Can anybody help me setup my tasco 114 telescope from Southern Hemisphere, Durban?

[Sonnet VZ]

I have a tasco 114 with the goto function, but when ever I try setting it up using the goto computer function it points to the ground as though the star I have chosen ie. Rigel is on the other side of the earth. Tasco website has been of no help, not even responding to my emails. any suggestions? I live in Durban South Africa.

[Carlos_dfc]

Is the mount equatorial? - and if so, is it polar aligned?

To polar align in the southern hemisphere, lock the dec axis at 90 (scope facing straight forwards on the mount), and lock the RA with the weight-rod pointing straight down.
Now find the star 'Sigma Octans' with the telscope - using ONLY the lattitude setting on the mount, and by twisting the whole head left-right.
Sigma Octans is relatively dim, compared to our Pole-locator in the Northern hemisphere (Polaris) but fairly easy to see through a scope.
You'll need a chart to locate it (sorry I can't help on that one, I've never seen below declination -40 because of my location)

[Carlos_dfc]

If the mount ISN'T equatorial, then soory I can't help from here,

However - one tip I have picked up from aligning other brands of mount...is to make sure that you have set your location accurately, and your time-zone.
A friend of mine was on the point of taking a hammer to his mount, until the two of us got together, and we realised his time-zone was set wrong.