Skylux Broken Declination Arm....

Okay, so tonight I decided to start getting used to Polar Alignment, as one of my main interests is viewing the planets, which I'd like to track with as little adjusting involved as possible.

Set it up fine, only the first planet I wanted to view (Mars) was behind me! So I let both the Declination axis and Right Ascension axis loose, to try and swing the telescope around. I had trouble with the adjustment arms being obstructed by the rest of the mount. So I kept on moving both axis' about to try and find a spot they'd both sit without the adjusters being abstructed. That was all well and good, until I turned my attention to Saturn.

I loosened the Dec and RA axis again to get a viewing angle of Saturn, which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be! Seemed once the telescope was in place (still polar aligned) it had very little room for manoeuvre. Anyway, I was adjusting here and there and at one stage, not realising, the Dec knob was hitting the RA knob. Then a sound I'd rather forget..... *SNAP*. At first I had no idea what happened then I saw....

When i picked it off the ground it was ice cold, which probably didn't help in flexing when it met resistance. Hopefully I'll be able to glue it back in place, as it's just the arm that's damaged, the mount is fine. I'm obviously doing something wrong that this happened, but I just can't get my head around movement after polar alignment! I think i just need more practice, maybe in the daytime so I can see exactly what I'm doing, and where i'm going wrong. Either way, I'm chuffed that I've seen Saturn!

Heyhey,

I too was viewing saturn, mars et al. with my skylux last night. I did find in a few configurations that the two adjustment levers would meet, and prevent further movement. However, I didn't do it with such force to break them

Heres a question - on your skylux, do the setting circles both rotate? On mine, I can make the declination circle rotate, but not the RA circle. Just interested, cos the RA one looks like it chould rotate, but doesn't...

[by rotate, I mean can you spin the circular ring while keeping the mount still - for example, I'd imagine that when I have a known star in sight, I'm supposed to set both rings to the correct RA and Dec, but I can only currently move the Dec ring...

Hi there!

Yes you can rotate both rings. The RA ring is just a little more stubborn, especially if it's cold. I had wondered this myself when I first got it, as the declination ring moves with ease... and I thought the RA would be much the same.

I think I see where you are going wrong. It took me a little while to figure out when I got my first equatorial mount but there's a 'flip' you have to do when crossing the zenith that should prevent that happening. It's kind of hard to explain in words, I'll search the web later for something that clearly describes it and perhaps has some pictures or diagrams.

Then a sound I'd rather forget..... *SNAP*. At first I had no idea what happened then I saw....

Ha! Sorry, but that happens to almost anyone and everyone with these slow-motion control handles! I have even been dumb enough to break 2 of them on 2 different scopes in the last 3 years!

The only way you will fix that is with epoxy resin. Any other kind of glue will NOT hold the plastic together, or withstand the leveraged tension when turning it. If you're stuck, send it in the post to me and I'll fix it up for you (PM for address).

Thanks for the advice Seanie! Glad I haven't tried fixing it yet, I would have simply used Super Glue. I work in Halfords at the moment so getting my hands on epoxy resin shouldn't be a problem. Thank you for the generous offer though!