Perfect night's imaging kiboshed before it starts

[Demonperformer]

Back in December, I managed to break the locking lever on the DEC axis of my NEQ6 and so bought a replacement from 365astronomy. The advert didn't mention the NEQ6, so I contacted them before ordering and they assured me that it was suitable.

Now this bit is from memory, but I know there was something about the lever that did not fit the bolt, so I replaced the bolt with the one sent as well and all seemed to be well.

Havng missed Wednesday night, I was really anticipating getting out last night for the first time this year. But, having set up the mount, there was nothing I could do to get the DEC clutch locked. I even removed the little lever and applied 'extra' pressure with a spanner - to no avail. A perfect evening's imaging completely kiboshed before it had started. I was about to say "You have no idea how much that irritated me" - but I guess you do.

And could I find the original bolt? Not a chance - I'd put it "somewhere safe"! Took me for ever to get to sleep last night after that. Going to have to have a good look through everything this morning and see what can be salvaged. There are occasions when this hobby really makes me wish it would go visit a taxidermist on its own behalf.

[MarsG76]

I bet you were irritated.... There are not many more irritating thing when a imaging or observing session get cancelled due to a dumb reason, especially if its the first moonless clear night in AGES!!!....

So I presume that you didn't test the mount after replacing the lever?

 

[Craney]

Yes.. I know the feeling. The indestructible NEQ6.  Wednesday nights imaging , a modest 60x1min of M51 to get me back in the groove...problem noticed... the galaxy was creeping across the frame little by little.....  hmmmm ... all subs ruined...

Last night, same thing on the subs...... problem found... one of my polar axis bolts doesn't actually do anything, it must be missing the big lug on the end of the central mount stem....  so as the scope tracked, the weight was slewing the whole axis over ever so slowly...... arghhhh!!!.... too dark and too late to fix...... 

I am not going to be defeated...

[alan potts]

I am always putting things in safe places and never seeing them again, the best one was tape rules when i was building the house, always forgetting where I put them now I have 7.

[Gina]

All that is so familiar!!!  I'm always losing things particularly when putting them in a "safe place" - too darn safe!!  And as for kit, so often all working well and set up in the daytime before a good looking night then a minute or two into imaging something fails and can't be fixed in the dark or by artificial light.  Then it's three months before the next clear night and I've completely forgotten what I did last time to get things working!

[wok]

1 hour ago, alan potts said:

I am always putting things in safe places and never seeing them again, the best one was tape rules when i was building the house, always forgetting where I put them now I have 7.

Like 8 months ago I was planning to paint the laundry room, last room in the house that I didn't paint since I moved. I bought the paint and some brushes, stored them on the shed. Today I emptied the room, took the paint out, stirred it, and went looking for the brushes, they are nowhere to be found. I literally spent more than an hour looking for them, had to buy a few new ones. So annoying, it's not like they are small like a screw, I know they are there, somewhere, waiting for me to find them when I don't need them.

[Demonperformer]

The cold light of morning helps in that I have found the "bits", but has introduced another level of confusion.

I remember now why I did not use the new bolt, it is shorter than the original! So, the longer bolt (which originally worked at locking the dec axis) no longer does .

But also in the bag is a small brass(?) disc, about 1cm in diameter and 2-3mm thick. Was this part of the original or something that came new? No idea. The only thing I am thinking is that, if I drop that down the hole and tighten the bolt on top of it, this should give enough grip to stop the mount rotating. UNLESS it isn't meant to be in there at all, in which case it could enter the mechanics and completely it up.

Anyone know if that is the way it is supposed to go together?

Thanks.

[Gina]

My NEQ6 mount didn't have a small brass disc in it I don't think but I was several years ago that I had it apart so couldn't be sure.  Sorry - guess that doesn't help...

[sloz1664]

I had similar woes last night. Having returned from a week's break. I set up my equipment again and switched on the computer. Everything seemed ok until I tried to connect the filter wheel! Would not connect. I disconnected the usb, replaced the usb lead, re-booted the PC and used various other usb ports...to no avail. Another clear night wasted to equipment failure.

Steve 

[cuivenion]

5 hours ago, Demonperformer said:

The cold light of morning helps in that I have found the "bits", but has introduced another level of confusion.

I remember now why I did not use the new bolt, it is shorter than the original! So, the longer bolt (which originally worked at locking the dec axis) no longer does .

But also in the bag is a small brass(?) disc, about 1cm in diameter and 2-3mm thick. Was this part of the original or something that came new? No idea. The only thing I am thinking is that, if I drop that down the hole and tighten the bolt on top of it, this should give enough grip to stop the mount rotating. UNLESS it isn't meant to be in there at all, in which case it could enter the mechanics and completely it up.

Anyone know if that is the way it is supposed to go together?

Thanks.

The brass disc goes in first, then the bolt. You may find it hard to get the brass button into position though if pushing it in from the outside. With my HEQ5 it went in easily if the axis was opened up and I could place it in from inside the Dec axis housing. I don't own an NEQ6 but I imagine it's similer.

[Demonperformer]

This has been a typical example of me trying to over-think things (I may have mentioned that trait in previous threads ).

What the setup was before I broke the plastic lever is irrelevant. Empirical facts now: neither of the two bolts, screwed in as far as they could go, was having any locking effect on the dec axis. In that state the mount is just a big paperweight. Ergo something is needed to extend the reach of the bolt and the only thing available to do that is the brass disc (as per cuivenion's post). So now it is either use the brass disc or buy another mount. And the decision to use the brass disc took me 5 hours!

Anyway, now installed and checked rotation of the axis through +/- 270 degrees - no 'catching' to suggest a problem. Dec axis now locks solidly.

All set for tonight ... although I think I will check the connection to Cdc/EQMOD in the new windoze 10 setup before I go out so that I don't get another nasty surprise!

Thanks.

[cuivenion]

1 hour ago, Demonperformer said:

This has been a typical example of me trying to over-think things (I may have mentioned that trait in previous threads ).

What the setup was before I broke the plastic lever is irrelevant. Empirical facts now: neither of the two bolts, screwed in as far as they could go, was having any locking effect on the dec axis. In that state the mount is just a big paperweight. Ergo something is needed to extend the reach of the bolt and the only thing available to do that is the brass disc (as per cuivenion's post). So now it is either use the brass disc or buy another mount. And the decision to use the brass disc took me 5 hours!

Anyway, now installed and checked rotation of the axis through +/- 270 degrees - no 'catching' to suggest a problem. Dec axis now locks solidly.

All set for tonight ... although I think I will check the connection to Cdc/EQMOD in the new windoze 10 setup before I go out so that I don't get another nasty surprise!

Thanks.

I would definitely check the whole setup before you take it out. I've learnt the hard way that it's a lot harder trying to sort little niggles in the dark outside than in a brightly lit room with plenty of tools available.

[Demonperformer]

Yes, I have been thinking that.

I see that you have discovered my other post on my "Nightmare!" thread. I think tonight will consist of seeing how much I can achieve using short exposures with the zwo camera and the 8SE - not the best mount for imaging!

[Demonperformer]

Well, it's going pretty well considering. Amazing what is being displayed on the screen using only 2s subs. But I'm still going to be limited on total time if I want to avoid too much field rotation.