Telescope Mounts German Equatorial Mounts can be either tripod based, or pedestal based as in the picture on this page. I prefer the pedestal versions, as when looking at the zenith, there are no tripod legs to get in the way. The single most important element in an equatorial mount's set up is its "Polar Alignment".  If you want a quick and dirty Polar Alignment that will track correctly for about 5 minutes, and you live in the Northern Hemisphere, - you can polar align your equatorial mount on the pole star, "Polaris".  If you wish to track correctly for longer periods of time, you will need to polar align your equatorial mount on the "North Celestial Pole" which is located 44' (about 1½ Moon Diameters), along a straight line from Polaris to Kochab in the Little Dipper. The best method to get a proper Polar Alignment is "The Drift Method". It begins with a rough alignment on the North Celestial Pole, obtained with the aid of a "Polar Alignment Scope".  An eyepiece with a crosshair, illuminated reticle is then used with the main scope to fine-tune the polar alignment. This refinement is an iterative process where each subsequent iteration, improves upon the results of the previous iteration.