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Scope Hits EQ-1 mount Motor


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having problems with an EQ1 mount fitted with a RA motor.

my short tube 114 telescope is unable to track/view objects in the eastern sky.

as the scope ra swings round to the west the telescope crashes into the motor drive.

from 20hrs to 23hrs the scope will hit the motor. this means i am unable to view some objects in the eastern sky ( Saturn). i have trawled google to no avail. i get returns selling the EQ1 but nothing on how to fix the telescope crashing into the motor.

has anyone a clue on how to fix this problem please. the sun is out and i cannot image it with it being in the eastern sky. and the western sky full of white candyfloss.

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If I understand correctly then I think you're misunderstanding what themos is suggesting.

Before the scope hits the motor, release the clutches and rotate the scope in whichever direction works, 180 degrees around the RA axis. The scope should now be on the other side of the mount and facing "backwards". Now rotate the scope 180 degrees around the DEC axis. The scope and counterweight should now be on the opposite sides of the mount from where they started, with the scope pointing back the way you started and everything should be out of the way of the RA motor.

Does that make sense?

James

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added some pictures to explain.

pic 1: this shows when scope is on the west side. i am unable to move dec an higher than horizontal. the scopes slow mo dec adjuster hits the motor, and as the motor tracks towards the west the scope jams on the motor.

pic 2: 20hrs on ra on west side. thats the maximum i can track to. i went to pop a view at Saturn last night 21hrs 30 mins (ra ), was unable to as the motor blocks this region.

if i try have and have the counterwieght on the other side. the Dec locking nut slams into the RA worm shaft. only way is to remove scope from mount, adjust mount then remount scope.

some days i wish i never went with a GEM system. my view is from east-southeast to west, with the motor in the way i have just western sky

post-29537-133877765642_thumb.jpg

post-29537-133877765648_thumb.jpg

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Ok, from that position, unlock the clutches and rotate the scope 180 degrees about the RA axis. The scope should now be parallel to its original position, but the mirror will be at the top and the focuser at the bottom. Now rotate the scope around the DEC axis to return the mirror to the bottom.

You may need to swap the DEC control to the opposite side, and you may need to loosen the rings slightly to be able to turn the tube in the rings to return the eyepiece to a comfortable viewing position.

If you can't do that because something else jams, show us pictures of what happens and I'm sure someone can work it out.

James

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Instead of 21hrs 30mins why not try it at 9hrs 30mins? This would be 180 degrees and on the opposite side but still pointing in the right direction.

Hope that helps! :)

because the Dec adjustment locking nut slams into and catches on the RA worm shaft, and will snap of leaving the threaded part still in the casting. this inturn will lock the dec and have no adjustment.

pictures added to show the RA set at 9hrs at east and the dec locking nut slamming into the RA worm drive shaft

post-29537-133877765664_thumb.jpg

post-29537-133877765671_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

daft answer but, Can't you just move the motor to the other side of the mount? or would that cause the same problem when viewing west.

Kev.

motor only fits on one side the other side holds the ALT adjustment bar. will also cause same problem in the west viewing.

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I just had to go to try this with my own EQ1.

Can you try taking the scope entirely out of the rings and putting it back in the other way around? You'll still need to do the "meridian flip" at some point, but everything that can cause fouling of the motor should be on the same side then.

James

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Your last picture on the right: if you rotate the DEC by 180 degrees then the locking nut will be on top so it will miss the RA shaft. You then have to remove the tube and put it back on back-to-front.

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Exactly. But if you change it this once I don't think you'll need to keep swapping it over when you're using it. If you notice you're getting to the point where things are fouling each other then you just flip the scope back to the other side of the mount.

James

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i have given up on it now. to stressful and to much phaffing around having to swap scope round etc etc.

i will just have to stick with having only the west in my eyepiece.

the whole mount is a nightmare no thought went into its R&D, and the motor is more use than an ornament on a coconut shy stall. looks like i will have to save up for an expensive EQ5, looks like the eq5 motors are hidden away.

i also looked at the eq3-2 but alas this also uses those cheap rubbish motors like the eq1, and i can foresee the same problem i have on the eq1 transfered to the eq3-2

has gone to do some solar viewing with the baby dob ( take note SW it works both east and west unlike your eq1 lol)

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It probably doesn't matter which EQ mount you have (except for a couple of exceptionally expensive ones I can think of). At some time you're likely to reach the point where you need to flip the scope over. That's just the way it tends to work with EQ mounts. If it's not the motors that get fouled it will be something else.

If you don't want to do it then you need a different type of mount (or very deep pockets), but almost any design comes with it's own set of compromises.

James

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problem is the slow mo control for dec is in front of the telescope and not in reach. you need to be a stretch armstrong to get your hands on the dec control.

i tried every way i could think. it either fouls and/or the slow mo is out of reach.

Ah, yes, I can see why that would happen. I've never noticed because I've only ever had refractors on my EQ1, so the DEC control is at the right end for me. You're at the other end of the scope, and the DEC control can't swap sides.

Not 100% sure what the solution for that might be at the moment.

James

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The problem being that after flipping it's very awkward to reach and there's no way to swap. With the 'fracs I've always arranged things such that the DEC slowmo is at the right end normally, and when I do need to flip the position I'm in for viewing relative to the scope still leaves it easy to reach because you don't have to get around the bulk of the OTA.

James

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well gave up on the mount now, but the good news,

the sun is now swinging its way to the west so i can track it for a little. but betetr news there are a lot of sunspots on the surface and it is very active in the 3" scope with solar film filter.

it is a little windy for the EQ1 with a dslr shoved into the eyepiece but views are fantastic.

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bugging me this problem is. still unable to view anything in the eastern sky.

so i sat down put on my thinking cap, grabbed the rotary tool and then it hit me.

a flexi drive hooking the motor drive shaft to the RA worm drive shaft. this would allow the motors housing to be mounted else where, and lower down so telescopes would not crash into them.

it is either a flexi drive or remove the PCB board from the motor, rewire the motor into its own box, then rewire PCB to the motor and rehouse pcb in a seperate box ( more hassle in my eyes).

now i just need to find a suitable flexi drive. i already decided to mount the motor onto the eyepiece/telescope tray or between two of the tripod legs direct to the tripod mount head.

Question : if i add a flexi drive will it change the final drive gearing. will the scope still travel at sidereal rate ?

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I was looking at

video of how to attach the motor to the mount, and towards the end there is a shot of the motor/bracket and revealing the fact that it is so far away from the mounts RA shaft.:D Would it be simply a case of just attaching a different (flatter) bracket rather than those supplied right angled versions? There would appear to be enough travel with in the flexible sleeve to accept a bit more of the mount's shaft in order to get it closer. I'm not an engineer so perhaps I've missing something here or am I looking at a new revised motor and not the one you have got? I've tried looking for mini flexible shafts but haven't seen anything yet.

James

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