Balancing The Telescope In Dec - Celestron The G-8 11023 Instruction Manual

Balancing the Telescope
in DEC
14 • The G-8
The telescope should also be balanced on the declination axis to prevent any
sudden motions when the DEC clamp is released. To balance the telescope in
DEC:
1. Release the R.A. clamp and rotate the telescope so that it is on one side
of the mount (i.e., as described in the previous section on balancing the
telescope in R.A.).
2. Lock the R.A. clamp to hold the telescope in place.
3. Release the DEC clamp and rotate the telescope until the tube is parallel
to the ground (see figure 2-10).
4. Release the tube — GRADUALLY — to see which way it rotates around
the declination axis. DO NOT LET GO OF THE TELESCOPE TUBE
COMPLETELY!
5. Slightly loosen the balance bracket thumbscrew and slide the telescope
either forward or backward until it remains stationary when the DEC clamp
is released. Do NOT let go of the telescope tube while the balance
bracket thumbscrew is loose.
6. Tighten the thumbscrew firmly to hold the telescope in place.
Like the R.A. balance, these are general balance instructions and will reduce
undue stress on the mount. When taking astrophotographs, this balance
process should be done for the specific area at which the telescope is pointing.
As with R.A., the telescope should be balanced in DEC after all the standard accessories
(i.e., star diagonal, eyepiece, etc.) have been attached to the telescope.
Figure 2-10 Figure 2-10 Figure 2-10 Figure 2-10 Figure 2-10