D
Eclina
tion axis
Latitude scale
Latitude adjustment t-bolt
Latitude lock t-bolt
Azimuth lock knob
Dec. slow-motion control cable
Dec. setting circle
R.A. setting circle
lock thumbscrew
R.A. setting circle
R.A. slow- motion control cable
rig
Ht asc
Ension axis
Figure 2. The equatorial mount.
Dec. lock knob
R.A. lock knob
4
8. Slide the counterweight onto the counterweight shaft.
Make sure the counterweight lock knob is adequately
loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass
through the hole in the counterweight.
9. Now, with the counterweight lock knob still loose, grip the
counterweight 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 retaining screw
and washer on the bottom of the shaft prevent the counter-
weight from falling off (and onto your foot!) if the
counterweight lock knob becomes loose.
10. Attach the two slow-motion cables to the R.A. and Dec.
worm gear shafts of the equatorial mount by positioning
the thumb screw on the end of the cable over the indented
slot on the worm gear shaft and then tightening the thumb
screw. We recommend that the shorter cable be used on
the R.A. worm gear shaft and the longer cable on the Dec.
worm gear shaft.
The equatorial mount is now fully assembled and should
appear as shown in Figure 1.
3. attaching a telescope
The EQ-2 Equatorial Mount is designed to hold small to mid-
size telescopes weighing up to about 10 lbs. For heavier
telescopes, the mount may not provide sufficient stability for
steady imaging. Any type of telescope can be mounted on the
EQ-2 Equatorial mount, including refractors, Newtonian reflec-
tors, and cadadioptrics, provided a 1/4”-20 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-2
Equatorial Mount. One of these items probably fits the tele-
scope tube you wish to mount. Check the Orion print or online
catalogs for currently available mounting accessories.
4. Balancing the telescope
Once the telescope is attached to the equatorial mount, the
next step is to balance the telescope. Proper balance is
required to insure smooth movement of the telescope on both
axes of the equatorial mount.
If you attach your telescope with a 1/4”-20 adapter, it may not
be possible to balance the scope precisely with respect to the