Apologies for a somewhat stupid question.

I am setting up my G11G mount and 12" lx200.

I have yet to balance it.

To make sure all is secure I have tightened just about every knob in sight.

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I cannot now adjust the altitude adjuster. Could be by the time this is answered I have the solution, but if I loosen the DEC clutch - is there a chance the counterweight bar will dropout?

I'd hate to hurt my tootsies.

And is that the correct way to do it?

Cheers

Dave

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Thanks Dale.

I can't move the altitude adjuster knob either forward or backwards. It's on 3 at the moment and will not move.

The 2 allen key lock bolts - the top one is loose but the bottom one is tight - so tight that I cannot move it even with a (careful) wrench attached. Could that be the cause?

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You need to loosen those two bolts on the mount head, just a tad, enough to make it easier to turn the alt knob. Also, since you’ll be fighting against the weight of the counterweights and scope, you may want to take those off for the initial adjustment. Get the altitude roughly to your latitude and then reassemble your scope and weights to do your final polar alignment. Once you are finally aligned you can tighten the bolts but you don’t need them so tight you can’t turn the knob :)

Dave, if you are trying to balance the RA drive, cranking down the altitude to the lowest point is a good idea, but now you want the counterweight bar horizontal, not vertical, to see where the weight should be for best balance (watch you don't tip the tripod at this position, and securing extra weights underneath can help lower center of gravity.? But when going back up to your latitude, the altitude knob will be hard to turn even with those four screws loose, as all the payload and mount weight is now riding down on top of the lift mechanism. I often use a rubber strap wrench on the knob at this point as the torque needed is beyond most average folks. I have found this wrench set useful here but also for breaking apart imaging train adapters as well:

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Once you get back up to 20-30 degrees, you should be able to turn more easily by hand. For Dec balance, get the bar horizonal again and loosen the Dec lock - most go slightly camera heavy, but it does not have to be precise; RA balance is mostly set slightly east heavy.

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Good luck,

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John

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Losmandy G11G2 on pier; refurbed Losmandy G11 with OnStep controller; SkyShed design roll-off observatory; ZWO ASI2600MM-P; ZWO ASI071MC; Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED with field flattener; Celestron C925 Edge HD with 0.7XFR, William Optics Zenithstar 61 APO; PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro and PixInsight user

Thanks All

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Yes - it looks like the lower lock bolt? is stuck. I had a neighbor, my wife and a hoist help with the OTA placement.

I could take the weight of the OTA (with the hoist) and then try to loosen the lock bolt. Never thought of trying it first.

Have someone from the local club that has a G11G kindly coming round this morning, and I'm sure he will have a few tips too.

On Sun, Jul 28, 2024 at 06:39 AM, Dave Elson wrote:

Thanks All

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Yes - it looks like the lower lock bolt? is stuck. I had a neighbor, my wife and a hoist help with the OTA placement.

I could take the weight of the OTA (with the hoist) and then try to loosen the lock bolt. Never thought of trying it first.

Have someone from the local club that has a G11G kindly coming round this morning, and I'm sure he will have a few tips too.

Don't loosen the button head in the center, that is the pivot for the entire head. The only fasteners you need to loosen, and just barely - for elevation are the TWO upper button heads on either side with the arcs cut out of the side plates. If they are too tight get a proper long handled 3/8" socket wrench and a short extension with the correct size hardened hex socket to avoid hurting yourself and/or slipping and scaring / damaging the mount. These fasteners should never be tightened this much again, it only takes a small amount of torque to hold the worm gear driven elevation mechanism in place.?

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The M12" SCT is a heavy bugger but the mount is designed to carry it. With a near limit payload and counterweights on the CW shaft when raising the elevation it can help to reduce the force on the elevation mechanism by lightly lifting the CW shaft.?

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If you need a strap wrench to turn the elevation knob there is something wrong - STOP and figure it out before you damage the elevation mechanism!??

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Thanks Chip and all

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With a short piece of tube put over the Allen key - I managed to loosen it.

The help arrived and we took off the ota, put the altitude correct, balanced it all ways and fired it up with the electronics.

All good.

My only niggling doubt - and this is probably unreasonable - is that having the scope quite high above the ground (and close to the glass railing) - should I somehow attach a failsafe rope/sling to one of the beams above - near to where the sling attaches? So the scope can still move but is safer?

The scope is tight and I have the screw attached to the high end of the dovetail. So, it should be safe. Just a bit scary!

It's parked facing north and Polaris - roughly. I forgot to ask if I can have it facing south and level - in a sort of "home" position. Overall- thanks to Ed for his help.

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Thanks Michael

I'll remember that.

Those altitude lock bolts on the alt adjust (each side of the mount ) ?I found, shifts polar align when you tighten them! ? Just a little but noticeable. ?It causes a little ?“twist” of the mount pillars for alt which shifts it in Alt and Az….enough to be annoying.?

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its a bit of a bugger. ?You could note the “twist” error direction and amount and deliberately leave an offset so doing up the bolts “twists it into good polar alignment”! ?

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Alternately you can buy cam lock levers of correct thread (Also use washers under the levers). ? These cause less “twist” when locking down, so polar align ?remains less effected when tightening.

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There are other ways. ?Some users don’t tighten these lock bolts much at all !

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I don’t think they need excessive tightening but maybe other users have some good ideas on this?

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cheers

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On Sun, Jul 28, 2024 at 09:31 PM, Brendan wrote:

Those altitude lock bolts on the alt adjust (each side of the mount ) ?I found, shifts polar align when you tighten them! ? Just a little but noticeable. ?It causes a little ?“twist” of the mount pillars for alt which shifts it in Alt and Az….enough to be annoying.?

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I noticed that if I loosened them then slightly snug them up I could still do the polar alignment and then tighten them a little more without making much of a difference in alignment

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Greg Morris

Thanks Greg and Brendan

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I'm now going through the instructions and looked last night at the HC.

If I do a Warm Restart - level the scope either N or S and Set Home Position - do I lose the Park at CWD option?

Having the OTA level so high up from ground level just eases my mind a little.

I plan? on Lunar visual first, while continuing my education on this. Then some photography - Lunar and Planetary.

I admit to being confused over the East/West models - even more as I have no views of pure E or W.

Have to reread.

Will I lose much by having the OTA level for Lunar and Planetary and starting from there?

Please bear with my ignorance.

Dave

You can set the scope in any position you deem necessary and set that as your home position. At the end of your session you just park at home position and then, on your next session, you can use warm restart.

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To set up home position star in counterweight down, scope pointing north, slew your scope to your preferred position and, from your HC select Menu->Park->Set home position

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When done for the night go to Menu->Park->Park at home position

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Keeping your scope at CWD should not be a problem as the CG is forward of the mount towards the front (north) facing leg of the tripod. The mount/tripod/scope is not going to tip over the fence on your balcony even if you accidentally trip on it :). However, using the home position is a viable option if you want to use it, it is there for a reason after all :)

Sorry, forgot to mention a you can use to learn the hand controller. It’s an interactive HC of sorts so give it a try as well