Is this that critical for such few hours used?

Not critical in your case.

Rolando

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Donzanti <donza2735@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Thu, Jun 3, 2021 3:18 pm
Subject: [ap-gto] Mount Maintenance for gear wear

I have an AP1100 in a permanent observatory on top of my garage parked in position 4.  During the past 3 years, I've only imaged about 120 hrs per year.  I read in the manual to use the keypad to move the scope to park 1 then releasing the clutches and manually moving it to park 4, then recycle the power and then start up from park 4 so you start using the other side of the gear wheels.  Is this that critical for such few hours used?  Also, I no longer have my keypad (I use SkySafari which has park 3 & 4 only) so what is an alternative way to get to park 1?     

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics