Hello Stargazers! We're excited to announce that we're now on Patreon! Follow us for behind-the-scenes footage from LearnToStargaze and updates on the development of our stargazing retreat, "Stargaze Nova Scotia." www.patreon.com/LearnToStargaze
Watched as many videos of how to use an EQ mount as I could find. All left me more confused, except this one. By far best video on how to use an EQ mount I could find. Thank you!
Thank you. Finally, with the aid of this video after viewing many videos. I watched this video, went downstairs, and moved my eq around. Yesterday, I got my 30 year old mount out and got it put together after being in a box for 20 years, but it didn’t seem to move around like I thought. Now I'm understanding my eq mount. I'm skipping the telescope and using my older (15 yrs old) camera with a new telephoto lens to try astrophotography.
As an experienced user of all telescopes, you have done a good job with your video. I will be pointing beginners to it. Thank you. Only small edit, you didn't mention aligning the EQ axis with the telescope tube before polar aligning, with the EQ1 and no polarscope this is important. If the DEC is out so will your alignment. Loosen the RA and rotate to check polaris stays put.
THANK YOU GOOD SIR! I've been waiting for a video like this to break down my EQ mount for easy use at night. Unfortunately, I do believe my telescope is out of culmination and needs to be worked on. I did buy 50 things to see on the moon, and my son was gifted the 50 things to see with a telescope, and the next book is already on its way to us! Thank you for making telescopes fun, and frontyard astronomy exciting with your books and videos.
We in India don't have a lot of options especially with a lower middle class background. Your video is really a good one for us who are thinking of buying an equatorial telescope.
I bought an eq mount like this one but the instructions went very good at fine tuning the star alignment. Your instructions really helped me understand how to do it. Thanks.
Thank you so much for making this video. When I purchased my EQ3 Space Explorer, the reddit sub said it is so hard to work with, you actually made it simple.
I READ YOUR BOOK AND IT WAS SO COOL good job i decided to restart telescopes i stopped 3 years ago cause my sister tried to use it and it broke so i decided to buy 1 for christmas and your book helped me thanks
I’ve had a Dob for a year and a half, and enjoyed it tremendously. However a lucky find of a Meade 4.5 eq scope at a flea market made for an instant upgrade. I knew it could track objects, but only was able to get it assembled and pointing at the moon and Jupiter last night. Using it to full potential wasn’t possible. This will help a ton, so tonight I can take it out and really get good close looks at the gas giants :)
Thanks for this video! The mech engineer in me used the telescope twice without looking at the instructions… about to try again tonight but first learn how to use it. I was not aligning the finder scope ahead of time making it tough to repeatedly find Saturn a couple nights ago. This video is super clear!!!
Felt like there was slop in the system when I manually positioned or tried to adjust. Very frustrating, I kept wondering if it was weight not in best position & then adjusting. I did try to add the 3x tube (forgot its technical term), Saturn was centered in the field of view for the first time… but cranking the focus both ways it stayed as a blob. Then the clouds came in. Regardless was more successful than the previous Saturn viewing night thanks to this video.
That's so funny, I had a very similar experience recently. I just set it up however and then gave it the good ol eyeball from the back of the scope 😅 I tried my Barlow and I swear it was the same size maybe even smaller? Still have to figure out the lenses I guess haha
Excellent summary of how to begin with this scope. I bought one recently and fumbled around with it. The user manual and some other videos are useless but your video was spot on. Well presented as well. I'm going to look into your books as well.
Thank you so much for this! I want having so much trouble figuring this out, but you explained it really well! I got to see the planet Saturn for the first time, Thank you!
Thanks for a great video. I just got a Celestron 80 EQ telescope from a neighbor who didn't want it anymore> I was baffled about how to use it. You video was easy to follow.
I'm very glad I found your video. I like your video style and the way you explain everything. I'm new and was given an EQ mount telescope. I will be watching all of your videos now and buying the books. I am learning for my son to learn. Thanks, big help!
Love seeing a Maritime channel on this! I was recently elected as the president of the astronomy club at the uni I’m attending so I’ve been trying to learn how to use the various telescopes we have. Awesome vid, super helpful.
thank you so much, i’ve been looking on a tutorial to do this and i was expecting some bad tutorial that doesn’t give clear instructions, but yours was the full opposite. thank you, now i can track the moon and the sun
Thanks for this much needed guide! I wish a video like this had been around in the early 90s when I first got my 4.5 inch Newtonian EQ. Took years before I learned how to use it properly.
Wow I've been using mine wrong for over a decade.... No wonder it was a pain to track the moon or planets. I spent more time finding it then viewing. Thanks for this video!
I've just brought one of these today..I was buzzing as someone who used it twice and lost interest in it sold it me for a serious bargain price of £30...when I got it home and realised it was way more complicated than just pointing it up at the sky I did think dam maybe I've been abit impulsive but after watching this tutorial I'm actually excited about taking it outside and putting it all into practice as you've just made it seem quite easy really once you get it locked in your head..well and simply explained..thanks..
Every question I have brings me to one of your videos and I am relieved to find you have the answer. Thanks again. Enjoying your book even without a telescope.
Thanks, excellent video! I finally got it how to use my EQ3 mount, even from my apartment window. I also bought two of your books, they are indeed very helpful.
Hello John, Just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your books! I have 2 of them, 50 things to see with a small telescope and 50 things to see on the moon. Both great books , They are very clearly written, and I would recommend these books to anyone new to Astronomy. I'm sure your third book for kids is just as impressive!
Wonderful!! I’m glad you enjoy the books! My 14th and 15th books (110 Things to see with a Telescope and Learn To Stargaze) should be in more bookstores soon! Working our our 16th, 17th and 18th titles now :-)
Thanks for this ! I had an 8 inch Dobsonian and the view was great. I sold it because I had to get down on my knees a lot to aim the red dot finder. That’s a no go for me as my knees are really bad. I’m now looking at a Schmidt-Cassegrain or good refractor for observing.
I have had a Bushnell 🔭 for 25 years with a basic tripod; it’s always done the job for basic stuff. A few weeks ago, I saw a guy tossing a fully intact TAL1 with EQ mount into the trash. I ended up rescuing it; It needs some TLC, but with no restoration, I still managed to see Saturn and its rings. …currently restoring it now. Can’t wait to see more
Thank you!!! I have the power seeker 114 eq. It was acting weird so I just started turning random nobs and locked it somehow. I Watched this video and know how to unlock it from being straight up. I also know how to use the mount in general now!
My buddy has Newtonian refractor and light buckets, he uses AP products but prefers his Zeiss. I heard from him that Zeiss is better than AP, would you agree?
I borrowed a Dobson scope and didn't care for it. The tabletop mount was clumsy to carry, and since you can't adjust the height, i couldn't reach the eyepiece. I bought an Orion Observer EQ. I like the cute RA and DEC knobs. They are like toys. The only problem is trying to "drive" the scope. I was looking at neighbor's roofs & seeing what repairs they needed. But good luck getting the scope to turn where I wanted...I sure wish there was a "ball joint" for a telescope. I haven't been able to find Jupiter in the scope yet.
You polar align an EQ mount because it is designed to offset the rotation of the earth. By pointing one axis at the celestial pole, the telescope will rotate at a speed of one revolution per day along that axis, offsetting the spinning earth.
Hey I really enjoyed your instructional video and I learned much more about EQ’s. I recently purchased a Celestron 130EQ and have struggled so much finding the most simplest things, but I am also a beginner. Just to clarify, the Altitude knobs are supposed to match my latitude and not to be changed after that? I’ve been cranking it a lot trying to point the telescope at objects that are high and low in the sky. Was I not supposed to be doing that?
You should not touch the altitude. The scope should move effortlessly along the RA and Dec axes. That said, it might be worth trading that scope for a StarSense 130 DX, which is infinitely more user friendly.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much for the reply! Just because I have you here, what are some steps I should keep in mind when trying to point my telescope at Saturn or a celestial body. If it’s not too much to ask, can you give me a simple list of things to do when taking on that task; such as starting with setting the altitude and so forth. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
@@omarahmad3986 As you're searching for targets, make sure the clutch on the RA and Dec axis is loose. When you find your target, like Saturn, lock both clutches. Then, use the slow motion controls to center the target. If the telescope was properly polar aligned (as detailed in the beginning of this video), you should be able to track Saturn across the sky by just turning the RA slow motion control.
tip - put painters tap on the scope tube and mount rings so you can quickly realign the tube when reassembling after transport. same for weight rod for balance. you never mentioned the "meridian flip"
John, I have almost all of your books, but the ones that I like best are your new Messier guide (110...), and your moon book. Only wish you had given the Soviets more credit in the latter. For a decade they had a lot of firsts.
can you help me with smth, for some reason when I look through my telescope, I can't see any planets and I can only see the refractor through the eyepeice, someone please tell me how to?
Really, thanks I thought it was somthing wrong with the telescope cause I saw a circle with 2 lines going from east to west and north to south, thanks!
Did I not? I might have deleted that because it’s quite silly to do that these days, since the quality of the scopes aren’t high enough to put you on target, and there are far far easier ways to find things in the sky. The only reason I can think to use them is to pull the RA and Dec of an unknown object. You’d first point at a known object, set the dials to that object’s RA and Dec, and then pivot over to the unknown object and record the RA and Dec.
Really good step by step instruction and illustration for these difficult mounts so many beginners choose. I felt a bit sorry for the people at the end of the video who had to crouch to use the scope. The tripod could have been more accommodating. :)
Great overview video, thank you! I was expecting the EQ mount to track the selected object *automatically*, without hand controls. But I think it just tracks *correctly* with knob turns. Is that correct? Are there any EQ mounts that track *correctly* with a small motor or motors? Thanks again!!
Awesome ! Just got a 70EQ from an Canadian astronaut friend 🤗 can't wait to use it ! Quick question for the Pole Alignment: if you don't see the North Star because of obstacles, do you point on the True North or the Magnetic North (which for example is 13° West from true north in Ottawa, ON)? 🤔
@@LearnToStargaze Hi John, it'll just observing the beautiful heavens not to mention the Travel 102 was well within my budget, I was looking at the Travel 120 but i think that's too big. Otherwise I'm still on the fence for the equatorial mount, I just wanted to push the button and it finds the object for me.
@@RoyJNg If you're just into visual astronomy, I'd get a Starsense Telescope for finding objects. Alternatively, a nexstar scope would also work: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802875724-USE/celestron_31145_nexstar_130slt_130mm_f_5.html
5:15 for me i rather use the finder scope i most of the time keep both eyes open while i look through the finder scope so the narrow field of view is not a disadvantage for me and i highly recommend it try to keep both your eyes open while looking throw the scope you will see star or planet with your normal view but you also see the crosair of the scope and then you cann move it on and after you move it on
I saw how you found the moon "over to the west" by loosening the RA and Dec axes.. what if your target is basically straight behind the alignment axis? Can it pivot that far around?
How do we see stuff with these mounts when the target is nearly overhead? I find the scope hits the knobs for fine tuning. A Meridian flip doesn’t work in the situation. Do we simply just use it in azimuth in that case?
I don’t have that little sniper scope thingy that looks like a tiny telescope that mounts onto the actual telescope, so is there a better way to look for planets without it?
You need to remove that thing and put on a red dot finder. You don’t so much look for planets though, since you can see them without a telescope, it’s just a matter of pointing at them.
I’m in the market for my first go to equatorial mount and was wondering if it would be used for visual until I graduate into astrophotography. When I look all these videos on an equatorial mount moves it seem like it would be awkward to look into eye piece.
That’s one reason why they’re not typically used for visual anymore (at least by beginners). The AM3 or AM5 mount would be an example of a mount that can be used when you graduate to astrophotography.
@@LearnToStargaze What do you think of the Sky-Watcher AZ GTI with the wedge? I know it does not hold a lot of weight due to the ones you have mentioned but it seems like would be a great way to start with a 80mm refractor.
@@petelopez5826 there’s really no need to wedge it anymore since the StarAdveturer GTi has the same mechanisms, but is naturally EQ. I used a 72mm refractor on it, and that was pushing it, but it worked great. You can see that in my Evostar video.
Hi...once the mount setup is done..If I have focused on a galaxy..lets say orion...now does the eq mount need any additional gear to counter earths rotation if Im taking 100 shots from the attached dslr..each with an exposure of 50 seconds..
@@LearnToStargaze ...Thanks for your response... Mount is EQ3 with RA motor.. Will it help??...as I need to stack those images...and If the object doesnt stay centered....the stacking wont help...
@@paragvaghela2012 Have you had any luck so far? I'm not sure that mount is capable of keeping an object stable enough for astrophotography, but I could be wrong. These days, the most popular beginner light-weight astrophotography mount is the Star Adventurer GTI, which has a motor drive in both axis.
@@jasonschlencker8108 Basically yes. The pole star is about 0.5 degrees off from the pole, but it's close enough for visual observing. For astrophotography you generally use some sort of electronic assistance to align to the pole.
what is the home position you mention at 6:20? I live in the southern hemisphere and it's been a challenge getting it correctly aligned, but i did manage to use it to view saturn rings at one point but it was so much work that i feel discouraged
The home position is when the scope is riding directly on top of the mount, not off to one side. Ideally pointed due south for you. These telescopes, when used visually, are quite frustrating, and definitely not for beginners. Even I find them incredibly frustrating. Seeing Saturn is trivially easy in most telescopes, but the EQ mount adds quite a bit of complexity.
@@ashkanrmp7442 I’ve listed some options on n the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com. There is the Omni 102 from Costco. The Orion Skyscanner for kids. the best would probably be the Starsense Dobsonian Tabletop (currently $349).
I ended up getting a nice Meade telescope with this kind of mount for $15. It didn’t have eye pieces so I bought an adapter I found in a forum and then new eye pieces… but this mount has me all thrown off
I had to buy the CG-4 and hope my scope doesn't shake on it like it does on my Twilight One AZ because it is too long for the vixen clamp to hold steady unless pointing up about 70 degrees or better. I've used a too small EQ before that was pathetic. I do not want to spend $1500 for a go-to electronic scope. I can find things using my planisphere and Star Atlas. Bortle 2 sky makes it easier and belonging to an astronomy club.
I received my CG-4 and my 6" scope is solid on it. Celestron sent a thick booklet I thought would be general directions in several languages, but no. It was a very good instruction manual right down to even explaining how to use the setting rings in RA and DEC all in English. The polar scope had very good instructions too. I'm impressed with the detail.
@@LearnToStargaze also, I have a German EQ mount and in addition to the declination and RA axes, The entire amount rotates on a hinge-type of system. Do you know what that's for? It rotates the entire scope horizontally about 90°
Is there a telescope that I can get for my family that we can see the planets good I have a 70 400 with a 10 mm and 25mm and 3x Barlow wanting a better view and more stable
Personally, I find planets best viewed with a MAK or SCT style telescope. These are typically more expensive, especially since they mostly come on computerized mounts, but if you like close up views of the planets, these are the way to go. Personally, I have a celestron C8 on an AVX mount, and for travel, I use a a C90 on an AZ-GTI mount.
I wish someone had explained all this to me a few years ago. My telescope collected dust and then I threw it away. Fast forward a few more years, I ordered a refractin telescope. I think every beginner (including me) should start there. No collimation, no eq.
You point it at the south celestial pole. I would just point the scope directly South using phone compass, and then set the latitude dial. That should be close enough for visual observations. The challenge is there is no bright star at the south celestial pole.
@@LearnToStargaze I thought so… :-( I’m not at all experienced with telescopes (yet!) but I’m studying it. I suppose the after initial setup of eq mount we can fine tune it quite reasonably, right? On the same note: reaching perfect setup would also be very hard and only noticeable for extremely high magnifications, am I right?
The latitude (aka altitude) axis never moves during operation. The declination axis moves the telescope towards, or away from, Polaris. The RA axis moves around Polaris, allowing the telescope to point anywhere in the sky.
Perhaps my question should be rephrased, how can you aim the telescope to view stars higher than Polaris if you lock it in for only 45degrees at my location ?
I feel like those eq1/ eq2 mounts are just so bad they are more a source of frustration for newbies than anything.. a couple in my club were trying to figure out their eq2, I tried helping them by adjusting it and showing them how to use an EQ mount.. I found it practically unusable.. I ended up just giving them an old vixen Polaris I had and it was like night and day for them.. a person struggling with one of those mounts might not have any problems with EQ mounts, just crappy ones.
I own an EQ1 and yes, it is a kind of a crap. BUT! I bought it with a cheap 60/700 refractor for 1/5 of the price from a frustrated newbie :-) as a way to learn the EQ mount basics. Yes, it is wobly and I must put a brick on the tripod to make it stable I use it as a grab´n´go setup if I am lazy (or in time pressure) and I usually observe the Sun with it. If one does not expect much from it he will not be dissapointed. Dobsonians and AZ mounts are best for the beginners.
@@zamorskymisa I just find them terrible to use . It's not fun.. meanwhile I have several old but good quality manual EQ mounts that I personally maintain. They are an absolute pleasure to use. Smooth, the slow motion controls work beautifully, very stable, etc. I have a Vixen Polaris and a Super Polaris both are wonderful, then I have a CG5 and a Stellarvue m4 that are pretty good as well .. it's just a shame they don't package these scopes with beefier mounts, it would really benefit newbies
I always disagree with the "get a dobsonian" advice. My recommendation is usually "if you're really into astronomy, get an eq mount. Is it challenging? Perhaps, at the beginning. But once you learn how to operate it, it's going to save you tons of time looking for objects in the sky. If you're a "casual" (just for the lack of a better word; Im not an English speaker) and you're only interested on looking a couple objects occasionally, then yes, definitely get a dobson and save yourself a lot of money.
EQ mounts are astronomy repellent. They keep people away from the hobby. It’s 10x more challenging to find a target with an EQ mount (assuming it’s not computerized).
Hello Stargazers! We're excited to announce that we're now on Patreon! Follow us for behind-the-scenes footage from LearnToStargaze and updates on the development of our stargazing retreat, "Stargaze Nova Scotia." www.patreon.com/LearnToStargaze
There are surprisingly few videos online explaining this, and none that do it as simply and easy to follow as you! Thanks!
Thanks!
Watched as many videos of how to use an EQ mount as I could find. All left me more confused, except this one. By far best video on how to use an EQ mount I could find. Thank you!
You’re most welcome!
Thank you. Finally, with the aid of this video after viewing many videos. I watched this video, went downstairs, and moved my eq around. Yesterday, I got my 30 year old mount out and got it put together after being in a box for 20 years, but it didn’t seem to move around like I thought. Now I'm understanding my eq mount. I'm skipping the telescope and using my older (15 yrs old) camera with a new telephoto lens to try astrophotography.
As an experienced user of all telescopes, you have done a good job with your video. I will be pointing beginners to it. Thank you. Only small edit, you didn't mention aligning the EQ axis with the telescope tube before polar aligning, with the EQ1 and no polarscope this is important. If the DEC is out so will your alignment. Loosen the RA and rotate to check polaris stays put.
THANK YOU GOOD SIR! I've been waiting for a video like this to break down my EQ mount for easy use at night. Unfortunately, I do believe my telescope is out of culmination and needs to be worked on. I did buy 50 things to see on the moon, and my son was gifted the 50 things to see with a telescope, and the next book is already on its way to us! Thank you for making telescopes fun, and frontyard astronomy exciting with your books and videos.
Thanks so much for the feedback! Comments like this really keep me motivated.
We in India don't have a lot of options especially with a lower middle class background.
Your video is really a good one for us who are thinking of buying an equatorial telescope.
Thanks!
I bought an eq mount like this one but the instructions went very good at fine tuning the star alignment. Your instructions really helped me understand how to do it. Thanks.
Thank you so much for making this video. When I purchased my EQ3 Space Explorer, the reddit sub said it is so hard to work with, you actually made it simple.
Thanks!
I READ YOUR BOOK AND IT WAS SO COOL good job i decided to restart telescopes i stopped 3 years ago cause my sister tried to use it and it broke so i decided to buy 1 for christmas and your book helped me thanks
wow, great to hear! Thanks for the kind note!
@@LearnToStargaze thank you
I’ve had a Dob for a year and a half, and enjoyed it tremendously. However a lucky find of a Meade 4.5 eq scope at a flea market made for an instant upgrade. I knew it could track objects, but only was able to get it assembled and pointing at the moon and Jupiter last night. Using it to full potential wasn’t possible. This will help a ton, so tonight I can take it out and really get good close looks at the gas giants :)
Great to hear!
How did It go?🤔
Thanks for this video! The mech engineer in me used the telescope twice without looking at the instructions… about to try again tonight but first learn how to use it. I was not aligning the finder scope ahead of time making it tough to repeatedly find Saturn a couple nights ago. This video is super clear!!!
Felt like there was slop in the system when I manually positioned or tried to adjust. Very frustrating, I kept wondering if it was weight not in best position & then adjusting. I did try to add the 3x tube (forgot its technical term), Saturn was centered in the field of view for the first time… but cranking the focus both ways it stayed as a blob. Then the clouds came in. Regardless was more successful than the previous Saturn viewing night thanks to this video.
That's so funny, I had a very similar experience recently. I just set it up however and then gave it the good ol eyeball from the back of the scope 😅 I tried my Barlow and I swear it was the same size maybe even smaller? Still have to figure out the lenses I guess haha
Excellent summary of how to begin with this scope. I bought one recently and fumbled around with it. The user manual and some other videos are useless but your video was spot on. Well presented as well. I'm going to look into your books as well.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this! I want having so much trouble figuring this out, but you explained it really well! I got to see the planet Saturn for the first time, Thank you!
Great to hear!
Thanks for a great video. I just got a Celestron 80 EQ telescope from a neighbor who didn't want it anymore> I was baffled about how to use it. You video was easy to follow.
Thanks Lisa!
I'm very glad I found your video. I like your video style and the way you explain everything. I'm new and was given an EQ mount telescope. I will be watching all of your videos now and buying the books. I am learning for my son to learn. Thanks, big help!
Glad to help!
Love seeing a Maritime channel on this! I was recently elected as the president of the astronomy club at the uni I’m attending so I’ve been trying to learn how to use the various telescopes we have. Awesome vid, super helpful.
Thanks! What university?
@@LearnToStargaze UNB
@@woollymammoth6086 great school!
thank you so much, i’ve been looking on a tutorial to do this and i was expecting some bad tutorial that doesn’t give clear instructions, but yours was the full opposite. thank you, now i can track the moon and the sun
Thanks for this much needed guide! I wish a video like this had been around in the early 90s when I first got my 4.5 inch Newtonian EQ. Took years before I learned how to use it properly.
The only real guide. Good job and thank you 🙏
Cheers pal, the wife got me a telescope for Christmas this year, yours is the best vid I've seen so far,
Wow I've been using mine wrong for over a decade.... No wonder it was a pain to track the moon or planets. I spent more time finding it then viewing. Thanks for this video!
I've just brought one of these today..I was buzzing as someone who used it twice and lost interest in it sold it me for a serious bargain price of £30...when I got it home and realised it was way more complicated than just pointing it up at the sky I did think dam maybe I've been abit impulsive but after watching this tutorial I'm actually excited about taking it outside and putting it all into practice as you've just made it seem quite easy really once you get it locked in your head..well and simply explained..thanks..
Glad I could help!
Excellent video, Thanks! finally I can understand all about EQ mounts with this excellent video. Great!!!!
Every question I have brings me to one of your videos and I am relieved to find you have the answer. Thanks again. Enjoying your book even without a telescope.
Great comment! Glad you’re enjoying the book!
Thanks, excellent video! I finally got it how to use my EQ3 mount, even from my apartment window. I also bought two of your books, they are indeed very helpful.
Wonderful!
Thank you soooo much!!! I just got a eq telescope and was very confused on how to use it,
but with your help I’ll make sure to use this!
Hello John, Just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your books! I have 2 of them, 50 things to see with a small telescope and 50 things to see on the moon. Both great books , They are very clearly written, and I would recommend these books to anyone new to Astronomy. I'm sure your third book for kids is just as impressive!
Wonderful!! I’m glad you enjoy the books! My 14th and 15th books (110 Things to see with a Telescope and Learn To Stargaze) should be in more bookstores soon! Working our our 16th, 17th and 18th titles now :-)
Best explenation about Polar Alignment! Thank you very much!
Thanks!
Perfect video. Have been looking for something exactly like this to help me. Thank you.
A very pleasant, concise and informative tutorial. Checking out the rest of your videos. Thank you John!
Thanks!
Thanks for this ! I had an 8 inch Dobsonian and the view was great. I sold it because I had to get down on my knees a lot to aim the red dot finder. That’s a no go for me as my knees are really bad. I’m now looking at a Schmidt-Cassegrain or good refractor for observing.
I have had a Bushnell 🔭 for 25 years with a basic tripod; it’s always done the job for basic stuff.
A few weeks ago, I saw a guy tossing a fully intact TAL1 with EQ mount into the trash. I ended up rescuing it; It needs some TLC, but with no restoration, I still managed to see Saturn and its rings.
…currently restoring it now. Can’t wait to see more
Fun project!
I was trying to find a good video and I finally did!! You did a great job! Keep going!! I am going to buy your book as soon as possible
Thanks!
Man this is really. Great. Simple and clear. I used my eq wrong untill watch ur video. Really great🎉❤❤
This video was super helpful and can’t wait to try it out tonight! Thanks for posting!
Thank you very much for this video. As a beginner, this helped me to understand the use of my 130EQ.
Thank you!!! I have the power seeker 114 eq. It was acting weird so I just started turning random nobs and locked it somehow. I Watched this video and know how to unlock it from being straight up. I also know how to use the mount in general now!
Actually really useful. I’ll rewatch it many times
Thanks!
Your video taught me how to use my eq mount. Thank you!
You’re most welcome!!!
Best video on this so far.
That was the plan!
Thank you for the video ❤ I'm just a beginner and I have Celestron AstroMaster 130eq. I absolutely love it. I just wish it was motorised
Perfect explanation 👌
Thank you 🙂
My buddy has Newtonian refractor and light buckets, he uses AP products but prefers his Zeiss. I heard from him that Zeiss is better than AP, would you agree?
I’m not familiar with those products.
@@LearnToStargaze Zeiss Manufacturing and Astro-Physics, respectively. They make lenses an other [telescope] components. Might be worth a look?
I borrowed a Dobson scope and didn't care for it. The tabletop mount was clumsy to carry, and since you can't adjust the height, i couldn't reach the eyepiece. I bought an Orion Observer EQ. I like the cute RA and DEC knobs. They are like toys. The only problem is trying to "drive" the scope. I was looking at neighbor's roofs & seeing what repairs they needed. But good luck getting the scope to turn where I wanted...I sure wish there was a "ball joint" for a telescope. I haven't been able to find Jupiter in the scope yet.
Sounds like you want a basic AZ mount like the Omni AZ or Nat Geo 102.
VERY nice........but i have a doubt that why we have to polar align our telescope what is the use of doing that?????
You polar align an EQ mount because it is designed to offset the rotation of the earth. By pointing one axis at the celestial pole, the telescope will rotate at a speed of one revolution per day along that axis, offsetting the spinning earth.
Hey I really enjoyed your instructional video and I learned much more about EQ’s. I recently purchased a Celestron 130EQ and have struggled so much finding the most simplest things, but I am also a beginner. Just to clarify, the Altitude knobs are supposed to match my latitude and not to be changed after that? I’ve been cranking it a lot trying to point the telescope at objects that are high and low in the sky. Was I not supposed to be doing that?
You should not touch the altitude. The scope should move effortlessly along the RA and Dec axes. That said, it might be worth trading that scope for a StarSense 130 DX, which is infinitely more user friendly.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much for the reply! Just because I have you here, what are some steps I should keep in mind when trying to point my telescope at Saturn or a celestial body. If it’s not too much to ask, can you give me a simple list of things to do when taking on that task; such as starting with setting the altitude and so forth.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
@@omarahmad3986 As you're searching for targets, make sure the clutch on the RA and Dec axis is loose. When you find your target, like Saturn, lock both clutches. Then, use the slow motion controls to center the target. If the telescope was properly polar aligned (as detailed in the beginning of this video), you should be able to track Saturn across the sky by just turning the RA slow motion control.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you for the explanation and your time. I will get back to you and let you know how it went. Thank you again boss
tip - put painters tap on the scope tube and mount rings so you can quickly realign the tube when reassembling after transport. same for weight rod for balance. you never mentioned the "meridian flip"
John, I have almost all of your books, but the ones that I like best are your new Messier guide (110...), and your moon book. Only wish you had given the Soviets more credit in the latter. For a decade they had a lot of firsts.
Are you talking about space missions that changed the world? Lots of Soviet missions in that book.
@@LearnToStargaze No, I am talking about the moon book.
I nearly spat out my coffee when you asked siri for the latitude of Halifax NS, the same city where i'm from! lol
Ha!
can you help me with smth, for some reason when I look through my telescope, I can't see any planets and I can only see the refractor through the eyepeice, someone please tell me how to?
Sounds like your eyepiece is missing a piece of glass. See my “how to use any telescope” video.
Really, thanks I thought it was somthing wrong with the telescope cause I saw a circle with 2 lines going from east to west and north to south, thanks!
Is there anyway to explain how to use the dials on the mount please thank you ❤
Did I not? I might have deleted that because it’s quite silly to do that these days, since the quality of the scopes aren’t high enough to put you on target, and there are far far easier ways to find things in the sky. The only reason I can think to use them is to pull the RA and Dec of an unknown object. You’d first point at a known object, set the dials to that object’s RA and Dec, and then pivot over to the unknown object and record the RA and Dec.
Really good step by step instruction and illustration for these difficult mounts so many beginners choose. I felt a bit sorry for the people at the end of the video who had to crouch to use the scope. The tripod could have been more accommodating. :)
I've watched many EQ mount how to videos, and this is the best.
Now, can you please do one on how to use the setting circles please...pretty please!
I believe I covered that in part 2 of the 70eq video.
Great overview video, thank you! I was expecting the EQ mount to track the selected object *automatically*, without hand controls. But I think it just tracks *correctly* with knob turns. Is that correct? Are there any EQ mounts that track *correctly* with a small motor or motors? Thanks again!!
Yes! Most basic eq mounts have motors. The best small one these days seems to be the Star Adventurer GTI. Clear skies!
Awesome ! Just got a 70EQ from an Canadian astronaut friend 🤗 can't wait to use it ! Quick question for the Pole Alignment: if you don't see the North Star because of obstacles, do you point on the True North or the Magnetic North (which for example is 13° West from true north in Ottawa, ON)? 🤔
True north, and then set the altitude dial to your latitude.
thanks for this tutorial! My fiancee gave me one today and I need to learn :D
Glad to help!
Hi John, thinking of getting the iEXOS-100-2 equatorial mount by Explore Scientific and mounting the skywatcher refractor 102mm that you reviewed.
If it’s for photos, the EvoLux 82 would be a better option, and sometimes it goes on sale for not much more than the Star Travel 102.
@@LearnToStargaze Hi John, it'll just observing the beautiful heavens not to mention the Travel 102 was well within my budget, I was looking at the Travel 120 but i think that's too big. Otherwise I'm still on the fence for the equatorial mount, I just wanted to push the button and it finds the object for me.
@@RoyJNg If you're just into visual astronomy, I'd get a Starsense Telescope for finding objects. Alternatively, a nexstar scope would also work: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802875724-USE/celestron_31145_nexstar_130slt_130mm_f_5.html
Such an amazing and an informative one ❤️
5:15 for me i rather use the finder scope
i most of the time keep both eyes open while i look through the finder scope so the narrow field of view is not a disadvantage for me and i highly recommend it try to keep both your eyes open while looking throw the scope you will see star or planet with your normal view but you also see the crosair of the scope and then you cann move it on and after you move it on
I’ll have to try that someday!
I saw how you found the moon "over to the west" by loosening the RA and Dec axes.. what if your target is basically straight behind the alignment axis? Can it pivot that far around?
Yes. Pivot the RA 90 degrees and then the Dec will move the scope up and down to the North.
@@LearnToStargaze awesome, thanks. Now all I need is a telescope🤣
Fantastic. Glad I looked for this.
How do we see stuff with these mounts when the target is nearly overhead? I find the scope hits the knobs for fine tuning. A Meridian flip doesn’t work in the situation. Do we simply just use it in azimuth in that case?
A quality EQ mount like the Celestron AVX shouldn’t have this problem. EQ mounts priced below $500 will typically have this issue, among others.
I don’t have that little sniper scope thingy that looks like a tiny telescope that mounts onto the actual telescope, so is there a better way to look for planets without it?
You need to remove that thing and put on a red dot finder. You don’t so much look for planets though, since you can see them without a telescope, it’s just a matter of pointing at them.
I was looking at a Newtonian from omegon, it was the N 130/920 EQ, Is it good?
Why not a donsonian? I don’t find Newtonians on EQ mounts any fun at all.
I’m in the market for my first go to equatorial mount and was wondering if it would be used for visual until I graduate into astrophotography. When I look all these videos on an equatorial mount moves it seem like it would be awkward to look into eye piece.
That’s one reason why they’re not typically used for visual anymore (at least by beginners). The AM3 or AM5 mount would be an example of a mount that can be used when you graduate to astrophotography.
@@LearnToStargaze What do you think of the Sky-Watcher AZ GTI with the wedge? I know it does not hold a lot of weight due to the ones you have mentioned but it seems like would be a great way to start with a 80mm refractor.
@@petelopez5826 there’s really no need to wedge it anymore since the StarAdveturer GTi has the same mechanisms, but is naturally EQ. I used a 72mm refractor on it, and that was pushing it, but it worked great. You can see that in my Evostar video.
Hi...once the mount setup is done..If I have focused on a galaxy..lets say orion...now does the eq mount need any additional gear to counter earths rotation if Im taking 100 shots from the attached dslr..each with an exposure of 50 seconds..
What mount are you using? Do you have a motor?
@@LearnToStargaze ...Thanks for your response...
Mount is EQ3 with RA motor..
Will it help??...as I need to stack those images...and If the object doesnt stay centered....the stacking wont help...
@@paragvaghela2012 Have you had any luck so far? I'm not sure that mount is capable of keeping an object stable enough for astrophotography, but I could be wrong. These days, the most popular beginner light-weight astrophotography mount is the Star Adventurer GTI, which has a motor drive in both axis.
@@LearnToStargaze let me check...thanks for your help and quick guidance..
I have a same telescope but my polar adjustment doesn't adjust back it just goes forward and forward idk what to do
Yeah. I get pretty angry at this mount too. Not sure how to help, it’s pretty much the worst design in the history of designs.
Great vid. Does the earth rotate around the magnetic north south for polar alignment with a good common compass?
No, the Earth’s spin-axis (North Pole to South Pole) and the magnetic poles are about 500km apart.
@@LearnToStargaze
So using a compass is just for a rough direction before lining up with a polar star?
@@jasonschlencker8108 Basically yes. The pole star is about 0.5 degrees off from the pole, but it's close enough for visual observing. For astrophotography you generally use some sort of electronic assistance to align to the pole.
what is the home position you mention at 6:20? I live in the southern hemisphere and it's been a challenge getting it correctly aligned, but i did manage to use it to view saturn rings at one point but it was so much work that i feel discouraged
The home position is when the scope is riding directly on top of the mount, not off to one side. Ideally pointed due south for you. These telescopes, when used visually, are quite frustrating, and definitely not for beginners. Even I find them incredibly frustrating. Seeing Saturn is trivially easy in most telescopes, but the EQ mount adds quite a bit of complexity.
@@LearnToStargaze thanks
Is celestrone starsense explorer 114 is better or powerseeker? For a beginner
They both share the same poor bird jones optical system.
@@LearnToStargaze could you recommend a telescope for beginner but not more than 300?
@@ashkanrmp7442 I’ve listed some options on n the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com. There is the Omni 102 from Costco. The Orion Skyscanner for kids. the best would probably be the Starsense Dobsonian Tabletop (currently $349).
Hey mate, ok so I’m in Australia so do you know what Star I should look for while trying to EQ align my telescope I’m a noob
How many Thumbs Up can i give to this video??? Super Duper Video, thanks a lot.
You’re welcome!
Thanks for this information 🙏
Is the bresser exos 2 any good the cheapest price is £449 and can hold 13.8kg
That looks like a fine mount for a small refractor telescope.
is a 127 mm mak recommended for plane spotting and birding? im fed up of my 25x binocs
Yes, that is a popular design for a spotting scope of you can handle the high magnification.
Amazing video
hi I got this as my first telescope recently do you know how to remove the eye piece cap properly because I dont want to break it
You won’t break the eyepiece cap.
very good info im sure it will helps lots people
I ended up getting a nice Meade telescope with this kind of mount for $15. It didn’t have eye pieces so I bought an adapter I found in a forum and then new eye pieces… but this mount has me all thrown off
I had to buy the CG-4 and hope my scope doesn't shake on it like it does on my Twilight One AZ because it is too long for the vixen clamp to hold steady unless pointing up about 70 degrees or better. I've used a too small EQ before that was pathetic. I do not want to spend $1500 for a go-to electronic scope.
I can find things using my planisphere and Star Atlas. Bortle 2 sky makes it easier and belonging to an astronomy club.
I received my CG-4 and my 6" scope is solid on it. Celestron sent a thick booklet I thought would be general directions in several languages, but no. It was a very good instruction manual right down to even explaining how to use the setting rings in RA and DEC all in English. The polar scope had very good instructions too. I'm impressed with the detail.
Once you have everything polar aligned, how do you look at celestial bodies in a southern sky if you can't adjust the azimuth?
The declination axis moves the scope away from the north celestial pole. It will move all the way to the southern sky.
@@LearnToStargaze got it. Thanks!
@@LearnToStargaze also, I have a German EQ mount and in addition to the declination and RA axes, The entire amount rotates on a hinge-type of system. Do you know what that's for? It rotates the entire scope horizontally about 90°
@@PARANOlDDROlD that’s the altitude. We covered that in the video.
@@LearnToStargaze duh lol, sorry I didn't realize it was one and the same. Thanks again!
Is there a telescope that I can get for my family that we can see the planets good I have a 70 400 with a 10 mm and 25mm and 3x Barlow wanting a better view and more stable
Personally, I find planets best viewed with a MAK or SCT style telescope. These are typically more expensive, especially since they mostly come on computerized mounts, but if you like close up views of the planets, these are the way to go. Personally, I have a celestron C8 on an AVX mount, and for travel, I use a a C90 on an AZ-GTI mount.
Woah, very helpful thank you
I can now eq like a boss cheers
Oops.. was hoping you would go over the set up but oi guess I’ll have to find that somewhere else
I sort of cover the set up in the Astromaster 70eq video part 1 and part 2.
You activated my HomePod in the next room 😂👍🏻✌🏻🇨🇦
Mission accomplished.
I wish someone had explained all this to me a few years ago. My telescope collected dust and then I threw it away. Fast forward a few more years, I ordered a refractin telescope. I think every beginner (including me) should start there. No collimation, no eq.
Hey hi. What about southern hemisphere?
You point it at the south celestial pole. I would just point the scope directly South using phone compass, and then set the latitude dial. That should be close enough for visual observations. The challenge is there is no bright star at the south celestial pole.
@@LearnToStargaze I thought so… :-( I’m not at all experienced with telescopes (yet!) but I’m studying it. I suppose the after initial setup of eq mount we can fine tune it quite reasonably, right? On the same note: reaching perfect setup would also be very hard and only noticeable for extremely high magnifications, am I right?
I point to north at the right latitude, however, I can't aim to a target without the bottom moving
Yeah, I had to twist the knob on the bottom pretty hard to get it to stop moving.
gracias me ayudo mucho
If u keep the latitude setting at the height of Polaris then how can you aim it to a star higher than that ?
The latitude (aka altitude) axis never moves during operation. The declination axis moves the telescope towards, or away from, Polaris. The RA axis moves around Polaris, allowing the telescope to point anywhere in the sky.
Perhaps my question should be rephrased, how can you aim the telescope to view stars higher than Polaris if you lock it in for only 45degrees at my location ?
@@rebstw6305 I don't understand the question. An eq telescope as four axis. Even with two locked, you can point anywhere in the sky without issue.
I feel like those eq1/ eq2 mounts are just so bad they are more a source of frustration for newbies than anything.. a couple in my club were trying to figure out their eq2, I tried helping them by adjusting it and showing them how to use an EQ mount.. I found it practically unusable.. I ended up just giving them an old vixen Polaris I had and it was like night and day for them.. a person struggling with one of those mounts might not have any problems with EQ mounts, just crappy ones.
I own an EQ1 and yes, it is a kind of a crap. BUT! I bought it with a cheap 60/700 refractor for 1/5 of the price from a frustrated newbie :-) as a way to learn the EQ mount basics. Yes, it is wobly and I must put a brick on the tripod to make it stable I use it as a grab´n´go setup if I am lazy (or in time pressure) and I usually observe the Sun with it. If one does not expect much from it he will not be dissapointed.
Dobsonians and AZ mounts are best for the beginners.
@@zamorskymisa I just find them terrible to use . It's not fun.. meanwhile I have several old but good quality manual EQ mounts that I personally maintain. They are an absolute pleasure to use. Smooth, the slow motion controls work beautifully, very stable, etc. I have a Vixen Polaris and a Super Polaris both are wonderful, then I have a CG5 and a Stellarvue m4 that are pretty good as well .. it's just a shame they don't package these scopes with beefier mounts, it would really benefit newbies
Very nice
Nice bro
thank you very good.
Thank you. I was simply not understanding a sheet of using this. Kkkk
I always disagree with the "get a dobsonian" advice. My recommendation is usually "if you're really into astronomy, get an eq mount. Is it challenging? Perhaps, at the beginning. But once you learn how to operate it, it's going to save you tons of time looking for objects in the sky. If you're a "casual" (just for the lack of a better word; Im not an English speaker) and you're only interested on looking a couple objects occasionally, then yes, definitely get a dobson and save yourself a lot of money.
EQ mounts are astronomy repellent. They keep people away from the hobby. It’s 10x more challenging to find a target with an EQ mount (assuming it’s not computerized).
@@LearnToStargaze So maybe it's just me, but I find it sooo much easier to find any target using coordinates. Anyways, clear skies.
**Also that Zeiss no longer makes amateur products
💐💐💐💐Thanks to you