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NEQ6 Tight Latitude Adjustment

Photosbykev

By Photosbykev
in Discussions - Mounts

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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I'm getting fed up with the very tight pivot bolt on the latitude adjustment on my NEQ6. Even without a scope mounted and with both adjusting bolts removed I have a lot of problems even moving this axis. I understand that there are some small adjustment screws controlling this tightness underneath one of the plastic side plates with the latitude scale or the NEQ6 logo on them but which one? It would be nice to remove only one of them as I know they are very brittle.

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r3i

r3i

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No problem, just added a pic to my original reply. The original scale didn't survive the surgery very well so I knocked up a simple replacement.

It's a very worthwhile modification. I used it last night for my first session in 7 months - we've moved house and I needed to redo the alignment. Releasing the pressure plate made the altitude adjustment dead easy and when re-tightening the bolts, the adjustment didn't appear to be affected.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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I popped the alititude scale off the side of my NEQ6, and yes it broke lol

underneath was this

post-4594-0-09335900-1351453622_thumb.jp

The 3 threaded holes contain grubscrews that react against a friction washer. A 2.5mm allen key fitted the grubscrews so I think the grubscrews will be M4.

A quick adjustment was all it took to ease the movement of the altitude. One of the grubscrews was rediculously tight, how it past any QC I'll never know

Now I need to make up a replacement cover (probably for both sides)

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r3i

r3i

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The 3 threaded holes contain grubscrews that react against a friction washer. A 2.5mm allen key fitted the grubscrews so I think the grubscrews will be M4.

I replaced the grub screws with M5*20mm socket cap bolts.

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r3i

r3i

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They are definately M4 x 10 long hex head grub screws in my mount, looks like there are a few versions of the design out in the wild :)

Interesting - just measured the original grubs screws on mine and they are M5*12mm. When did you buy your mount? Mine was bought in March 2010.

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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Update:

I had a brainfade on the thread size it is M5, not M4 as I originally said

This the cover I turned up to replace the original, I just need to get it polished up and also sort out some button head screws rather than the slotted pan heads which are ugly. I made a second cover plate to put on the other side of the mount so I can replace the NEQ6 cover plate when I take out the main pivot bolt. Once the main mount sections are separated I can fit a wedge onto the Altitude reaction arm to get the adjustment bolt working at a decent angle for UK latitudes

post-4594-0-16494000-1351535420_thumb.jp

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r3i

r3i

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Update:

I had a brainfade on the thread size it is M5, not M4 as I originally said

This the cover I turned up to replace the original, I just need to get it polished up and also sort out some button head screws rather than the slotted pan heads which are ugly. I made a second cover plate to put on the other side of the mount so I can replace the NEQ6 cover plate when I take out the main pivot bolt. Once the main mount sections are separated I can fit a wedge onto the Altitude reaction arm to get the adjustment bolt working at a decent angle for UK latitudes

Reassuring to hear the grub screw size hasn't changed for anyone else who's contemplating the mod.

Very impressed with your new cover, puts my laminated cardboard effort to shame. :icon_salut:

As part of the altitude adjustment mods, I fitted some stainless steel plates to the adjustment tab to give the bolts something harder to push against, rather than make further gouges (though the gouges on mine weren't as bad as some I've seen):

post-5202-0-78752800-1351590030_thumb.jppost-5202-0-47650300-1351590057_thumb.jp

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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Reassuring to hear the grub screw size hasn't changed for anyone else who's contemplating the mod.

Very impressed with your new cover, puts my laminated cardboard effort to shame. :icon_salut:

As part of the altitude adjustment mods, I fitted some stainless steel plates to the adjustment tab to give the bolts something harder to push against, rather than make further gouges (though the gouges on mine weren't as bad as some I've seen):

post-5202-0-78752800-1351590030_thumb.jp

post-5202-0-47650300-1351590057_thumb.jp

That mod is next now I can access the main pivot blot to separate the components. I'm thinking of a 30 degree wedge screwed to the existing actuating plate so the bolts axis is more normal to the face of the wedge when it is pushing.

Can you recall offhand how wide and long the plate you used was (dimns A and B ?) I haven't taken the body apart yet but it would be nice to get something machined in advance

post-4594-0-90026000-1351617211_thumb.jp

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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ignore my last message Mike, I took the main pivot bolt out of the mount and I'm glad I did.

A = 25, B = 30 (in a straight line) across the top of the paddle is 40mm

post-4594-0-16833200-1351621453_thumb.jppost-4594-0-17353600-1351621458_thumb.jp

The "threaded" pivot bolt is the nastiest piece of work I've seen in a long time !! The more I dig into these EQ6 mounts the more the engineer in me starts to scream lol

post-4594-0-04362700-1351621463_thumb.jp

I'll use the profile of the curve in Acad to sketch up the wedge size

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  • 2 weeks later...
r3i

r3i

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I am confused with the terminology. Are the Latitiude bolts the ones that take the mount "up and down"? Or are they the ones that press on the lug on the tripod to "swivel" the mount on the tripod?

Latitude = Up & Down. Sometimes also referred to as the Altitude bolts.

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