DK3 hand controller problems

[Centus]

Hi,

First post here, hopefully this is the right place for this question.

I have a Bresser Messier Newt 150mm, it's on a MON2 mount which I have since upgraded with the RA/DEC motors and the DK3 hand controller (or something very similar from the comparisons I've made).

I have modified that hand controller for GPUSB by adding the relays for all four directions and everything was working well, I was starting to get into guiding and was happy.

Then I went to China for 18 months on a relocation from work and left my scopes at my mom's house for that time (they were in-doors all the time and no one used them).

When I came back, first time I hooked it all up, the RA motor seemed to not move beyond a few mm...

I did some investigating (including swapping the motors, then swapping the hand controller leads) and narrowed it down to the RA output of the hand controller.

When I hook up that same motor to the DEC output and press it all the time in the X1 mode, it tracks perfectly and stars stay in the same place, the RA lead can't drive either motor and just causes the motor to start moving a very short distance followed by some humming.

One extra bit of info is that I've been using a 13V power adapter for it since I got it (over a year of use) which didn't seem to cause any issues, but I recently read (here) that it is not advisable to use more than 9V for this hand controller.

Anyone has any ideas on what could cause this behavior? do I have any hope of fixing it? or is it time to go out and buy a new mount? (I really want to buy a new one, but baby coming and nervous wife hold me back...

Thank you!

[Centus]

Anyone?

Sent from my MotoA953 using Tapatalk 2

[kriss13]

DK3 is rated 9V. Sure there is some damage from 13V.

[Centus]

Thought so... thanks.

On the upside, I am buying a new mount as a result, probably an HEQ5 or an EQ6.

I'll get a new hand controller for this one and use it for dslr long exposures.

[Centus]

I ended up opening my hand controller to try and find out what's wrong and I can definitely say the dk3 (at least mine) is not rated for 9v.

the input regulator is a 7806cv which is rated at 8-35v input.

so it's not that...

any other ideas?

[kriss13]

Might be the power adapter.. I got one of 8A and works perfect.

Then I saw my GF laptop had one of 4A... I said I should try it... 2A is maximum the mount eats.

Surprise... it worked like cr@p... as if it got broken. I had to hook it back to my 8A to make sure it is OK.

The adapter of 4A (china) was giving less than is says...

So make sure it gets what it needs in amps