HEQ5 and EQ6 SynScan Upgrade - Are they the same kit ?

[DarkKnight]

Hi ,

My HEQ5 you beaut deal has fallen on it's proverbial. It had a crook hand controller/PCB and wasn't doing what it should, so it's been returned.

I have the opportunity to get an EQ6 at the right price, and was wanting to know if the SynScan upgrade kit for the EQ6 was the same as the one for the HEQ5.

Very frustrating, given the clear skies we've been having.

[Dave grim]

As far as I know they are essentially the the same apart from the lead from the handset to the mount is different I might be wrong in this but someone with more knowledge will no doubt correct me if I am wrong

Cheers

Dave

[Ant]

No they are not the same. They do the same job, but the hardware is different for each. I am not sure if just changing the handset lead would make the HEQ5 kit work on an EQ6.

The lead on the HEQ5 is a standard Cat5 network cable. Not sure what it is on the EQ6.

Ant

[malc-c]

The gearing on the two mounts are different  The HEQ5 has 135 teeth on the RA gear, whilst the EQ6 has 180.  Both scoped have a 705:1 RA ration, and use the same 9024000 microsteps but due to the RA gearing the mounts have different microsteps per worm revelutions.  So there are slight differences in the firmware each board uses.  But the main difference is in the physical PCB's and how they fit in the mount.  The HEQ5  board is secured inside the mount, whilst the EQ6 has it attached to the panel that has the power and other connectors

EQ6 motherboard (above).  HEQ5 (below left), EQ5 (below right)

But, the plug in handset for the EQ5, HEQ5 and EQ6 are the same and can be used with each mount, provided you flash (replace) the firmware with the correct version for the mount the handset will use.  This really only works out if you are upgrading from an EQ5 to an HEQ5 as you can purchase the Syntrek version of the HEQ5 and replace the basic syntrek handset with the computerised synscan version (after upgrading the firmware).  The EQ6, as far as I know doesn't have the syntrek option and will come with a new handset as part of the package.

Hope that helps

[DarkKnight]

Thanks guys, and Malcolm, you are a legend. 

[malc-c]

Thanks guys, and Malcolm, you are a legend. 

ohh er.. don't know about that... just passing on what I found out when I was researching my belt mod project a few years back !