22/07/2022 06:14 Balancing for Imaging — Starizona

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February 29, 2020 Scott Tucker

Balancing fo r Ima g ing

Properly balancing your telescope is one of the most important steps in setting up to take CCD images.
Improper balance is also one of the biggest sources of problems for imagers. Taking some extra time to
understand the concepts behind balancing and to correctly balance your telescope will definitely pay off in
the end. Balance is very important - don't let anyone tell you otherwise! No matter how "strong" your
telescope's drive motors are (or the manufacturer claims them to be), you will always have more accurate
tracking and exert less wear on the mechanical components of your scope if you properly balance it.

Note: It has been our experience that almost all tracking problems are due to improper
balance. Many of the balance systems sold for telescopes are not even designed to allow proper
balance to be achieved! Read this section carefully and you will avoid a lot of problems. This is
the only Note in this entire website written in 14-point font. It's that important!

Achieving Ba la nce

If you are using a telescope on a German equatorial mount you should already be somewhat familiar with
the basic concepts of balancing a telescope if you have already used it visually. However, the fork-mounted
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes which are popular among CCD imagers do not typically need to be balanced
(as they are set up from the factory) for visual use. Anytime you place a significant amount of additional
weight on your telescope you should rebalance. If you add 2" eyepieces and diagonal, a Crayford-style
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focuser, a dewshield, or a camera, you should rebalance the telescope so the motor drives do not have to
work any harder than necessary and so the tracking is as accurate as possible.

When you set up for CCD imaging, you might do nothing more than mount a CCD camera in place of the
telescope's eyepiece and diagonal. Since many CCDs do not weight much more than a typical eyepiece and
diagonal, not much rebalancing is necessary. But more than likely you will attach other accessories such as
dewshields, motorized focusers, focal reducers, etc. Now is when proper balance becomes so critical.

Balancing a Fork-Mounte d Telescope

This section covers all fork-mounted scopes such as the popular goto Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes.

The biggest difference between balancing for visual use and for CCD imaging is that most fork-mounted
scopes are mounted in an altitude-azimuth configuration visually but must be on an equatorial wedge for
imaging. This adds one more variable for balancing.

It is important to balance the scope in a vertical position first, then horizontally. See the section at the bottom
of the page for details why.

Begin by aiming the telescope straight up. If the telescope is top-heavy (from the finderscope, etc.), you will
need to add weights to the bottom, usually by use of a counterweight slide bar as seen above. Some
telescopes come with a slide bar, but for most scopes this will be an additional accessory.

Above: If the scope is top-heavy (toward the finderscope, or right in this picture), add weights to the opposite side
until balance is achieved. If the telescope is bottom-heavy (toward the counterweight bar) remove weights until
balance is achieved. When you are close to balance you may need to give the scope a gentle push in each direction
to tell whether more adjustment is necessary or not.

After the telescope is balanced vertically, point the scope horizontally. You can now move the sliding
weights to balance front to back.

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Above: If the telescope is front-heavy slide the counterweights toward the back (eyepiece-end) until the scope is
balanced. If the scope is back-heavy slide the counterweights toward the front (away from the eyepiece) until
balance is achieved.

Balancing a Ge rma n-Equatoria l-Mounted Telescope

If your telescope is mounted on a German Equatorial mount, you will likely be familiar with balancing from
visual observing. However, balance is much more critical for CCD imaging, and there is a right way and a
wrong way to balance your scope, so be sure to look over the following section to make sure you are using
the correct method.

It is important to balance the telescope tube (declination axis) first! See the section at the bottom of this page
for details why. In some cases (but not most) you may need to place additional counterweights on the
telescope dovetail bar if the telescope is very back-heavy (if you are using a large CCD camera, and focuser,
focal reducer, etc.).

Above: Push the telescope gently up and down to determine if it is front or back heavy.

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Above: If the telescope is front-heavy, slide the tube (or additional dovetail counterweights) rearward on the
mount. If the scope is rear-heavy, slide the tube forward on the mount.

Note: Remember to return the telescope to its upright position (with the tube pointing north) before moving the
optical tube so there is no chance of the scope falling off the mount!

All categories What are you looking for?

520-292-5010
Give once
Above: Return the telescope to the horizontal position us a call!
balanced in declination. If the telescope is heavy
toward the optical tube, slide the counterweight down the shaft away from the scope. If the telescope is heavy
toward the counterweight, slide the weight up the shaft toward the scope.

Balancing Theory
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Why do you have to balance a fork-mounted telescope vertically first, or balance a German-mounted
scope's optical tube first? The reason lies in the position of the center of gravity. If you do not balance a
fork-mounted scope vertically first, the center of mass of the tube is offset, meaning the position of the
counterweights front-to-back on the scope will be incorrect. Even if the telescope seems balanced in one
position, when pointed to another area of the sky it may not be balanced.

German Equatorial Mount

If the telescope tube is not balanced first, then the center of gravity (CG) of the system is not along the
counterweight shaft axis. This will cause the counterweight to be placed too close to the telescope.

Balancing the optical tube first places the center of gravity in the correct position. Now the counterweight
will be in the right place when the telescope is balanced in right ascension and the entire system has been
properly dynamically balanced.

Fork-Mounted Telescope

If the telescope is not balanced vertically first, the center of gravity (CG) will be displaced. In this example,
the telescope is too heavy toward the counterweight and the center of gravity is low. This will cause the
counterweight, when balanced horizontally, to be placed too far forward.

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If the telescope is balanced vertically first, the center of gravity is in the correct position. The
counterweight, when balanced horizontally, ends up in the right place and the telescope is properly
dynamically balanced.

Filed in:
imaging basics,
setting up for imaging,
taking ccd images

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