Tracking Motors

Follow motors: automatic tracking for your assembly

As soon as you increase the magnification of your telescope, an object will disappear from view within a few seconds due to the rotation of the Earth. tracking motor propels the uras (RA) of your mounting at exactly the right sidereal speed, so that the object remains in view. You will mainly Telescoop.nl find motors from Sky-Watcher, For the EQ1, EQ2, EQ3-2, EQ5, StarQuest and AZ-EQ Avant, supplemented with Omegon motors for the EQ-2, EQ-3, EQ-320 and EQ-4.

Why add a tracking motor?

A follow motor turns a manual setup into one that allows you to look at the sky for a long time and relax, and that allows you to take the first steps in astrophotography:

• Looking calmly: the object remains in the center of the eyepiece stand. With high magnifications on the moon and planets you notice that immediately.
• No vibrations: You no longer have to touch the telescope to adjust the focus, so the image stays steady.
• One axle or two axles: A single RA motor only follows the axis, enough for visual observation. A dual set (RA and DEC) has a hand controller that allows you to adjust in both directions. The Enhanced sets from Sky-Watcher for the EQ3-2 and EQ5 also have an ST-4 port for auto-tracking.

Compatibility and assembly

Always choose the motor that is made for your mount. A Sky-Watcher motor for the EQ3-2 does not fit on an EQ5, and an Omegon motor is not necessarily interchangeable with a Sky-Watcher mount, or vice versa. If you have an EQ6 without GoTo, the SynScan PRO GoTo upgrade kit makes it a complete GoTo mount. The motors operate on batteries, and some sets also have a connection for an external power supply, convenient for use in the field.