Balancing in different positions

[Roger]

I see in a lot of places on here the phrase "balancing in different positions".  Surely a telescope system is either in balance or out of balance?  I am assuming by this phrase what is actually meant is to make sure that not only the counterweight correctly balances everything else, but that, when uncoupled, the plate, scopes, camera etc. has no left/right load at any position, i.e., not only is the OTA assembly balanced along the optical axis, but also perpendicular to it. 

 

Is this correct or is there some eccentric arrangement with this mount I have failed to grasp?

 

I am sure I hasten to add that this will come clear when I get the mount.

 

Assuming my assumption is correct, one possibly very useful addition to the software may well be something that, by slewing the scope around on its counterweight shaft axis with known Alt, with its counterweights at the lowest point and manually entered datum for OTA pointing to the horizon or pole star, coefficients of which direction the balancing error is might come in handy so that one can first get the OTA balanced correctly perpendicular to the optical axis, and then along it (this I believe would be quite straightforward software to write and very useful for those with complex OTA arrangements).

 

A quick question for mount owners or ASA:  When the mount is slewing, does the counterweight shaft rotate with rotation of the OTA on that axis?  And a supplementary:  If it does rotate when slewing, does it also rotate when the mount is unpowered and the OTA manually rotated about its countershaft axis?  If affirmative to both, there may well be a very much easier way to do this balancing.  I will talk to ASA offline - it may well be patentable.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Roger

[Roger]

Note:  Edited post above to eliminate ambiguity of axis descriptions, not changing any detail or context.  Roger.

[Jay]

deleted

Edited March 19, 2014 by Jay

[prefetch]

>I see in a lot of places on here the phrase "balancing in different positions".  Surely a telescope system is either in balance or out of balance?

 

an equipped OTA is not symmetrical, which makes things complicated.  finder scopes on one side, focusers, oblong filter wheels, etc.  so my understanding is that this requires things to be balanced in many different ways.  i'm still new with my mount, and i'm learning, but this is my understanding.

 

>When the mount is slewing, does the counterweight shaft rotate with rotation of the OTA on that axis? 

 

no.  the OTA is rotated independently of the counterweight shaft.  there is a 'head' that rotates - the rest of the unit (including the weights) does not move

 

>And a supplementary:  If it does rotate when slewing, does it also rotate when the mount is unpowered and the OTA manually rotated about its countershaft axis?

 

since the answer to the previous question is 'no', then the answer to this question is also no.

[Roger]

Thanks for that.  Our understanding of balance is identical - and the fact that the countershaft does not rotate throws another idea out of the window!

Edited March 19, 2014 by Roger