When your declination axis won't balance, it's because you have gear hanging off it so the center of gravity is not directly over the saddle plate. I show you how to correct this!
This video is just priceless. So much wasted nights because I didn’t know what was the problem with my DEC. I thought always that I have it well balanced. But after meridian flip, the nightmare of guiding will automatically start. I can see why now. Thank you very much!!!
I owe you a beer. Thank you so much for your video which explained precisely where I was having issues and how to solve them. This video deserves huge number of views. Thank you again.
Great solution! Note though that with the Skywatcher Esprit line of scopes, you can rotate the whole focuser assembly by unlocking the ‘captain wheel’ - the silver looking ring in the back. By rotating it, you achieve 3d Dec balance without using an extra counterweight.
Hi Peter, I came to your video because I am having the same situation, however mine is a little bit confusing. So I add the side mounted weight and I balance the general Dec and axial Dec, just like you. Everything is fine. Then I move to rebalance the RA and when I point the scope up and let go, it finds its equilibrium in a horizontal position and no matter where I put the counterweights I cant find proper balance. It indicates that I have a axial inbalance in RA also, so I came up with a solution to offload some weight to the opposite side of the rotation and found equilibrium in RA. THEN I found out, that doing this throws off balance in DEC, so I rebalance, but it throws of balance in RA and the loop goes on...Can you suggest a solution for this one? I am scratching my head for days...Thanks in advance! Kind regards from Slovakia.
How much does the counterweight weigh? I have looked at the part you have on line and it comes with a 3 pound weight. That seems a bit heavy for my setup. Thanks
@peter Cox, this looks like an ADM Dovetail Side Mounting Counterweight Kit 'D' Series. I have myself a Skymax 127 mak which has a Skywatcher. Any idea of a product that would do the same for me as reading on FLO, the D series wont fit my dovetail which requires a V series. ADM doesn't make V series, so not sure what to do. Any help is much appreciated!
Hi Tom - if you can't find a similar side counterweight for the Vixen dovetail on your mak, the simplest solution would be to replace it with a Losmandy-style one.
@@PeterCoxPhoto maybe you're right, but that would mean I'd have to purchase many new losmandy mounts for my various scopes Vs buyong a single counterweight to share between them all if need be. Hmm this is annoying. So are you saying that and don't do this counterweight in a V style and only D style? :(
@@tomsharman3136 Actually, ADM makes one that has BOTH the D and V, all in the one :) I have the DV kit from a while back, really convenient as I could use it on both Vixen and Losmandy plates.
This video is just priceless. So much wasted nights because I didn’t know what was the problem with my DEC. I thought always that I have it well balanced. But after meridian flip, the nightmare of guiding will automatically start. I can see why now. Thank you very much!!!
I owe you a beer. Thank you so much for your video which explained precisely where I was having issues and how to solve them. This video deserves huge number of views. Thank you again.
Glad to help!
i had not learnt anything new on this subjecf for a long time, thank you for this !
Great solution! Note though that with the Skywatcher Esprit line of scopes, you can rotate the whole focuser assembly by unlocking the ‘captain wheel’ - the silver looking ring in the back. By rotating it, you achieve 3d Dec balance without using an extra counterweight.
Just what I needed. Thanks much.
Excellent, thank you for doing this 👍🏻
Thanks mate, very helpful!
nice explain！
Hi Peter, I came to your video because I am having the same situation, however mine is a little bit confusing. So I add the side mounted weight and I balance the general Dec and axial Dec, just like you. Everything is fine. Then I move to rebalance the RA and when I point the scope up and let go, it finds its equilibrium in a horizontal position and no matter where I put the counterweights I cant find proper balance. It indicates that I have a axial inbalance in RA also, so I came up with a solution to offload some weight to the opposite side of the rotation and found equilibrium in RA. THEN I found out, that doing this throws off balance in DEC, so I rebalance, but it throws of balance in RA and the loop goes on...Can you suggest a solution for this one? I am scratching my head for days...Thanks in advance! Kind regards from Slovakia.
Hi Denis - sorry, I can't say I've come across this problem.
Hero!!!!!!!
How much does the counterweight weigh? I have looked at the part you have on line and it comes with a 3 pound weight. That seems a bit heavy for my setup. Thanks
You can get a 1.5lb weight separately
@@PeterCoxPhoto Have not been able to find the parts separately, but thanks. DEC balance just baffles me. Great video
@peter Cox, this looks like an ADM Dovetail Side Mounting Counterweight Kit 'D' Series. I have myself a Skymax 127 mak which has a Skywatcher. Any idea of a product that would do the same for me as reading on FLO, the D series wont fit my dovetail which requires a V series. ADM doesn't make V series, so not sure what to do. Any help is much appreciated!
Hi Tom - if you can't find a similar side counterweight for the Vixen dovetail on your mak, the simplest solution would be to replace it with a Losmandy-style one.
@@PeterCoxPhoto maybe you're right, but that would mean I'd have to purchase many new losmandy mounts for my various scopes Vs buyong a single counterweight to share between them all if need be. Hmm this is annoying. So are you saying that and don't do this counterweight in a V style and only D style? :(
@@PeterCoxPhoto ADM now has one of these for a Vixen/V-series dovetail bar.
@@runningmanastro I purchased one after watching Peter's video. Thank goodness they have them now
@@tomsharman3136 Actually, ADM makes one that has BOTH the D and V, all in the one :) I have the DV kit from a while back, really convenient as I could use it on both Vixen and Losmandy plates.