User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS ASTROTRACK

[. . . ] Designed for use with the Orion EQ-1 and EQ-2 equatorial mounts, the AstroTrack counteracts the rotation of the Earth on its axis, making objects appear to stand still in the telescope's field of view. You won't have to reposition the telescope to re-center an object in the eyepiece--a welcome convenience!The AstroTrack has variable-speed tracking control, allowing adjustment to the exact sidereal tracking rate as well as to speeds slightly slower and faster than sidereal. This ensures accurate tracking of both solar system and deep-sky objects, and allows for correction of any inherent deviation in the motor from the sidereal rate. [. . . ] Notice the circular gear on the opposite end of the worm gear shaft. Make a reference mark with a permanent marker or a piece of tape on the perimeter of the gear in the same position rotationally as the groove on the other end of the R. A. Now, when you rotate the gear so the mark is at a certain position, the groove will be at the same position on the rotate the circular gear!If you want to use the circular gear for fine positioning of the telescope, you must first loosen the thumbscrew on the end of the motor's drive coupler. The motor is now properly installed on the EQ-2 mount, and should appear as in Figure 8. Figure 8: The AstroTrack installed on the EQ-2 mount. Operation Groove on R. A. worm gear shaft Quick Polar Alignment Circular gear For best results, the telescope's equatorial mount must be aligned parallel to the Earth's rotational (polar) axis. The AstroTrack will not track objects accurately (objects will not stay in the field of view) if the mount's R. A. axis is pointing to the wrong part of the sky. An approximate polar alignment is sufficient for most observing situations, and is all that will be covered here. For a more precise alignment, consult your telescope manual or more detailed instructions in an observing guide. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere (north of the Earth's equator), alignment is achieved by aiming the mount's R. A. axis at Polaris, the North Star (see Figure 9). An eyeballed approximation is all that's necessary. axis from behind it while adjusting the latitude adjustment on the tripod and repositioning the tripod itself, until the R. A. For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, align on the star Sigma Octantis in the constellation Octans. Figure 6: Make a reference mark on the premiere of the circular gear that corresponds with the location of the groove on the opposite end of the R. A. other end of the worm gear shaft. Loosen the knurled thumbscrew on the end of the motor's drive coupler. Use the provided large Allen wrench and remove the socket head screw on the left side of the equatorial mount (see Figure 7). Orient the motor drive so that the drive coupler slips over the left end of the R. A. Now, attach the motor to the mount by inserting the socket head screw through the slot in the motor drive bracket, and re-threading it into the mount. There is very limited clearance to do this, so try threading the screw with your fingers to start. You may also want to temporarily remove the plastic housing from the motor by removing the two front panel screws; this provides a bit more clearance. Tighten the thumbscrew on the end of the motor's drive coupler. The thumbscrew should seat into the groove on the end of the worm gear shaft. [. . . ] worm gear shaft may not be turning at the same rate as the coupler, or may not be turning at all. Make sure the thumbscrew is tight and is seated in the groove on the end of the shaft. Is the set screw that attaches the drive coupler to the motor drive tight (see Figure 2)?If it isn't, the coupler may be slipping on the motor's output shaft. [. . . ]