My First and Last Skywatcher mount!

[Stridor]

Back in early January I posted about my AZEQ6 suddenly not working after getting set up for a rare evenings viewing. It was just out of guarantee by one month, but fortunately when I took it back to the very helpful shop I bought it from they managed to get me a replacement motherboard (which had ceased to function!?). I eventually bought it home, tested it in the house; all ok,  and then again on a rare clear night I set up again; and again `nothing!!` . Back it went to the shop again; a second Motherboard was put in ( the 2nd one had blown as well!!??) and again I have bought it home. After several days I decided to test it out in the house again, Wow, there was power and all seemed well until I did a Star alignment: the mount set off full of promise to a position I could see was not right; it slowed to a stop and then took off again; slowed to a stop (in totally the wrong position) and started slewing again!?. I turned everything off; made sure all my settings were correct on the handset and tried again; same thing ...slewed, stopped, slewed, stopped..............I had to stop it to save the cables being wrapped around the mount!!.  I did a Factory reset, but same problem. I phoned the shop again; he said it must be the encoders!? So back it will go again!!!  So; definitely my first and last Skywatcher Mount!! 

[johnrt]

I had an issue with my AZEQ6 on arrival, FLO replaced the whole thing in one swoop no questions asked. I think that a replacement of the wole mount would be the best bet for you too. Can you ask the dealer to do this for you?

[Stridor]

I had an issue with my AZEQ6 on arrival, FLO replaced the whole thing in one swoop no questions asked. I think that a replacement of the wole mount would be the best bet for you too. Can you ask the dealer to do this for you?

I`m rather hoping that it may come to that myself............................but another `Skywatcher` mount; I think not!!

[johnrt]

I`m rather hoping that it may come to that myself............................but another `Skywatcher` mount; I think not!!

After your experience so far, I don't blame you. What would you choose instead, Ioptron?

[Stridor]

After your experience so far, I don't blame you. What would you choose instead, Ioptron?

The ioptron I think is a pretty good mount; I'm sure in reality I won't get the option of changing the mount, it,s 15months old now!

[jambouk]

Sounds like you've been really unlucky.

The encoders do cause problems with goto, but not issues with the mount starting and stopping of its own accord.

How have you been powering the mpunt? To have two mother boards go seems really unlucky.

What version firmware are you using on the handset and on the motor controllers? This info is in "show information, versions" in either set up or utilities.

My mates azeq6 did do some weird things like not stop sleeing after releasing the buttons, but we fixed that by updating the handset firmware from 3.27 to to the then most recent version which was 3.35 i think. We both now use our azeq6s with v3.37 without much trouble.

James

[ronin]

I made the decision some time back that I would not touch a Skywatcher Goto, I guess when I eventually bother to get an EQ goto it will therefore be iOptron. However with the tales of boards, encoders and countless handsets it is not going to be Skywatcher.

[mikeDnight]

What is the warranty on your mount? I would imagine it would be more than one year, possibly two years and more acceptably five years. Even if the product has been repaired, if it continues to fail then its not fit for purpose and I'm pretty certain you're entitled to a replacement or your money back.

There's something to be said about the reassuring tick of a weight driven clock drive!

Mike

[pete_l]

How have you been powering the mpunt? To have two mother boards go seems really unlucky.

It's like fuses. If a fuse blows you think "OK, the fuse has blown - it happens". If the replacement fuse blows you think "Hmmm, something is causing the fuse to blow". It would seem that this is the case here. It's not 2 faulty MBs, but something else that's causing the boards to fail. That's what the supplier should have been addressing, not putting the onus on the user to diagnose the problem.

[ollypenrice]

Lots of mounts, including the most expensive, misbehave. (Oh they do, and I mean expensive!) It sounds like yours has an undiagnosed 'other problem.' 

Olly

[Jussi_K]

I had this same problem with Eq8 mount, slewing, stopping, slewing... I took the encoder wires of from mother board and problem solved. 

[ollypenrice]

We once had a new Vauxhall Zafira which, in the space of a month, had six replacement injector pumps. By the third time I was trying to persuade the dealer that the problem coudn't possibly be the pump because you can't really have six consecutive duff ones. A replacement car soved the problem...

Olly

[Carina Lass]

Suspect overvoltage.