Motor-drive issue on CG-5 - Help!

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

OK, last year I got hold of a CG-5 mount with the additional motor drives added to allow it to move in both axes and track in RA without me twiddling like a maniac. It doesn't work. Or rather, the motors works but dont actually move the scope anywhere. Check out the photos below that show the drive in question and the hand-controller in case you need to know what type it is.

Motor drive assembly close-up

Motor drive hand controller

Basically I think it's meant to work like this. For manual viewing you make sure the silver clutch knob is screwed back away from the brass cogs so that the normal large black knobs control the slewing of the scope. When you wish to engage the drive you are supposed to screw the sliver clutch knob tight to the brass drive cog and then use the motors to drive the system. Doesn't matter which way I tighten the knurled silver knob or how tight, when the motor drive starts spinning it spins the cog on the main shaft but the assembly doesn't turn at all. I thought perhaps the grub screw holding the cog assembly to the shaft wasn't engaging, but it seems very secure. I'm lost? Why is it not engaging correctly? Why wont my scope turn????

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Possibly the washer marked clutch could need to be centred over the brass cog so that the collet (guess) can tighten up?

Kaptain Klevtsov

[GazOC]

Are the clutches on the mount engaged?

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

Kaptain, I have tried making sure the collet is centred and in the right place, it seemed to make no difference.

Gaz, I've tried it with and without the main clutches engaged. If I disengage the main clutches the scope will swing at the slightest touch, even if I get the balances just right it's far too unstable to go near.

It's like the cog on the main shaft just isn't engaging with the rest of the assembly. The cogs turn but the collar with the grub-screw just doesn't move, so the shaft doesn't either and the scope sits doing nothing. If I screw the silver clutch knob right back I can actually pull the cog away from the collar and clear the main drive cog, and I can spin it a bit then re-engage it by pushing it back down on the collar. It feels like it's engaging something, but still no luck. I never installed this system so I cant be sure how it is supposed to work. I fear i may have to dismantle it completely to reverse engineer it unless there's someone with the same system and some knowledge of whats wrong.

[mikkey99]

I`ve got the single axis model of this drive and i have the same problem.

it seems that the grub screws that lock the cogs onto the drive shafts cotinually come loose

I solved it with a little dab of loctite on the grub screws.

also make sure the knurled collar on the clutch is screwwed down really tight.

and finally make sure when you replace the cover that your not dislodging the cogs.

Hope this helps.

Mick

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

Sorted! Well done that man. I had to tighten everything to the MAX to get the thing to work properly. Now all I need is some clear skies and I could maybe get some imaging done! That'll be sometime next year if the weather is anything to go by...

[mikkey99]

Glad your all fixed up just keep an eye on them as they have a tendancy to work themselves loose again (like mine did last night Bummocks!!!)

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

Indeed! Last night I went out to get some shots of Jupiter with my newly functional mount, only to find that once I've got everything set up in the dark at the top of a hill the damned RA drive was turning at a fraction of the rate it should be. Curse these second-hand, aftermarket mounts and drives! I'll need to strip it and check it, or perhaps chuck it out entirely.