Celestron 5SE and motors

[tgonc]

Hello all

I am a newbie to Astronomy but am lovin it all so far except for one thing.

Has anyone else been having problems with the motors on the Celestron Nexstar SE models esp 4SE or 5SE?

The first one I received on my 5SE had a faulty alt motor after a few days. The second had an error 16 out the box with the hand controller regardless if I used batteries or the charger. I managed to get one working example from 2 duds and sent back the faulty bits.

But now the motor on the azi is beginning to slow in one direction. I really cant be bothered to send it back again because the scope is good and I was wondering if there was a quick fix.

Some mention too much factory lubrication clogging the motors? Is anything I could look at?

Any insight or instruction on how to fix would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Tim

[mr saddo]

hi there, i too am having problems the same has you, the RA motor is slowing down intermittently, i have bought a new motor from FLO, 30 quid which was reasonable but yet to fit it.

[mr saddo]

Hi' fitted the new motor' what a pain stripping the caseing off!! The motor fit only took a few mins , all working fine but today the RA motor started slowing a gain! Oh no! I've been emailing Steve at flo, the modal boat battery i was useing was the wrong amp and voltage, even though it said 12volt 8amp!! But then in small writing said 20hrs @ 10.8 volts!!! So I tried the battery charger on the cable spade ends,on the power lead, switched to hi has low don't work, the motors are a lot quicker and quieter than with battery, so Iinformed Steve at flo he reckons it should be OK with the correct power 12v 7 amp!! Ive ordered a 12v 7 amp battery.see if this works if not be a power tank!!

[mr saddo]

Update' I've bought another 12v 7 amp battery' and a PSU power supply still having intermittent RA motor problems, also bought a skytron celestron lead £16 from FLo, still no joy!!! Out last night the motor was slow! Very fuastraiting running off the mains. Anyway had a fiddle with it this morning and..... I think its the power jack pin near the switch if you gently push it , the power goes off!!! I've emailed Steve @FLo for a new power switch jack board, tbh the power could do with wireing straight in , and not use the plug in jack .This is starting to p@ss me off! how much more money do you throw at it.

[mr saddo]

Right , another thing first to check is the power pin!! In side the hole where you plug byour jack , the contact pin has a split in it' if this becomes closed the pin will not grip the inner jack lead and result in dodgy intermittent power! Open the split pin with a thin blade, not too much, you will know when you plug the lead in it will be firm and tight. See picture zoom in to see the split pin opened.

[mr saddo]

Oh, and had a e-mail off FLO.... The above board is.......£25 ouch.

[hobsey]

Thanks for the tip on spreading the pin, I received my new power cable today and seamed quite loose. I spread the pin and now has a better grip.

I would like to swap my push in power socket to a screw type.

[mr saddo]

Hi , also try not to plug the lead in and out, but l leave it in' and coiled upon the mount, also I've had a look at the old motor i took out, and when I opened it up the cogs in side where full of white grease!! Now this maybe why the RA motor might be slowing down on the left rotate. Be very carful that all the cogs don't fall out!!

[mr saddo]

The big brass one goes under the on in the housing.

[mr saddo]

Hi, Here's a important updates is you scope slow on The RA left or Right turn? Read on finally solved!!! Did a total strip down of the mount, there is 3PTFE pads in the bottom of the mount top,I was led to believe there was a bearing, in the bottom, no such look! There is a highly machined track which the PTFE pads run round. So if one of the pads ware I reckon the mount was stall. To be quite honest the way they have designed it ' its rubbish and done on the cheap!!

[mr saddo]

A word or warning when taking the top ring afterthehair code is has followsr batterck no 5y comp, the aux and camera port wire are very flimsey and may snap off has mine did!! The wire code is...AUx port white no 1, Brown no2, yellow no3, red no4, black no 5.

Camera port is red s3, black sw.

[mr saddo]

A word or warning when taking the topring off, the aux and camera port wires are very flimsey and may snap off has mine did!! The wire code is...AUx port white no 1, Brown no2, yellow no3, red no4, black no 5.

Camera port is red s3, black sw.

[mr saddo]

Oh and they don't do the replacment PTFE pads!!! There fitted at factory, could do with a nice roller track in the bottom or a main bearing on the bolt though the main bolt.

[mr saddo]

Hi , update, I don't think it was the rotating base with the white PTFE pads, oh celestron don't do the ptfe pads! There fitted at factory, so if they ware out we have had it!! My RA motor is still stalling, can't way it up, tryed various power supplies, the dec motor works fine but the RA stalls sometimes, it may be a motor board problem which is £100 to buy a new board!!. This has really [removed word] me off !! £500 worth of scope, and the goto is doddgy!! . When it works its good!! When!