The telescope drive does not keep objects in the eyepiece for very long

What has happened? The telescope is pointing at the object I want to look at and the drive is switched on, but the object still drifts out of the eyepiece.

Check the telescope mount information is correct

Solution: If the mount is alt-azimuth – in other words it has an axis that is ‘up and down’ and another which is ‘side to side’ – then it will have a computer to control the motors on the two axes. Make sure that all the information like latitude, longitude, date and time are all set correctly. The manual will explain the exact steps depending on the type of mount.

Check the telescope is aligned correctly

Solution: If the whole mount seems to be tilted at an angle, then it is an equatorial mount. If it is one of these then the whole mount needs to be accurately polar aligned, which means that the polar axis of the mount must point directly to the north celestial pole of the sky. The more accurate you are with this then the longer the objects will stay in the eyepiece. Some mounts have small telescopes in the polar axis that help you get them aligned, but for those that don’t then I find drift alignment the best technique. If there is a computer control to the mount, make sure the correct drive speed is selected too.

Check any clutches are correctly set

Solution: Some mounts have switches to disengage and engage the motors. Make sure these are correctly set to ensure the motor actually drives the mount.

Check power!

Solution: This may seem obvious, but make sure there is power going to the telescope drive system. I have known power to get unplugged when a cable is kicked in the dark or for battery power to have drained in the cold of the night.