clear demonstration on how to use an eq mount......... the best I've seen online. Well done!
Keep looking up.
Regards.
Mark, Southampton, England
Very useful information with clear instructions for polar alignment. I am fortunate in that I have a dedicated shed for my telescope so I can leave it all set up so all I have to do is lift it out and I’m ready to go. To speed things up I built a concrete base that I stand my telescope on and after making sure I had accurate PA I drilled three small holes so that I can stand the tripod legs in their correct holes and I am well enough aligned for accurate GOTO and visual observing. For astrophotography greater accuracy is required which means doing the PA every time, even then that does not guarantee precise alignment, that depends on how well the mount’s inbuilt PA observing kit is mounted. For precise, fast (2 to 3 minutes) very accurate PA, I invested £300 in a PoleMaster and have found it worth every single penny. It is especially useful for me because at my old age I am no longer able to kneel down and crane my neck back enough to be able to view Polaris through the mount, so sitting at my desk in the shed and watching it all take place on my laptop is priceless, without it I would have had to retire from astrophotography, which I dearly love doing as much as just observing. Just something to think about if you intend going into astrophotography.
Thanks a ton. My daughter and I are new to this stargazing and this was a wonderful intoduction. Your description was clear and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you.
Thank you!! I just bought my first Newtonian telescope with an equatorial mount and I was frustrated because I dind't know how to use it. Seeing your videos makes it easier!
Thank you so much! I last had a telescope almost 20 years ago and it didn't have an equatorial mount. The new scope does and I was befuddled by it, to my embarrassment. The manual and DVD the scope came with was marginally helpful at best. Thank you for making sense of this! I was using my latitude adjustment to raise and lower the the scope for viewing. I knew something had to be wrong and it was! Gotta love the Polaris in this video too. Assistants are great! Thanks for making this video informative, but also light and funny. Just keep it away from the sun when testing during the day.
that was very instructive!!! This is the first video i watch on youtube where is thought decently how to align an equatorial mount. Thank you so much!
Wonderful video. Just getting started with my first telescope and your videos have been the best guides I have found. Thank you!
4:41 Celestial Pole Alignment
Thank you so much for this & all your other videos. Picked up a Towa 339 today and the equitorial mount alignment was suspect. Now I just have to wait for clear skies & Polaris. Love your videos & the way you present them.
the best video to this topic by far on youtube! many thanks for this brilliant explanation!
@metalskateboarder965 - thanks. Yes, use the R.A. and declination clutches to move the telescope to the desired object, and then relock them once you have it centered (or close). Use the slow-motion controls to recenter if needed, and use the R.A. slow-mo control to keep the object centered over time, to account for the Earth's rotation. Hope that helps!
Awesome video. You told me everything I needed to know without any extra information. The video with the nights sky made it so clear. This is the way kids should be educated in school.
Ioan-Radu Tanasescu Thank you so much - that was very kind of you to write.
This video is very well put together. I now have a full understanding of the alignment process. Furthermore, I am able to repeat this process every time! Kudos Mr. Fuller.
P.S.I watch and learn from all of your videos. Your recent interview on a camping trip, you confessed it wasn't your favorite video. I really appreciate these videos.
As a total newbie I thank you so much. Brilliantly simple.
I will likely have to do it a few times... Clear instructions are great. SUBSCRIBED!
Great video, buddy! You connected a lot of dots for me. Thank you for taking the time to put this together for us!
A good tutorial comes in handy even after 11 years(or 100 years) 😂
Thanks for this mate 👍
You're welcome, it was my very first TH-cam video too.
This was a really helpful video. I just got my first proper telescope and this video helped make getting started a lot easier.
Thank you for making these videos. I do enjoy watching and learning. I feel more comfortable now aligning my scopes, then I was before.
This video has taught me how to set-up an eq mount with ease, i've watched other similar videos but they seem to over complicate things & have put me off from buying 1. I was going to buy a telescope with an alt-azimuth mount, but after watching this tutorial im definitely going to buy 1 with a eq mount..
Loved the video just the right blend of humour and tuition many thanks
Thanks, my friend. I was setting up my first equatorial and was on the verge of breaking something until your video made the correct neurons click in my brain. Now it seems easy!
Thank you so much. This was best tutorial I found on TH-cam understand and align Eq mount!!!!!! :))))
Thank you for the tutorial, David. You were more helpful than the manufacturer :)
Shane Molinari you're welcome, and thank you so much for the incredibly kind comment.
Thanks, David. I'll do so. I like your video series on YT as well as on your website by the way. Quite to the point and humorous at the time. Thanks for sharing. Just ordered an Orion 10" reflector. Can't wait to exchange it for my old Bynostar 4592 ;-)
Old ass 4:3 low def video, but super helpful and very easy to understand. Still a priceless guide for us noobs - thanks for leaving this up!
If still watching, thanks David. Huge help. High five.
Yep, still watching. I'm even still making new videos on how to find things! Check out my channel's latest offerings.
Thank you so much!!! It is so easy for me to see objects in the sky! God bless you 🙏
Just wanted to comment, I started astrophotography a few years ago and your setup videos with the eq mount was among the very first to actually help me on my way. I can polar align so fast now. I know its a little late but thanks again for the vids!
Thank you for coming back to comment! :-)
Brilliant video, thanks very much for uploading. I've just bought a Celestron Astromaster 130eq and this video was invaluable in explaining how to set it up correctly. All I need now is some good weather!
Thanks John! Glad the video helped. You're now experiencing the "Amateur Astronomer's Curse" by the way - you can expect cloudy weather at night for at least a week or two simply because you have a new piece of astronomy equipment. It will happen every time you buy an eyepiece, accessory, or another telescope.
Eyes on the Sky that's true i just bought the same telescope yesterday and all the sky is now full with rainy clouds :'(
Yeah! Awsome video. I'm from Barcelona (Spain) and i see this great video... Tonight i try to set up my equatorial mount. So thank you very much for teach me...
Glad to help. :-)
Nice clear professional presentation. I'll check your site for drift alignment techniques as I'm just a few degrees off the equator and in the mountains.
First of all, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with cheesy, everyone could use a little cheesiness in there lives. Secondly, I learned more about aligning my new eq mount here than countless other sources. You made it easy and fun, thanks!
Thank you, Dan!
no seriously dude...very well done. thanks man...i hated my eq the first night i got it...this video really helped me understand it all. GRACIAS
You're welcome, and thanks for the nice compliment! That was the idea: To answer the questions about eq mounts in one video. Glad I accomplished that for you!
Very helpful! Thank you!! The instructions the scope came with are worth the paper it's printing on. 7 pages of nothing useful! Thank you so much!
+ToriMichele Morris Glad to help - that's why I made this!
@Pyper70 - you're welcome for the video, glad it helped. After polar alignment, you can unlock the Right Ascension and Declination axes to point the telescope anywhere you want in the sky (so, two axes, not one). Since it will be well-balanced (if you follow this video), you can leave them unlocked to find a target, then lock them when you have sometime in your eyepiece to view. Use a low power eyepiece to start, and make sure your finderscope is aligned with the main scope, too.
This helped me a lot. I just got my first eq-goto mount and could not figure out why my tracking was not working properly after using star calibrations. I never understood the whole point of a polar alignment till now. Very helpful video, very informative. Good stuff and thank you!
Videos like this are just awesome. From a point and shoot start to my astronomy hobby, this video makes me appreciate the functions of my telescope. It makes the hobby so much more fun, when you know you are doing it right.
Thank you for the video.
I can't look for Polaris though, I've had to rely on southern hemisphere videos as well! Thank you again
Thanks for this video David. I'm new to star gazing, I just put together my first telescope. I have a Meade Polaris 114EQ-SD 4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope. I'm looking forward to watching more of your excellent videos.
@tich179 - thanks for the compliment, and I am glad you are managing to get things working for you. I never found that my goto scopes were terribly accurate, though achieving good level, pointing at true celestial north and making 2 or 3 star alignments helped. Goto is usually best for getting you "very close" - try using a long focal length eyepiece when searching, then if the target is smaller, bump up the magnification after the object has been found.
Thanks for taking the time to put this all together, really helpful!
Thank you so much for explaining. After many attempts at following your video it's finally made sense and i can now perfectly set up in minutes!
Glad my video helped!!
@@Eyesonthesky , visited website and donated. It's not much but every little helps. Best wishes
@@toonage1 indeed it does, thank you so much!
Hi David great instruction on how to align an equatorial mount,I have been wondering how I was going to get setup properly so I only need one hand or motorise my telescope.Thanks.
Wow! Thank you so much! I just got a telescope and the equatorial mount was baffliing. The instructions for setting it up were pathetic. Now I'm off to a great start. Thank you again!
9 years later, this is still the best video on this subject.
Thank you, that's very kind of you to write.
@@Eyesonthesky no thank you, first night out yesterday, the setup was easy peasy thanks to you! saw the moon, jupiter and saturn for the first time. with perfect tracking ^^
thank you.
You're welcome - my pleasure to help. I think the reason the latitude only goes to a certain angle is so that the counterweight will not interfere with the legs; you'll be fine with just adjusting the tripod leg though. Be sure to check out my weekly videos for some objects you can find and see when you get your scope. Clear and dark skies!
I learned some of this the hard way. Now with help from this video I will know how to do it right. Thanks for this well made video.
Great set of videos. Thanks for the effort and the clarity in presentation. Your trick of using the red and blue masks to highlight the 2ndary mirror for alignment is absolutely brilliant.
Thank you very much, I think I'm ready for my purchase now :) I meant if it would affect in any way the movement of the scope on the mount, for instance if there's any chance of the counterweight being obstructed by the tripod legs or anything similar. But anyway knowing now that the latitude problem can be solved feels good. Once again thank you very much, you were very helpful! Great video by the way, easy to follow and very clear!
I just found an old telescope with this kind of mount. Thank you very much for helping me understand how to use it.
I was with doubts setting my Skywatcher, i went TH-cam searching some help... i found you and already joined your channel. Keep your excelent work and funny vids :) Love it
PS: Started today for the first time and my toy it´s Skywatcher 130/900 w/ EQ2
Excellent! Glad to help - wishing you clear and dark skies.
The balance of the counterweight and scope has more to do with how the mount works than the balance of the tripod/overall setup. So I would balance it according to ensuring everything is in balance with each other (not with the tripod/ground), and simply be careful about the north side of your mount so it doesn't tip. Keep in mind that minor declination adjustments are not difficult even if the mount is level & slightly off polar alignment. Not sure what you mean by "mobility"?
Man you're a life-saver. I just bought my son a National Geographic 90/900 scope and the instructions are a little vague. Got it set-up but this video helped enourmously. I'm 52 degrees lattitude in the UK and it's cloudy at the moment so cannot use it. So thanks for this simple video and I will be checking out your others as will my son.
Glad it helped! I also have a video on how to use an eq mount in case you need any help there too. And I've got lots of videos on what to see along with Telescope and Stargazing Basics.
@@Eyesonthesky I'll check them out. Thanks!
Straight forward and to the point. Thanks!
Thank you hugely for this demonstration! (was sent here by a forum buddy)
Also, the humor has me lmao. And I don't know you, but it really looks like you're trying not to laugh in the turtleneck parts, cracking me up.
Was using my Eq mount like a donkey until today, finally I understand it!
Really informative, nicely done. Thanks .
That was brilliantly informative, absorbing and entertaining as well. Thank You
Good video, well done. Just got a meade 4500 (Old I know mirrors are shot lmao) but I can now use the mount the way it was intended. 10/10 keep it up
Almost 10 year old video and here I am about to get a telescope and watching how these work. Thanks!
Glad it is helping you! I've got one about how to aim these too, plus Telescope Basics, etc.
Thank you for the nice words - I much prefer an equatorial mount to the alt-az ones myself. One handed slow-motion control to follow objects at the eyepiece is so much simpler! I can concentrate more on observing, rather than tracking.
Thank you for a very useful, well planned and well delivered video.
You mean the mount can spin freely on the tripod? If so, is there a screw missing somewhere in the mount that can be replaced? If not, is there a way to jam the azimuth motion from moving? For visual observing, polar alignment need not be perfect - just "close." So if it is off by several degrees in azimuth, it won't affect viewing except for occasional declination adjustments every so often. See if there is a way to lock that in place somehow.
@TheFuelFreak - well, using RA and Dec coordinate is one way to find things, but you don't have to use them. If you do, you will need to calibrate the RA setting circle to an object of known RA - say, Sirius or Arcturus or Deneb. Then with close enough polar alignment, you can then "dial in" other objects. But the other way is simple star hopping - no coordinates required. Either way, unlock the RA & Dec clutches, dial in coordinates or point to the object using the finderscope. Make sense?
You're welcome - that's exactly why I made this video! Glad it helped.
Just received a telescope for Christmas and have started looking at setting it up tonight to get going withthe stargazing :) Very ,uch enjoyed this video as I tried to read the instructions on the telescope website but they were not quite as clear as this! Thank you!
Saga Efraimsson You're welcome, and thanks for the nice comment! I have a lot more videos on my channel showing how to find various objects in the night sky, as well as telescope and stargazing basics tutorials.
So yesterday was the first time I spotted and did an alignment with the north star. I did exactly what you said. Wow, I was so amazed on how it operates .Sadly there was nobody to high five with. But it's ok because I'll be ready when it comes to share with my kids. Thank you
*high five!*
@@Eyesonthesky thank you. I been at the bar celebrating national margarita day and the same time secretly celebrating the the findings of the stars, Location Omaha, Ne
@@DavidRamirez-ck2ph oh, you've got some REALLY good, dark skies not far from you. One of these days I hope.to make it to the Nebraska Star Party.
@@Eyesonthesky you did mention your close to Chicago. Been so long that I been at Chicago planetarium 08 and at the Griffith observatory in 2018. I travel from time to time for my job. Clinton, Illinois to Sidney, NE. I'm have a Meade 4500 Telescope and what crazy I thought I was buying just some telescope from marketplace Facebook, I didn't realize what I was in for. Thinking just aim at the stars. I got into it because I wanted to get my kids involved. So that they could remember as I did with my oldest brother in 85 summer backyard camp fire in California L.A. Stuff like this you dont forget