NEQ6 - leg failure

[hayju01]

So as you have probably guessed I am sat here a little 'peeved'. Looking on the bright side damage is limited only to the failed leg and no individuals or equipment were hurt during the making of 'My extremely short scoping session'.

So what happened...... After a fairly successful night on Saturday were I captured this pic of ISS

Anyway had tonight planned for the 9.50pm pass of ISS and had debated about how best to track it including lying on the ground with scope 'suspended' above me !!!! but decided that free movement on NEQ6 was the way to go. So 8pm scope goes outside to make sure is cooled, 9pm start setting up. decided not to polar align tripod\scope as was going to use tracking all going well, NEQ6 up...weights on.......scope on.....laptop table.....laptop table......ISC camera.....reticule eyepiece...all there already and waiting to go.....then..............

'Dad!!!!! looks like you scope is moving'

'Don't be daft its not switched on....(turns to looks)....OH <enter own swearword> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

It WAS moving, very slooooooowly but definitely moving, almost like one of the legs was in quick sand. My son stood there 'cuddling' the tripod like his life depended on it.

Try as I might I could NOT tighten the leg so there was nothing else for it, off came the scope, the weights etc. just in case.

Even with it lying on the ground I have been unable to get the leg to tighten.....

Once I've typed this I am going to email FLO in a bit and see what they can suggest.

In the meantime thanks for listening and what do you think? Is it RIP to the NEQ6 or does anyone have any advice?

It's time like these that I wised I'd not given up the drink   but hey hot!!!

Cheers,

Justin

[baggywrinkle]

Still a good pic..commiserations on the leg..

[hayju01]

Still a good pic..commiserations on the leg..

Thanks baggywrinkle I was hoping for more of the same tonight. I have applied wd40 and will see if that has helped my morning.

[John]

It it was new from FLO I'm sure they will sort it out. If not, you can buy replacement tripods. I don't know if you can buy just one leg though.

[Peter Drew]

I think the clamps are adjustable. I seem to remember that you can take off the clamp lever, turn the nut round a bit and then replace the lever. This should tighten the leg. 

[Tiny Small]

Retap it and use a bolt?

[hayju01]

Thank you all. It is over 3 years old now so I doubt even FLO's excellent customer services can help me here but good to hear tripods are available not that I can find anyone selling just the neq6 tripod but that's where I am sure FLO can help out. I might even go for a pier as I only ever setup in the same place, not so sure my other half will like a permanent feature on out front lawn...now there a thought........obs.....!!!!!

Oh well, will take a look tomorrow.

Thanks again

[Carina Lass]

Use the legs collapsed - First few times I used my EQ6, I didn't extend the legs.

Pop a jubille clip round the leg and tighten it at the right height.

Remove the clamp and clean it and get the thing to work again.

make a spacing collar that clips over the leg, the right length for your usual height, out of a piece of 2 inch UPVC pipe with a section cut out of the side - just clips over and you adjust the other legs to suit.

[ronin]

I half suspect that you could get a tripod if you stuck a wanted ad somewhere, people often use the EQ6 head on a pier so there are I suspect a few tripods sat in cupboards.

FLO may be able to get a leg, I suppose that they are available as a spare. Maybe OVL direct. Only say this as Colchester is not that far from Bury St Edmunds. Seems daft to send a leg from BSE to Exeter then back to Colchester.

[Stu]

EQ6 tripods do come up fairly regularly secondhand for the reason Ronin gives. Normally around £60 to £70.

Stu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hayju01]

Great stuff you can always rely on SGL for moral and tech support, what a terrific bunch

The good news is that the wd40 seems to have done the trick :-) phew!!!! Think I will spray the other two just to make sure I'm not in that awful position again.

Small downside, in an attempt to salvage the session before it had begun when laying the scope down I inadvertently bent the synscan rs232 connector....guess last night wasn't my night, but I'll get into FLO right away as I am sure I can get a replacement cable.

Thanks again to all