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It is fairly simple to connect the telescope to

the mount once you have a dovetail mounting 

bar on your telescope tube. First, unthread the 

knurled black plastic thumbscrew on the AZ4’s 

dovetail holder until the tips are flush with the 

interior wall of the dovetail holder. Afterwards, 

insert the telescope’s dovetail bar into the 

mount’s dovetail holder and firmly tighten the 

thumbscrew.

Note: Should you have a telescope with a dovetail 

mounting bar attached directly to the tube, or if you are 

using the 1/4”-20 dovetail adapter, the finderscope may 

be oriented in an awkward position when connected to 

the AZ4. Usually, this does not cause any problems in 

the actual usage other than being a bit awkward. Please 

visit us at www.SkyWatcher.com for more product infor-

mation.

For best up-and-down motion when positioned 

horizontally, the telescope needs to be bal-

anced front-to-back. To balance the telescope, 

you can loosen the thumbscrew a little, and 

move the dovetail bar slightly forward or back-

ward in the dovetail holder. If you are using 

tube rings, you can move the telescope tube 

forward or backward in the tube rings. You will 

have achieved good balance when the tele-

scope does not move up-and-down by itself 

when the arm’s tensioning knob is not very 

tight.

3. Using the AZ4 Mount

The AZ4 mount features separate clutches on 

both the altitude (up-and-down) and azimuth 

(left-to-right) axes and a panning arm, which 

can be fixed in two separate positions. Thus, 

the AZ4 is an “alt-azimuth” mount. 

If the motions of one or both of the axes are 

too loose or too tight, the bearing tensioning 

can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the 

knobs. These knobs should be adjustable so 

that even the smallest motions of the mount 

are very smooth. If the motion on the altitude 

axis is not smooth no matter how the altitude 

tensioning knob is adjusted, then the telescope 

needs to be better balanced front-to-back.

The AZ4 is one of the most ideal mounts for 

astronomical observing as it can be used to 

point a telescope at zenith (straight up).

When pointing a longer telescope tube, like a 

refractor, at zenith, lengthening the tripod legs 

will help with positioning the eyepiece. For 

heavier telescopes, the tripod legs should be 

extended in order to give the mount a wider 

stance, which will help stabilize the mount and 

reduce the chances of it tipping over.

Tracking Celestial Objects

Due to the rotation of the Earth on its polar 

axis, celestial objects will appear to move 

slowly across the sky. When observing an 

object through your telescope, you will see it 

drift gradually across the field of view. To keep 

the object centered in the field, use the handle 

to move the AZ4 as needed. For these small, 

precise movements, you may need to re-adjust 

the axis tensioning knobs. Please note that at 

higher magnifications, objects will appear to 

move faster since the field of view is narrower.

4. Care and Maintenance

The AZ4 mount will last a lifetime with just 

reasonable care. Simply store it in a clean, dry, 

dust-free place. Although it can be stored in a 

garage or shed, do not store the mount out-

doors.

Very little mechanical maintenance is neces-

sary for this mount. It is constructed of steel 

and has a black anodized finish that makes it 

quite resistant to scratches. Should a scratch 

appear, it will not harm the mount. Any dust, 

dirt, or moisture should be wiped off the mount 

with a soft cloth. A household surface cleaning 

fluid can be used for more extensive cleaning.

When the mount is being transported to an 

observing location, it is recommended that the 

handle be removed in order to avoid damage. 

If you remove the accessory tray, you can also 

fold the tripod legs together. For even easier 

portability, the AZ4 mount can be removed en-

tirely from the tripod (simply unthread the knob 

under the tripod head). 

 

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