iOptron SkyTracker

[1CM69]

Hi all,

just bought myself an iOptron SkyTracker & Ballhead from Wex Photographic and needed a little advice.

While the tracker is working there is a slightly annoying high pitched whine coming from it.

I thought that maybe the motor was seized although I have left it running after placing a mark on the front mount and it is indeed rotating.

Having said that though, I have no real way to check the accuracy of rotation until I get some clear sky.

Just wondering if anyone else has one of these and suffers from the same whine.

I have read a post on another forum where someone says to remove the back cover and loosen or tighten some screws on the motor drive, well I'm not willing to void any warranty and can put up with the whine if it in no way impedes the function, after all, I don't need to stand next to it while it's running.

Regards..,

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[dph1nm]

Mine whines, but I hardly notice it (in fact I have to stick my ear next to it to hear it). It is the only way of telling it is working!

NigelM

[1CM69]

Perhaps it's by design then. [emoji6]

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[megauravk]

I also purchased a unit this week which has same high pitched whine while running. It was higher on first power on, latter it became little less but still there. I don't know if this is normal.

However I checked the motor is rotating for sure, but accuracy? I can't say until test tracker in field [unfortunately a cloudy season ].

In some blogs, people said to adjust motor screws, but personally I would prefer not to touch motor assembly, until this whine doesn't affect tracking. 

Only the question is, Is it normal? 

Please help......

Thanks and Regards,

[1CM69]

My concern is accuracy because I have noticed that the motor whir increases using mains/car 12v dc as opposed to batteries, so to me it would seem as if the motor runs faster when using this form of power.

I am itching to try it out but too cloudy.

Again, I am not willing to fiddle with the internals as its under warranty.

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[megauravk]

I contacted the iOptron support, they told me that high pitch whining may be something due to some rotor strain while running and might be need to adjust 4 screws on motor assembly in Skytracker device.

I didn't tried the suggested fix, but I left motor powered in indoor just to check accuracy of tracking. I marked a full rotation wheel around front rotating wheel with a quarter segment for 6 hours cycle (full cycle divided in four). Then I left the Skytracker (powered on) on tripod with a head mounted on it. It exactly rotated a quarter of full cycle in 6 hours and I tested twice. So as far as tracking is good and seems to be accurate. This can also be left for 24 hours cycle too test a full rotation accuracy.

Also the High pitched whining noise lowered by self in first test cycle in couple of hours and there is only a low motor whining noise, which seems to be normal. In second cycle it retained (no high pitch sound). It might be adjusted in first test cycle on rotation.

Since everything looks good now, I dropped plan to open assembly for motor adjustment. Only I have to test this in field when sky gets clear  !

Thanks,

[1CM69]

Good to know, I'll do a similar test on mine and hope for the same good results like you've got.

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[1CM69]

Not good news.

I set mine up, connected via mains to remove possible battery issues and started it going all set to check after 6 hours for a 90deg rotation.

Checked back after 1 hour and yes there was noticeable rotation.

Checked back after 1 1/2 hours, no sound at all from unit, whine or motor hum - the tracker had stopped - switched itself off somehow, totally unreliable.

Have started the unit once more and will post back results.

At the moment, I am considering returning the unit to WEX Photograhic, hopefully not at my cost.

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[wxsatuser]

WEX are pretty good on warranties, think they will get a courier to pick it up, no charge.

The support at WEX may ask a few questions and get you to try a few things first.

[1CM69]

Thanks for the info.

Well, I did set the unit going once again last night & it is about to come up to 12 hours since I did start it & the rotation is almost, almost at 180deg, ( given that it's actually quite difficult to measure exact).

So, this time as yet, it has not stopped.

I am going to leave it to run the full 24 hours to see & as the forecast looks good for tonight up on Exmoor, I am going to try the SkyTracker out properly.

I'll report back. [emoji6]

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[1CM69]

At the 12 hour mark the unit looked pretty close, give or take, to 180deg rotation but I want to be a little more accurate as the slight discrepancy that I see could just be my interpretation or because it wasn't truly set at 0deg at the start.

I reset to zero but this time using my iPhone tripod mount along with a boat level:-

this way I could accurately set 0deg starting point and I can more easily check time against rotation via the bubble at each 90deg or 6 hour period.

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[1CM69]

Well SkyTracker still going with level attached, managed to get a 3hour reading by fluke really, I had forgotten that the level had a 45deg bubble & amazingly I had it positioned that meant I could use it at the 3hour mark:

You can see that the bubble is not totally central, it is close to leaving the 45deg angle meaning that the unit has either gone slightly further than 45deg in 3hours or just the inaccuracy within each spirit level.

Waited just about 3 more hours to get a reading at the 6hour or 90deg point but this time I was carefully watching the bubble from 5 mins prior to the 6hour time & got this image at precisely 4 mins under the actual 6 hours:

You can clearly see a perfectly centred bubble but 4mins early. I waited the full 6hours and took this image:

See the bubble is miles out, again, discrepancy in the level or in the tracker??

I guess now it comes down to actually using it for purpose & see what happens ......

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[1CM69]

I went up on Exmoor tonight to test out the SkyTracker for real.

I found it a little fiddly setting up & getting Polaris perfectly aligned and fine tuned.

Was fighting intermittent cloud as well but did get a few test shots.

The Plough

(4min Exp NightCap Pro app, iPhone 6+)

Arcturus

Cassiopeia

(45sec Exp NightCap Pro app, iPhone 6+)

Cassiopeia + Aircraft

(as above but this time an aircraft strayed into shot)

Overall I am pleasantly surprised that all the shots I took show points of light with no trailing.

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[1CM69]

A crop & levels tweak in PS gets me these two images.

Not too bad considering I am using an smartphone camera but the main point is that it shows that the 45 sec EXP of Cassiopeia & the 4 minute EXP of The Plough have no noticeable elongation of the stars.

Cassiopeia by © MCMLXIX, on Flickr

 

The Plough & Polaris by © MCMLXIX, on Flickr