NEQ6 Tight Latitude Adjustment

[Photosbykev]

Cover plate complete and fitted with some M5 x 10 button head screws. The opposite side has a similar plate bonded in place.

[r3i]

Very nice job Kev.

Has the cam block worked as expected?

[Photosbykev]

Very nice job Kev.

Has the cam block worked as expected?

It certainly has, the up and down adjustment with my scope fitted is very smooth in both directions

[AndyUK]

This is an incredibly useful thread for me as my mount has just developed this exact same problem - I've just had to buy a 2nd set of upgrade bolts as I somehow managed to bend one of the others just enough so that I couldn't achieve PA ...

[jackrussell0232]

Wow, Gunnar's mod (entry1635804 ) is beautifully done - attaching a new thrust plate to receive the bolt pressure without exerting a bending force. Makes my mod look pretty basic, but at least it can be done with a couple of drill bits. Just hoping to provide alternative options for people without a machine shop. Maybe we should all move further south, pretty sure that at 20-30 degrees latitiude we wouldn't have a problem! And it'd be a bit warmer.

[VigdisVZ]

Wow, Gunnar's mod (entry1635804 ) is beautifully done - attaching a new thrust plate to receive the bolt pressure without exerting a bending force. Makes my mod look pretty basic, but at least it can be done with a couple of drill bits. Just hoping to provide alternative options for people without a machine shop. Maybe we should all move further south, pretty sure that at 20-30 degrees latitiude we wouldn't have a problem! And it'd be a bit warmer.

I have the privilegie of being in the same club as gunnar, I havent had the chance to hook up with him lately, but he's got a mod kit waiting for me.

[r3i]

Wow, Gunnar's mod (entry1635804 ) is beautifully done - attaching a new thrust plate to receive the bolt pressure without exerting a bending force. Makes my mod look pretty basic, but at least it can be done with a couple of drill bits. Just hoping to provide alternative options for people without a machine shop. Maybe we should all move further south, pretty sure that at 20-30 degrees latitiude we wouldn't have a problem! And it'd be a bit warmer.

Yes, this and Gunnar's thread show just what can be done if you have the equipment and skills available - I'm always impressed when I see what others can fashion from a lump of metal.

Stil, there's hope for rest of us mortals in improving on what comes off the assembly line - we can improve on the functionality even if the end result doesn't quite have the same lustre.

[BlueAstra]

I have the replacement bolts fitted to an unmodified EQ6. I notice that at 53 deg the black plastic adjuster on the bolt end is very close to the white plastic cover of the polar scope, similar to that shown in post #26 above. If you fit the wedge to the metal tab of the EQ6 won't that mean that the adjusting bolt will be further out, probably hitting the white plastic cover?

[r3i]

I have the replacement bolts fitted to an unmodified EQ6. I notice that at 53 deg the black plastic adjuster on the bolt end is very close to the white plastic cover of the polar scope, similar to that shown in post #26 above. If you fit the wedge to the metal tab of the EQ6 won't that mean that the adjusting bolt will be further out, probably hitting the white plastic cover?

That had occurred to me too - perhaps you need to use a bolt with a shorter length of thread?

[kingboya]

That had occurred to me too - perhaps you need to use a bolt with a shorter length of thread?

However, once you are setup at the latitude you will mostly be observing from, there will probably be only very slight tweeks of the Latitude adjustment for polar aligning.

[r3i]

However, once you are setup at the latitude you will mostly be observing from, there will probably be only very slight tweeks of the Latitude adjustment for polar aligning.

That's not what we're talking about here. The replacement bolts are of a specific length so that they fit an unmodified EQ6 without jamming against the polar scope cover. There's not a lot of clearance, which is why they are supplied with a 'ratchet' handle to assist adjustment. The question here is whether or not the thickness of Kev's wedge pushes the bolt out far enough to hit the cover. Comparing the picture of his mount and my own would suggest to me that it is most probable that he will have had to shorten the bolt to accommodate it within the available space - but only Kev can confirm or otherwise my supposition.

[Photosbykev]

Using the standard or astro development bolts is fine with the mod and I can adjust with the cap on at normal uk altitudes. The south bolt always gets close to the polar scope cap but a. If I'm adjusting the bolts for a PA then the cap is off and b. I leave my mount at a nominal 53 degrees

For info I could not fully remove the south bolt without removing the polar scope cap first

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Blame Apple for the typos and me for the content

[kirkster501]

FWIW I think there a fundamental redesign of this element of the 6 series mounts required. I am still awaiting my replacement mount - my bolts bent an hour after opening the box I have got my replacement altitude bolts for when it eventually arrives.

[Photosbykev]

FWIW I think there a fundamental redesign of this element of the 6 series mounts required. I am still awaiting my replacement mount - my bolts bent an hour after opening the box I have got my replacement altitude bolts for when it eventually arrives.

Nice idea for the redesign but it won't happen until the EQ6 is superceded by a new version and I can't see that happening any time soon.

[kirkster501]

Nice idea for the redesign but it won't happen until the EQ6 is superceded by a new version and I can't see that happening any time soon.

Agreed Kev. Hence there will always be a requirement for these workarounds, homebrew solutions and after market accessories !

[HenryNZ]

Hi

To replace the grub screws with thumb screws, how long do the screws have to be to clear the cover, without sticking out too much?