Beginning Astronomy with a Celestron Equatorial Mount ... So, what's the matter?

I am an engineer and like to solve problems. I also like Astronomy. Like I said in my first book, this is not a book about Astronomy though. There are many good books about beginning Astronomy and learning the night sky. This book is about common problems you may run into when starting Astronomy with an equatorial mount. It specifically addresses some items you may run into when setting up and using a Celestron CG-5 computerized German Equatorial Mount (GEM). Many items covered for the Celestron CG-5 also apply to other equatorial mounts as well.

This is not intended to be a replacement for your manual. This book contains helpful information that will hopefully save you some time and frustration.

The format of this book is simple. It contains the following list of questions with a discussion of how to resolve the problem at hand.

What is an equatorial mount and why is it different from an altitude-azimuth (alt-az) mount?
Give me the Top 10 reasons to switch to an equatorial mount.
Give me the Top 5 reasons to not switch to an equatorial mount.
Is a German Equatorial Mount better than other equatorial mounts?
What are the different kinds of equatorial mounts?
Can I convert my alt-az mount to an equatorial mount?
Could I just add an autoguider to my alt-az mount to get the same tracking accuracy as an equatorial mount?
What is involved in setting up a GEM?
How much time should I spend leveling my tripod?
How tight should I screw the tripod rod into the mount?
How much should I screw in the knob to tighten the eyepiece tray?
Are there any suggestions about balancing a GEM?
Why are there two screws to tighten the telescope onto the mount?
Will I need additional counterweights and, if so, what size?
I never used the setting circles markings on my alt-az mount, do I need to use them on an equatorial mount?
What are those circles with numbers under the removable cap for?
Why does the equatorial mount alignment process take longer?
What is done for basic alignment?
What additional steps can be added for better alignment?
What optional steps can be added for even better GoTo’s and tracking?
What are the different methods available to perform a polar alignment beyond just pointing the mount North?
Do you really have to do a full polar alignment?
Once you do a polar alignment why do you have to do another standard alignment?
Why are calibration stars needed?
How do you mount a polar axis finderscope?
How do I use a polar axis finderscope?
Why does my view jump when I am adjusting the azimuth knobs during a polar alignment?
What sighting / finder scopes should I use?
Is there a special solar finderscope for pointing your telescope at the sun?
How do I aim this thing?
What is meridian flip and can it break anything?
If I accidently unplug power to my mount, do I have to start over and do another alignment?
What is available to help me know what I can and can’t see?
Is there any way I can easily capture and use what my horizon actually looks like?
Can I use my Celestron alt-az AC power cord on my Celestron equatorial mount?
Can I use my Celestron alt-az hand controller on my Celestron equatoral mount?
Can I extend the hand controller for the mount with a long 6 conductor phone cord?
Are there other ways I can extend the control of the Celestron mount?
Is there anything simple I can do to streamline my setup process?
Is there a good way to move the tripod, mount & telescope around when it is fully set up?
What are some things I should be careful to avoid?
Is there any way to position the counterweights over a tripod leg for better stability?
What do error messages "No Response 16" & "No Response 17" on the Celestron hand controller mean?
Is the mount OK if it is kinda noisy?
What does hypertuning an equatorial mount mean?
Should I get Celestron’s new Advanced VX mount instead of a CG-5?
Do I need to use PEC or autoguiding with an equatorial mount?
How does Celestron’s new StarSense help align a German Equatorial Mount?