EQ2 RA drive controller to work on EQ5?

[Shiinsuh]

Hi Peeps.

I have a EQ2 single axis drive hand controller, and a CG5/EQ5 with ab RA drive but no controller for it.Would I be able to use the controller for the CG5? Other than just changing the connector from the DIN5 connector to a 6P6C connector with the correct pin out, is there anything I would need to do to make them compatible, if able to at all.

I dont know anything about the gearing ratio or anything of the two mounts.

This is the only option I seem to have to get my CG5 to work as i have not been able to find anywhere that sells just the hand controller and all I want it to do is track for visual observing.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide. (I'm competent with electronics so there is no problem with getting inside the controller and changing anything.)

[JamesF]

I'm afraid the short answer is no, it won't work.

The different hand controllers are set up to drive at different rates based on the gear ratios of the motors and worm drives in the mounts, so they're not interchangeable.  Even the EQ3-2 and EQ5 motors need different handsets despite the fact that they're functionally identical.

If you're competent with electronics then it may not be beyond your skills to build a completely new controller -- all you really need to do is to drive a stepper motor at the correct rate.  It's way beyond your requirements but you might perhaps look for inspiration at the AstroEQ project: http://www.astroeq.co.uk/

James

[Shiinsuh]

I'm afraid the short answer is no, it won't work.

The different hand controllers are set up to drive at different rates based on the gear ratios of the motors and worm drives in the mounts, so they're not interchangeable.  Even the EQ3-2 and EQ5 motors need different handsets despite the fact that they're functionally identical.

If you're competent with electronics then it may not be beyond your skills to build a completely new controller -- all you really need to do is to drive a stepper motor at the correct rate.  It's way beyond your requirements but you might perhaps look for inspiration at the AstroEQ project: http://www.astroeq.co.uk/

James

Thanks for the comment.

I assumed that there would be some difference in speed that the motors run at depending on the ratio. I just wonder if anyone has ever tried it, or has an idea how the controllers work. There is a preset-potentiometer inside thats glued up and I have a suspicion that, that is for the motors working speed maybe. I will give that a try, but i want to give a fair chance first to see if anyone has any ideas.

[JamesF]

The EQ3-2 and EQ5 motor control units have a microcontroller inside that drives the motors via a set of darlington pairs as far as I recall.  The units look identical, so I assume the difference is in the programming of the microcontroller.

James