Debate: Did my equatorial mount fail or did I mess up the calibration?

Tbh, I was out last Friday night at a dark spot near Flagstaff trying to get a solid shot of the Orion Nebula. My Sky-Watcher mount just started drifting after about 20 minutes into a 3-minute exposure. Half the frames had star trails so bad they were unusable. Now I'm stuck wondering if the motors actually failed or if I just screwed up the polar alignment again. I've had this mount for 2 years and it's been solid before this. So what do you think - is it a mechanical issue or user error? Has anyone else had a mount suddenly go sideways on a clear night?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaelchen16d ago

Wait, your mount was actually fine for TWO years before this?

the_nina13d ago

Oh sure, blame the mount after two years of faithful service. That's like accusing your dog of stealing a steak you left on the counter. My guess is you probably set it up on a patch of ground that decided to take a nap (soft dirt or loose gravel maybe?) and your polar alignment slowly went on vacation. Motors are tough little buggers and don't usually just quit mid-exposure unless you kicked them or something.

the_lucas16d ago

Been in the same boat with my old HEQ5 a couple years back. First thing I'd check is if the motor cables got loose or if the power supply dipped below 12v. My guess is it's user error though, since you said it was fine for 2 years. Polar alignment can drift if you bump the tripod or the ground shifts under you at a dark site.