MOTOR FAULT

[SeehIve]

Hi  to everyone

I have  a Meade lx65  which I took to a local stargazing event , I notice that up/down slewing worked but not the side to side and couldn't use it .

When I got home I took the back-cover off and found the RA gear had moved slightly and I moved it back and tightened the nut .

I left the back cover off the telescope  to see if it was ok but now the hand controller bleeps with a motor fault message .

I would be very grateful if anyone could help me with this .

Kind Regards

 

[PEMS]

Friend has a couple of Meades and they have seen the same. Perhaps oddly they said turn it off, wait a few seconds and turn it on again and see if it is still present. However it seems when they had the same they had swapped handsets. So it could be in their case simply the handset and mount electronics performing a handshake action. Sort of saying Hello to each other. And at the next power cycle they have said Hello and just get on with it.

Another is that the motor and/or gear is too tight and the motor has to draw more current to turn. This higher draw is detected and interpretted as a "motor fault". So you may need to release the assemly and make it less tight and set it up so that it will move and rotate more freely.

The only other easy solution is there is some sort of microswitch or sensor that says the cover is off and so generates an error that is displayed as "motor fault". If so put the cover back on. Friend with the Meades thinks they have the idea they have seen it said that "motor fault" is more a general error message then a specific one. More like the old MS message of "A fault has occurred".

I would suspect the motor and gear assembly is now slightly too tight and drawing too much current to turn more then anything. I would guess that at power on the system performs some sort of self test, and maybe detects a high current draw at that stage and so flags an immediate error.

Simplest is the plug, socket and pin connections at both ends.

After that it would seem to be the expensive route. They are the inexpensive ones I can offer, or pass on.

[SeehIve]

Hello

Apart from having another handset , I already had tried some of the things you suggested before seeking help on here.

I removed the cables that go from inside the blue cover to the circuit boards ( if their called that ) to adjust the gears  and the handset still bleeps motor fault , so it might be the handset ?

I may give up and either get another mount/tripod  { at least I will have spare parts } or get a different telescope . Hobbies aren't cheap !

For viewing and trying to help,  THANK YOU.

Kind Regards

[Starwatcher2001]

Before you write it off, I'd go around every wire and give them a gentle tug to see if anything is loose. Press all connectors back together in case they've worked their way apart. If you've got access to a soldering iron, heat the solder on each component in turn in case there's a dry joint. If the connectors for the two motors are the same, I'd swap them around. It won't work like that of course, but might tell you if it's the circuit board or motor that's at fault.

[Andrew McKeown]

The reason you are getting motor fault is your motor, especially the bottom one is wet or damp.    Leave your telescope set up outside during the day.    Test during the day the two star alignment.   When your telescope functions normally, then take it inside.   Now you want to take your hairdryer and blow in on hot in the battery drawer to get rid of any vaper and droplets.    You must avoid letting your telescope get wet or you will have problems with it.    And don't take it apart.   According to Mead there is no gaurentee you will put the gears back in correct alignment.