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5. Next, tighten the wing nuts on the tripod leg attachment
bolts at the base of the equatorial mount, so that the legs
are securely fastened. You can use the provided assembly
tool to hold the heads of the bolts while firmly tightening
the wing nuts.
6. Thread the latitude adjustment t-bolt into the hole in the
rear of the equatorial mount (see Figure 2). Orient the
mount as it appears in Figure 2, at a latitude of about 40°,
i.e., so that the pointer next to the latitude scale is pointing
to the hash mark at "40." To do this, loosen the latitude
lock t-bolt (central to the latitude scale), and turn the lati-
tude adjustment t-bolt until the pointer and the "40" line
up. Then re-tighten the latitude lock t-bolt. You may also
need to rotate the mount about its right ascension (R.A.)
and declination (Dec.) axes (see Figure 2). Do this by first
loosening the R.A. and Dec. lock thumb screws.
7. Slide the counterweight onto the counterweight shaft.
Make sure the counterweight lock knob is adequately
loosened so the counterweight shaft can pass through the
hole in the counterweight.
8. With the counterweight lock knob still loose, grip the coun-
terweight with one hand and thread the shaft into the
equatorial mount (at the base of the declination axis) with
the other hand. When it is threaded as far in as it will go,
position the counterweight about halfway up the shaft and
tighten the counterweight lock knob. The washer and screw
on the end of the counterweight shaft will prevent the coun-
terweight from slipping off the shaft and possibly onto your
foot if the counterweight lock knob should come loose
Declination (Dec.) slow-
motion shaft
R.A. lock knob
Latitude adjustment t-bolt
4
9. Now attach the two slow-motion cables to the R.A. and
3. Attaching a Telescope
The EQ-1 Equatorial Mount is designed to hold small to
mid-size telescopes weighing up to about 7 lbs. For heavier
telescopes, the mount may not provide sufficient stability for
steady imaging. Any type of telescope can be mounted on
the EQ-1 Equatorial Mount, including refractors, Newtonian
reflectors, and cadadioptrics, provided a proper adapter or
set of tube rings is available to couple the tube to the mount.
Orion carries a variety of differently sized tube rings and a
1/4"-20 mounting adapter designed exclusively for the EQ-1
Equatorial Mount. One of these items probably fits the tele-
scope tube you wish to mount. See the list of Suggested
Accessories at the end of these instructions, or check the
Orion print or online catalogs for currently available mount-
ing accessories. The mounting accessories fasten to the two
holes in the top platform of the equatorial mount.
Figure 2. The equatorial mount
Dec. slow-motion shafts (see Figure 2) of the equatorial
mount by positioning the thumb screw on the end of the
cable over the indented slot on the shaft, then tightening
the thumb screw. A cable can be attached to either end of
the R.A. shaft, whichever is most convenient for you. Use
the shorter cable for the R.A. shaft.
Declination (Dec.)
setting circle
Right ascension (R.A.)
setting circle
Right ascension (R.A.)
slow-motion shaft
Latitude scale
Latitude locking t-bolt
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