Starizona Balance Box Owner’s Manual

: June 4, 2024
: Starizona

Table of Contents

Balance Box
Specifications
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Balance Box
Owner’s Manual Starizona Balance Box

Balance Box

The Starizona Balance Box is used to measure the current being drawn by a telescope mount to determine if the mount is properly balanced. With some mounts, the usual method of balancing by loosening the clutches and pushing the scope up and down is made difficult by mount axes that stick with heavy grease and do not move freely when the clutches are loose.
The idea behind the Balance Box is that the amperage drawn by the mount should be the same in both directions for a given axis when the mount is properly balanced. To use the Balance Box, simply plug it in the line between your power supply and mount.
The box uses a standard 2.1mm plug which will work with Celestron, Skywatcher, Astro-Physics, and other popular mounts. When power is going to the box you will see the voltage in red numbers.
Once the mount is powered up, you should see a current value in amps displayed in blue numbers. When the mount is not slewing, this number will be low, usually under 1A. Starizona Balance Box - Fig 1

It is best to put the mount in the standard balancing position, which with a German equatorial mount is with the counterweight shaft and the optical tube parallel to the ground. This will require the most effort from the motors if the mount is out of balance and will give the most accurate readings.
The declination axis should be balanced first on a German equatorial mount. This is done by sliding the optical tube forward or backward. Begin by pressing the north or south button on the mount’s hand controller and hold it for at least a few seconds. You will see the current reading increase, usually to between 1 and 2 amps (depending on the mount being used). Note the high value that is reached. Starizona Balance Box - Fig 2

Now move the mount in the opposite direction (on the same axis) and note the high current value again. Starizona Balance Box - Fig 3

In this example, the current is 0.2A higher in one direction than the other. Adjust the position of the optical tube and repeat the process to measure the current. When the scope is balanced, the current readings should be approximately equal (usually to within 0.02A or so).
Now repeat the process for the right ascension axis and your mount is balanced and ready to go. You can leave the Balance Box inline if desired to measure the voltage from a power supply, for example.