Sky-Watcher AZ4 MOUNT - Manual (Page 6)

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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).