Balancing the Mount in R.A.
To eliminate undue stress on the mount, the telescope should be properly balanced around the polar axis. Proper balancing is crucial for accurate tracking. To balance the mount:
1.Verify that the telescope securing knobs on the telescope mounting platform are tight.
2.Loosen the R.A. clutch knobs and position the telescope off to one side of the mount. The counterweight bar will extend horizontally on the opposite side of the mount.
3.Release the telescope — GRADUALLY — to see which way the telescope “rolls.”
4.Loosen the set screws on the side of the counterweight so it can be moved the length of the counterweight bar.
5.Move the counterweight to a point where it balances the telescope (i.e., the telescope remains stationary when the R.A. clutch knobs are loose).
6.Tighten the set screw on the counterweight to hold it in place.
While the above instructions describe a perfect balance arrangement, there should be a SLIGHT imbalance to ensure the best possible tracking. When the scope is on the west side of the mount the counterweight should be slightly imbalanced to the counterweight bar side. And when the tube is on the east side of the mount there should be a slight imbalance toward the telescope side. This is done so that the worm gear is pushing against a slight load. The amount of the imbalance is very slight. When taking astrophotographs, this balance process can be done for the specific area at which the telescope is pointing to further optimize tracking accuracy.
Figure
With the standard accessories attached, the counterweight should be at the far end of the counterweight bar.