Olly and Tom's EQ8.

[StarryEyed]

I asked the questipn here at SG about problems with youe mount of the box a couple of months ago. Guess what seemed like every manafacture got tagged even TAK and SB. Cany say I remember if AP got caught out. Interestingly the difference came down to how the problem was resolved by the dealer that became the significant point.

Everyone knows about SW QC issues. But as an example AP QC their mounts and if neccessary swap out sub standard parts until the standards are met. Note that the point here is they also manafacture sub standard parts but they catch it before it goes out the door. Synta could do this but thats not their business model.

It remains that you need to understand who made you stuff and their approach to QC. Vixen had big problems with this and have changed there QC to being based in Japan pulled back from China. Remains to be seen....

I have spent six months trying to work out which mount to buy and in truth I cant bring myself to buy anything from anyone given all the problems I have heard in that time. With the exception of AP who are prepared to put down in writing what exactly you are getting and how it is achived which explians the cost (which is to rich for me) I find the whole subject of mounts and the lack off quality shocking. In the end I will either keep saving or just accept that there is a chance of getting a lemon and having to deal with the consequences buy basing the purchase on the dealer and not the mount.

Merry Xmas.

[wxsatuser]

I'm not known for being the voice of reason, but here goes. The EQ8 is a mass produced unit, not a hand built Mega expensive unit. In any mass production run there is a failure rate, which will be balanced against the cost of decreasing the failure rate. Now whilst, from a PR point of view, sending a poor mount to a guy that is well known in the community and that will use the mount in a commercial environment, was a bad move, it probably reflects the nature of the selling model (stack 'em high....).

Unless these mounts start failing all over the place, then, probably, these should be dealt with in the normal way that any failure of a mass produced item would be dealt with-replace the unit.

Its regrettable (especially from a PR point of view) and it is extremely annoying to be on the receiving end of it. I'm sure that FLO will sort the job out.

I know of a well known UK electronics company, no name no pack drill, that had upto a 90% failure rate on boards from China and

still believed that was cost effective.

[FLO]

I have been away a few days over Christmas. Have I missed something? Are we still discussing Olly and Tom's mount? 

Anyone reading this thread would think EQ8s are dropping like flies but the opposite is true. I understand there is a faulty one in Australia and perhaps one in the US (I'll be surprised if there isn't because they are the largest market). Otherwise customer feedback has been excellent. 

Steve 

[FLO]

Ah, just read Zakalwe's review of his EQ8. That is a relief because I was beginning to think I'd come home to some kind of alternate reality  

Steve 

[Neil27]

Ah, just read Zakalwe's review of his EQ8. That is a relief because I was beginning to think I'd come home to some kind of alternate reality

Steve 

As usual when new products are released people will shout very loudly (and justifiably so) when things go wrong.

However for the very 'few' products not up to scratch there are many more that are 100% reliable and working without any problems whatsoever.

So no Steve, you are not in an alternate reality, thats probably a bad dose of gas and wind from the over indulgence..

[ollypenrice]

There's another UK eccentric worm wheel reported on SGL, Steve, and quite a few around the net. There is also Skywatchers' admission that they have not made them truly concentric and did not implement the spring loading of the drive which would have been a work around. As for advising their customers to solve the problem by running the Dec out of balance... try it. Dec balance isn't like RA balance. What might be out of balance at low elevations falls into balance on the zenith (e.g. a vertical scope cannot be camera end heavy) so the out-of-balance factor is not constant.  However, I placed my order precisely because most people seemed pretty happy so I don't really disagree with you. As I've said on this and Dark Matter's thread I don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

I'm genuinely sorry that this impacts on you at FLO as well as on me. It is neither your fault nor mine. You've been great about it and I'm trying to give a tempered response to having spent about a week pointlessly disassembling two setups in hopes of combining them into one, then having to rebuild and re-tune them both.

Olly

Edited December 29, 2013 by ollypenrice

[FLO]

You shouldn't need to do any of that Olly and we haven't discussed your mount with Skywatcher (it's Christmas) so we don't yet know what their response will be. Our response has been to offer a free collection and full refund. You have received our first faulty EQ8, we don't want you to be inconvenienced and you clearly are not pleased with your choice so if you let us know when we can collect we'll make the arrangements. No fuss, no nonsense and no drama

Steve

[ollypenrice]

You shouldn't need to do any of that Olly and we haven't discussed your mount with Skywatcher (it's Christmas) so we don't yet know what their response will be. Our response has been to offer a free collection and full refund. You have received our first faulty EQ8, we don't want you to be inconvenienced and you clearly are not pleased with your choice so if you let us know when we can collect we'll make the arrangements. No fuss, no nonsense and no drama

Steve

Very much appreciated Steve. I'll be happy to consider the matter amicably closed and I repeat that I'm very sorry indeed that this has been a problem for you. FLO's reputation stands as high as ever. It will take me a while to get it all packed up again ready for return so I'll let you know when I have had the chance to do that. We're night and day this week, here, and maybe next, so bear with me.

Olly

[FLO]

... I'm very sorry indeed that this has been a problem for you. 

Thank-you Olly but please don't be concerned. It isn't a problem. Deliveries and collections are routine for us. It's what we do

We will arrange the refund as soon as we re-open on the 2nd Jan then when you have packed the EQ8 we'll send FedEx. 

Steve 

[Sandancer10]

Ah!! the joys of new kit.  Can't wait to see your posts from your new setup - enjoy 

[Dave_D]

I must say that apart from all the hassle Olly has had with his mount, i'm impressed with the responses from FLO. Shame i can't say the same for the other suppliers i've personally ordered stuff from. Items 'lost in transit' and others arriving damaged etc etc...  currently running at 2 purchases and 2 dissattisfied outcomes.

I think any future purchases i make  will be going to FLO just by how they've handled this situation.

[ollypenrice]

I must say that apart from all the hassle Olly has had with his mount, i'm impressed with the responses from FLO. Shame i can't say the same for the other suppliers i've personally ordered stuff from. Items 'lost in transit' and others arriving damaged etc etc...  currently running at 2 purchases and 2 dissattisfied outcomes.

I think any future purchases i make  will be going to FLO just by how they've handled this situation.

Absolutely. No question whatever. The only hassle I've had, be it said, is that the Dec wormwheel is unsatisfactory. I can see the EQ8 doing well in the future.

Olly

Edited December 30, 2013 by ollypenrice

[FLO]

Olly, you have email  

[ollypenrice]

Olly, you have email

Much appreciated, Steve. Many thanks,

Olly

[WanderingEye]

Hello all.

I realise this is an old thread, and hope there are still people seeing this, but wanted a bit of advice, I have got a secondhand EQ8, and after reading all the issues with DEC backlash, I thought I would check it out..so I got a 500mm dovetail bar in the saddle, and moved the Mount head with the handset all round at approx 20 degree intervals, I also watched on the handset using the method described by @Zakalwe now in the full 360 degrees there was no movement on the scale on handset at all, or at least it did not register, but there was a tiny amount of movement at the end of the 500mm bar, just noticeable by feel...

Also I noticed that the tiny amount of backlash there is, was the least, when the clutch lever was opposite to the worm, so 180 degrees round, so I guess the pressure from the clutch on the gear has some effect on this issue, when the clutch lever was on the same side as the worm, the backlash was the most, but still tiny..

So is this something I should try and fix, or should I not worry...

Thanks 😀👍