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EQ 3-2 dual axis motors

sparkyjon

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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i took a chance on astro boot on a dual axis kit for my EQ 3-2 it was sold as handset not working being a sparky i thought it might be something simple but it lights up and nothing seems to work, any idea where i can get a replacement handset , i've been assured the motors are working i was going to upgrade to full goto but i dont think i need it really and the spare cash can go towards my observatory ...

any help would be appreciated i've looked on ebay , classifieds and astro buy , and nothing comes up trumps on google..

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nephilim

nephilim

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Unfortunatley unless you get lucky in the 2nd hand market u have to buy the full kit (handset & motors) Skywatcher are just money grabbers & know that one wont work without the other & theres no option but to buy the whole thing as they refuse blankly to even consider selling each individually (people have written to them with ZERO success) :mad:

Steve

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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blast i'll give it a week on the classifieds and ebay and astro boot , if not i'll ditch it and either buy new or just go for the full goto conversion.

are these dual axis kits any good , how long will they track for i'm looking for viewing and webcam imaging is there any advantage over having a goto instead of these..

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fredster

fredster

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If you are only visual (and happy to find things) and planetary imaging, there is no benefit from the Goto kit.

Sadly i suspect the dual drive kit you bought on Astroboot will just become spares for a new set. I strongly advise keeping them. They were only £20 and the connector on the dec motor is prone to breaking. As with handset, you are forced to buy a whole new set if that happens. So well worth keeping that set as spares.

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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i knew it was broken when bought and yes i think i will buy new and keep as spares always handy , even the buttons on the broken handset can be handy just incase i lose one lol..

does anyone have any idea on how long these can track an item for allowing for a good polar align.. i will be viewing , and dont mind hunting down targets but will also be imaging with my webcam so it was the tracking i wanted mainly , although maybe in a few years time a goto would be handy to control from my netbook but it's not a necessity yet , i'd prefer to get my obsy built..

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nephilim

nephilim

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I've got the dual axis motors fitted to my EQ5 & i personally find them invaluble, they're great for planetary imaging with a webcam & great for observing, as for how long they'll track, thats all dependent on the accuracy of your PA, for visual I usually make do with a rough PA (ie just point the mount north) and it works well enough & I usually only need to tweak now & again, but with the EQ5 (not sure how the motors are fitted on the EQ3/2) all I do is loosen the knobs that engage the motors slightly & then I can get back on track very quickly.

Steve

Btw, I'm able to track pretty much indefinatly when my PA is spot on, in which case the only adjusting I really every now & again is just the odd small tweak in DEC

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dephelis

dephelis

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i knew it was broken when bought and yes i think i will buy new and keep as spares always handy , even the buttons on the broken handset can be handy just incase i lose one lol..

does anyone have any idea on how long these can track an item for allowing for a good polar align.. i will be viewing , and dont mind hunting down targets but will also be imaging with my webcam so it was the tracking i wanted mainly , although maybe in a few years time a goto would be handy to control from my netbook but it's not a necessity yet , i'd prefer to get my obsy built..

I have the same motors fitted to my EQ3-2. With a good polar align I was able to take a few second exposures of the Owl Cluster and up to 8 seconds on the trapezium cluster with my DMK. So more than enough for webcamming. If you want to minimise the drift even more then drift align after doing the polar align. Although that really is overkill for planetary imaging.

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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the problem with being a sparky is i'm used to 230v and higher , i'm not brilliant with smaller dc electronic systems, if i'm honest i thought the handset might be something simple like a fuse or cable come loose , thats the limits of my electronics skills ,,

i'll see what the situation is next week i might just go all out for the goto upgrade just to future proof ,,

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JamesF

JamesF

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I think what probably happens generally is that the microcontroller gives up. From memory the control circuitry is totally separate for the two sets of motors. Is it just one motor that doesn't work, or both?

James

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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both motors work mate it's the handset that is dead, i think it's the micro processor , i bought it mega cheap on astro boot hoping it would be a quick fix.. i'll probably have to buy new , at least i have spare motors available..

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AstroTux

AstroTux

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When you say it lights up but nothing happens, it could be something as simple as power being supplied to the indicator LED but not the rest of the board. An old maxim is that an indicator just tells you that the indicator is working :grin: ....... Is the micro getting 5V?

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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not to worry i'll keep an eye out on the second hand market for the next few days , i'm selling my nexstar mount as it's a little wobbly lol. so i'll see what i can muster cash wise worse case scenario i have to buy new system ,

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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When you say it lights up but nothing happens, it could be something as simple as power being supplied to the indicator LED but not the rest of the board. An old maxim is that an indicator just tells you that the indicator is working :grin: ....... Is the micro getting 5V?

i'm not sure i'll have to dig out my multi meter and have a look it'll have to wait until tomorrow now though..

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JKB

JKB

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Just to help. I used to get 90-120s exposures on the EQ3-2 with dual motors and was fine for (less serious) imaging. But was more than happy with the results.

I am also more than happy to have a look at the circuit if need be.

Cheers and hope you get it fixed.

Jamie

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altec

altec

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Iv'e just dig it out

But it says it a single axis drive corrector

Eq2

Can't remember if it work's or not

Or where I had it from

But if of any use to you it's your's

I'am also a spark

So how about 100m of 2.5 hihi

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

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