8
1. Level the equatorial mount by adjusting the length of the
three tripod legs.
2. There are two altitude adjusting T- Bolts (see Figure 2);
loosen one bolt while tightening the other. By doing this
you will adjust the latitude of the telescope. Continue
adjusting the telescope until the pointer on the latitude
scale is set at the latitude of your observing site. If you
don’t know your latitude, consult a geographical atlas to
find it. For example, if your latitude is 35° North, set the
pointer to 35. The latitude setting should not have to be
adjusted again unless you move to a different viewing
location some distance away.
3. Loosen the Dec. lock lever and rotate the telescope optical
tube until it is parallel with the R.A. axis, as it is in Figure
1. The pointer on the Dec. setting circle should read 90°.
Retighten the Dec. lock lever.
4. Move the tripod so the telescope tube (and R.A. axis)
points roughly at Polaris. If you cannot see Polaris directly
from your observing site, consult a compass and rotate
the tripod so the telescope points north. There is a label
bearing a large “N” at the base of the equatorial mount
(Figure 8). It should be facing north.
The equatorial mount is now polar aligned for casual observ-
ing. More precise polar alignment is recommended for
astrophotography.
From this point on in your observing session, you should not
make any further adjustments in the azimuth or the latitude of
the mount, nor should you move the tripod. Doing so will undo
the polar alignment. The telescope should be moved only
about its R.A. and Dec. axes.
The Polar Axis Finder Scope
A nice feature of the StarMax 127 EQ is the polar axis finder
scope housed inside the R.A. axis of the equatorial mount
(see Figure 4). When properly aligned and used, it makes
accurate polar alignment quick and easy to do. Alignment of
the polar finder need only be done once, unless it gets
bumped or otherwise shifts its position.
Remove the round cover cap from the front opening in the
R.A. axis of the mount (see Figure 6). Look through the polar
finder at a distant object during the day. Focus the polar finder
so that the images and reticle are sharp by rotating the eye-
piece end of the finder. Notice that the reticle pattern consists
of a crosshair with a circle around the middle. On the circum-
ference of this circle is a tiny circle; this is where Polaris will
be placed for accurate polar alignment once the finder is
properly aligned. Alignment of the polar finder is best done
during the day, before going out into the field at night.
Aligning the Polar Axis Finder Scope
Aligning the polar axis finder scope so that it will accurately
point at the true north pole is a two-step procedure. First, the
polar finder must be rotated in its housing so that the small
circle in which Polaris will be placed is in the proper initial
position. Next, the polar axis finder must be adjusted so that it
points directly along the mount’s R.A. axis.
We will start by aligning the polar finder rotationally. Refer to
Figure 4.
1. Loosen the large thumbscrew just above the R.A. setting
circle. Rotate the R.A. setting circle until the line above the
“0” on the setting circle lines up with the pointed indicator
that is cast into the mount (located directly below the large
thumbscrew; see Figure 4). Retighten the thumbscrew.
2. Rotate the date circle until the “0” line on the meridian off-
set scale lines up with the time meridian indicator mark.
The meridian offset scale is printed on the inner circumfer-
ence of the date circle, and is labeled “E20” to “W20”. The
time meridian indicator mark is an engraved line on the
exterior of the polar finder’s housing. It is on the “ring” of
the housing that is closest to the date circle.
3. The R.A. setting circle is labeled in hours, from “0” to “23”
(military time). For Northern Hemisphere observers, refer
to the top numbers on the setting circle. Each small line
represents 10 minutes of R.A. The date circle is labeled
from “1” to “12”, with each number representing a month of
the year (“1” is January, “2” is February, etc.). Each small
line represents a two-day increment.
4. Loosen the R.A. lock lever and rotate the mount about the
R.A. axis until the March 1 indicating mark (the long line
between the “2” and the “3”) on the date circle lines up with
the 4 PM mark (the long line above the “16”) on the R.A.
setting circle. You may find it convenient to remove both
the counterweights and the telescope optical tube to do
this.
5. Now, loosen the three thumbscrews on the polar finder
housing and rotate the polar finder so the small circle
where Polaris will be centered is located straight down
from the intersection of the crosshairs. Retighten the
thumbscrews.
Figure 8. For polar alignment, position the tripod
so that the “N” label at the base of the mount
faces north. The two azimuth fine adjustment
knobs above it are used to make small
adjustments to the mount’s azimuth position.
Azimuth fine
adjustment knobs
Tripod attachment
knob
