Celestron Evolution

[David Ettie]

I have had an Evolution AltAZ since 2015, and for the last couple of years its internal battery struggles to hold charge so is supplemented with an external lithium Iron battery and functions normally as long as the internal one is charged, if not its slewing is erratic and at time uncontrolled.

Has anyone either fitted a new battery or even removed it to rely on an external power source only?

Luckily I only use this mount for outreach events and visual imaging with my main OTA now sitting on an HEQ5 pro, it would be nice to get the EVO back to more normal operation.

[michael8554]

On most mounts, plugging an external power supply into the power socket on the mount breaks the connection to the internal batteries.

It sounds like the external power supply isn't actually connecting !

Try powering your mount with the external power supply plugged in, but with the internal batteries removed.

If it doesn't power up it suggests you have the wrong size power plug, that is not breaking the connection to the internal batteries.

Or the contacts inside the power socket are bent out of position.

Or worse, is leaving both power supplies connected.

The correct plug is 5.5mm external diameter, and has a 2.1mm diameter central "hole".

5.5mm x 2.5mm is wrong.

Michael

[Shimrod]

2 hours ago, David Ettie said:

I have had an Evolution AltAZ since 2015, and for the last couple of years its internal battery struggles to hold charge so is supplemented with an external lithium Iron battery and functions normally as long as the internal one is charged, if not its slewing is erratic and at time uncontrolled.

Has anyone either fitted a new battery or even removed it to rely on an external power source only?

Luckily I only use this mount for outreach events and visual imaging with my main OTA now sitting on an HEQ5 pro, it would be nice to get the EVO back to more normal operation.

There is a thread on Cloudy Nights with pictures of how to change the battery and the specification required.

[michael8554]

Ahhh.

Didn't twig that the external power is only a charger for an internal Lithium battery, I was thinking old-school removeable C-Cells.

So as David says, sounds like a new battery is needed.

Michael