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EQ5 Puck, replacement?

perkil8r

By perkil8r
in The Astro Lounge

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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Decided to do a quick check on the EQ5 since there's not much else to do. I took an allen key to the two cap heads that hold the puck and checked for tightness. They were both "fairly" loose, so I tightened them up. Only by hand, IE no extension on the allen key or anything daft. I noticed that there is now a tiny crack! Worrying thing is, it's on the thicker side of the tapered dovetail face, not the thinner side.

So, do I:

a. Find a replacement puck (if so where from?)

b. Not worry too much and be carefull

c. Buy a new mount all together

d. Do something else (suggestions on a postcard...)

I'm a bit annoyed and stuff really, I know I didn't apply enough pressure to crack it, so I've obviously just opened it up making it visible.

I really don't have enough money at the minute to replace the whole thing, but if needs must I will have to find it from somewhere. Thing is, now I've gone from originally saying I would spend under £100 on a scope to see if I liked it, to buying a 200p with EQ5 second hand at a reasonable price, to now thinking I have bought an expensive 200p with a broken EQ5 :) Not a good day:icon_confused:

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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OK - You've not done that by tightening the two allen screws. That crack has been caused by overtightening of the clamp screw(s) causing the casting to split.

Ok, I may sound a bit dumb here but am I thinking you mean the thumb screws have been over tightened that hold the dovetail bar in place? If so that souinds like a task in it's self.... It didn't show any signs of being there untill I tightened the two allen bolts in the base of the dovetail slot. If I loosen it right off the crack closes back up.....

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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You may find someone has a spare puck - especially if they have upgraded their own mount. The aluminium of the casting is not particularly strong and i'm surprised that we don't hear of more cracks occuring.

For a permanent fix you could drill from the top face of the casting "through" the crack, tap the hole (make a thread in it) and put a bolt (technically a screw!) through to hold it.

I doubt if epoxy glue (Araldite) would hold against the strain next time the bolts are tightened - it may, but I doubt it.

The one thing you almost certainly will not be able to do is any sort of weld - the casting metal will be some type of Ali alloy and it will be impossible.

Sorry - I split my reply! It is likely that the crack has been there for a while - you only revealed it when tightening the screws.

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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You would be amazed just how much damage a thumbscrew can cause! Imagine you did it up so all the parts were "just in contact" and then gave it half a turn - quite easy to do - that would move the thumbscrew half of the pitch of its screwthread, maybe 1/2 - 3/4 mm or more. Something has got to give - in this case your casting!!

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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I don't think there is enough material there to drill and tap it to fit a suitable fixing in there. I don't think there would be enough strength in it afterwards to hold..... Looks like a puck upgrade or bin the lot and get a new mount. Issue is, if I upgrade the saddle etc, that won't then fit onto either a HEQ5 or 6 in the future, so it seems like wasted money if you see what I mean. That (near) £100 would maybe be better put towards a better mount?

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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I've just had a further look at the pictures - you have "stuff" that seems to have come out of the screw holes - it shows as dark shadows on the pictures. I suspect that these are caused by minute particles of metal that have been torn from the threads within the casting, again this would have been the result of overtightening the screws.

Its not all doom and gloom - you can get replacement pucks if you look around and a good fix is not too difficult to do as a DIY job with some careful drilling. You could try contacting Optical Vision who are the importers or one of the main suppliers like FLO (site sponsors) or Rother Valley Optics to see if they have any spares. Astro Buy-Sell is another possible source.

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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I've put the OTA on the mount and it seems Okay, I say okay but I'm not going to trust it too much. I know it's a bit of a faff but I'm going to ensure that the side that is cracked is towards the top for now, that way at least some of the weight will be off it. I'm going to save up a bit and buy the dual mount when it comes back in stock. I guess at least it will add a little value to the mount when I come to trade up.

Looking at it in more detail it is quite a bad design really, and for being manufactured from alloy, it should really have been billet machined rather than cast so as to give better strength. If I still worked in engineering I would probably make one, but alas I don't. I could ask my old man to knock one up for me, but it's a big ask now he's moved to a different company, they don't seem quite as flexible as his previous employer lol.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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You can buy a replacement puck from altair astro.

Saddle plate upgrade for NEQ6 EQ6 HEQ5 Losmandy G11*::*Mounting hardware*::*Altair Astro

Not given away, but if someone has upgraded to the Losmandy standard then they might have their original Vixen/Synta for sale.

Don't consider epoxy. It will be in tension and not compression and will soon fail. Weld or srew or nothing.

Upgrading to Losmandy over Vixen/Synta has a lot to be said for it...

Olly

PS just seen your last post. I would take the scope off immediately.

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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You can buy a replacement puck from altair astro.

Saddle plate upgrade for NEQ6 EQ6 HEQ5 Losmandy G11*::*Mounting hardware*::*Altair Astro

Not given away, but if someone has upgraded to the Losmandy standard then they might have their original Vixen/Synta for sale.

Don't consider epoxy. It will be in tension and not compression and will soon fail. Weld or srew or nothing.

Upgrading to Losmandy over Vixen/Synta has a lot to be said for it...

Olly

PS just seen your last post. I would take the scope off immediately.

That one doesn't fot the EQ5 :icon_eek:

I've not left the scope on there, just tried it to see how it reacted. I'm going to work out a temp fix tomorrow, but looks like I'm saving for the dual mount thingy, I might even come to like the idea and convince myself it's a treat and an upgrade rather than fixing a broken mount :)

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182570

182570

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If you have access to a bench drill,there appears to be plenty of meat on the puck to effect a repair,if you arn't confident to do if your self,there are plenty of small engineering shops that will do the job for you,shouldn't cost much and will be worth it

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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Might nip over to the old man's in the morning and use his pillar drill. Not confident there is enough meat on the upper face really (if that make sense as a description) but might give it a shot. Been searching for the ADM Dual Saddle Upgrade, FLO appear to be the only place in the UK, but they aren't in stock. I see green witch still have the HEQ5 listed as for sale at £525 which is tempting though, but it's begining to get a bit expensive for a hobby I only started 2 or 3 weeks ago. I really hadn't planned on spending what I already have, never mind anything else just yet.

I always expected to spend a lot eventually, just not so soon. It's getting to the point where I would have been better off buying a new 200p with EQ6 lol

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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Scratch that, just looked and now it's showing as in stock :) will give them a call Monday to double check, but looks like I might be back in action soon. At least it should be a nice upgrade that might help sell it later when I upgrade to either a HEQ5 or 6

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glowjet

glowjet

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I came across your problem yesterday and have given it some thought, if you change the puck you will shell out the thick end of £100 for the ADM, which by the way is about the best made kit I have come across, however, you could purchase some 10mm alloy plate, remove the puck and form and shape a new base plate for the bottom to fit between mount and puck this will, of course, mean you will require some extra long caphead M6/M8 bolts to remount it, this will raise the unit by 10mm and allow you to fashion a 10mm block to reinforce the fracture, drill and tap for M5 caphead screws at right angles in both parts of the puck, I only suggest this as you appear to have some engineering skills and would be much cheaper on the pocket. I am rather surprised that there has not been more accidents and breakages with these cast alloy pucks with over tightening :)

John.

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perkil8r

perkil8r

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Not a bad idea, but as I no longer have easy access to the correct tools / machinery I think it'll be easier to buy a solution. It's times like these I sometimes wish I was still in employed work rather than self employed, I used to have access to everything I could have ever needed for this and many other little projects. It looks like they are back in stock now, so at least I shouldn't have to wait too long. It's just a shame that my EQ5 is white and the upgrade is black, but hey ho, no great loss, it's stargazing not a fashion show :)

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