EQ2 Tripod

[Richard N]

The tripod for my EQ2 mount is damaged. Someone has over tightened the screws that keep the legs extended. The previous owner supplied three clamps that make do as a pragmatic fix. Can spares be bought to fix these tripods or would that be a false economy?

[Swoop1]

I had my EQ3/2 tripod mount fracture at the leg clamp. I repaired mine using Polymorph- plastic beads that you add very hot water to. This softens the beads and you mix them together and mould them into shape/ around repairs. I reinforced mine with 2 heavy duty zip ties and the job was done.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Swoop1
Adding image

[Louis D]

I took a hard pass on one of these tripods when I checked it out in person and noticed one of the leg clamps had broken.  It appeared to be made of plastic of all things.

When you say clamps, I'm assuming radiator hose clamps:

They're great for holding things tightly together.

[doublevodka]

Sadly they are a terrible design that been around for ages and are well know to break, I looked around for ages when I had one but couldn't find a cost effective fix so just used cable ties to brace them.

Sometimes legs can be picked up used on ebay etc, or if you know someone handy with a 3d printer I believe there are some stl files kicking around to print replacements

Or if you're handy with tools - https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/build-a-low-cost-wooden-tripod/

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I don't have one but I have seen quite a few threads about repairing them on SGL and other forums.
Most seem to use Jubilee clips.

You can get a spare leg from RVO but I guess that's a rather expensive fix, especially if more than one leg breaks.

eq2-aluminium-tripod-leg

Is it something that somebody can draw and get a replacement part 3D-printed, maybe bulked up a bit to improve the strength ?

 

Steve

 

[Stu1smartcookie]

22 hours ago, Richard N said:

The tripod for my EQ2 mount is damaged. Someone has over tightened the screws that keep the legs extended. The previous owner supplied three clamps that make do as a pragmatic fix. Can spares be bought to fix these tripods or would that be a false economy?

Hi Richard ... i have an eq1 tripod you can have if you like ... you would need to collect it though , im in Bishops Stortford .. pm me if you like

Stu

[Alan64]

Back in the olden days, the leg-brackets were made of metal...

...and the legs themselves of wood.  

What I have found with the modern entry-level kits, of which I have a few, is that the mount included with a telescope, from Synta's standpoint, is to at least get the telescope up off of the ground for a spell, and at best, to last until one might eventually acquire a replacement.

There is an alternative to a tripod: a pier instead.  Such may be more easily crafted with wood, or PVC-pipe, or a combination of the two.  There are permanent piers, set into the ground with concrete, but there are portable piers as well.  The tripod-hub is then attached to the top of the pier.

Your 130/900 Newtonian is most deserving of the effort to effect such.

[Louis D]

8 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I don't have one but I have seen quite a few threads about repairing them on SGL and other forums.
Most seem to use Jubilee clips.

Steve

 

I had to look up Jubilee clips.  We just call them hose clamps here in the US since no one brand dominated the market.

Apparently, the Jubilee brand name became genericized in the UK over time, sort of like Kleenex over here for facial tissue.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

I had to look up Jubilee clips.  We just call them hose clamps here in the US since no one brand dominated the market.

Apparently, the Jubilee brand name became genericized in the UK over time, sort of like Kleenex over here for facial tissue.

Ha Ha, sorry.
Yest I should be careful with Brand names in different countries, Durex in UK are condoms but in Australia you would get sticky tape 🙂 

Steve

Edited July 2, 2021 by teoria_del_big_bang

[7170]

5 hours ago, Alan64 said:

Back in the olden days, the leg-brackets were made of metal...

...and the legs themselves of wood.  

Yep that is what my old EQ2 is like too. 

Unfortunately the RA worm wheel (the bit that is inside that the worm screw attached to the manual control extension turns against) is stripped on mine at one point, so it won't turn fully round. No idea how it happened but alas I can't seem to find a way of just buying that part as a spare.

[Alan64]

3 hours ago, 7170 said:

Yep that is what my old EQ2 is like too. 

Unfortunately the RA worm wheel (the bit that is inside that the worm screw attached to the manual control extension turns against) is stripped on mine at one point, so it won't turn fully round. No idea how it happened but alas I can't seem to find a way of just buying that part as a spare.

You can actually see the damage, or might it be that the RA-worm is not engaging the RA-gear fully, yet not so tightly as to bind it up...

That's from my Meade EQ-2, incidentally.  Interestingly, Meade calls it their "Large Equatorial".

[7170]

10 hours ago, Alan64 said:

You can actually see the damage, or might it be that the RA-worm is not engaging the RA-gear fully, yet not so tightly as to bind it up...

Unfortunately it is the RA gear that is damaged in one area. Here is a (rather poor) photo of the RA gear with the worm gear completely removed showing the extent of the damage. It is so bad you have to manually move if if you come to that bit. That’s the part you can’t seem to get on its own.

[Alan64]

19 minutes ago, 7170 said:

Unfortunately it is the RA gear that is damaged in one area. Here is a (rather poor) photo of the RA gear with the worm gear completely removed showing the extent of the damage. It is so bad you have to manually move if if you come to that bit. That’s the part you can’t seem to get on its own.

In what condition is the worm itself?

[7170]

1 minute ago, Alan64 said:

In what condition is the worm itself?

The worm is actually in perfect condition. It seems to be made out of much stronger metal than the ra gear!

[Alan64]

"The worm is actually in perfect condition. It seems to be made out of much stronger metal than the ra gear!"

This RA-gear is from a spare "AstroMaster" EQ-1 head that was sent to me by Celestron under warranty...

Thank goodness I didn't need a replacement gear.

All I had done was to damage the worm's aluminum tension-nut...

I didn't know about the set-screw, and that it required backing off before unscrewing that nut.  I sent that image to Celestron, along with my confession.  They knew it was my fault, but they covered it anyway.

Some folks simply shouldn't be around telescopes and mounts, including myself.

Did you get your EQ-2 used, and was it in that state upon its arrival?

Edited July 3, 2021 by Alan64

[7170]

29 minutes ago, Alan64 said:

Did you get your EQ-2 used, and was it in that state upon its arrival?

I was fine when it was new (about 20 years ago I would estimate). It came with a Tasco reflector telescope which after a bit of tuning worked well.

Since then it had been lent to friends and family, and somewhere down the line was damaged accidentally. 

I still use it with a DSLR mounted on it for untracked wide field and satellite trail images. I still would like to mend it if possible and then probably use a stepper motor to drive the RA with the DSLR on it.

 

[Alan64]

12 minutes ago, 7170 said:

I was fine when it was new (about 20 years ago I would estimate). It came with a Tasco reflector telescope which after a bit of tuning worked well.

Since then it had been lent to friends and family, and somewhere down the line was damaged accidentally. 

I still use it with a DSLR mounted on it for untracked wide field and satellite trail images. I still would like to mend it if possible and then probably use a stepper motor to drive the RA with the DSLR on it.

 

If that old, it was made in either Japan(unlikely), or Taiwan; perhaps China possibly, as they started gearing up their cloning operations in the late 1990s.

I can't purchase a new EQ-2 here in the States; only within kits, with a telescope in tow.  If you like yours well enough, you might consider getting another...

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-eq2-mount-tripod.html

...or try to find a used one.  

[Carbon Brush]

If you have a few mechanical skills, why not buy a used photo tripod and make the bits to adapt camera top to EQ?

I have found a few people selling camera tripods that are in the EQ2/3 weight/rigidity class at lower than astronomy tripod prices.
I think because they are no longer bright and shiny, or are last years model, or are part of a house clearance.

[Richard N]

On 02/07/2021 at 12:34, Stu1smartcookie said:

Hi Richard ... i have an eq1 tripod you can have if you like ... you would need to collect it though , im in Bishops Stortford .. pm me if you like

Stu

Kind offer Stu. I’m a bit far away but many thanks anyway!

[Richard N]

3 hours ago, Alan64 said:

If that old, it was made in either Japan(unlikely), or Taiwan; perhaps China possibly, as they started gearing up their cloning operations in the late 1990s.

I can't purchase a new EQ-2 here in the States; only within kits, with a telescope in tow.  If you like yours well enough, you might consider getting another...

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-eq2-mount-tripod.html

...or try to find a used one.  

Hmm a new one is twice as much as I paid for the scope plus EQ mount plus tripod. I will bodge and make do I think. 

[Alan64]

1 minute ago, Richard N said:

Hmm a new one is twice as much as I paid for the scope plus EQ mount plus tripod. I will bodge and make do I think. 

You wouldn't need a new mount w/tripod.  You're simply having trouble with the leg-clamps.  Breaks and cracks within those can be repaired with J-B Weld epoxy...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JB-WELD-MAC8265-S-TEX-8265-S-Weld/dp/B0006O1ICE

I had to repair a metal clamp for one of my larger tripods...

For another tripod, all three of the anchors for the spreader popped off...

You can effect a much tidier repair using J-B Weld.  All surfaces to be joined should be roughened, and cleaned thoroughly of any dirt, grease and oil.  The adhesive takes 24 hours to cure, then it's golden.  That's in addition to any clips or straps you might wish to add afterwards.  Instead of those, however, you can use the J-B Weld to attach thin sheets of aluminum over the areas, taping or strapping those down temporarily until cured.  The backs of the metal sheets and the surfaces to which they're attached should be roughened.

I have used J-B Weld with great success in many repairs to my telescopic items.  The stuff has been used to repair cracks in engine-blocks even.

Incidentally, I would be interested in seeing an image of the worst of the damage.

[Richard N]

5 minutes ago, Alan64 said:

You wouldn't need a new mount w/tripod.  You're simply having trouble with the leg-clamps.  Breaks and cracks within those can be repaired with J-B Weld epoxy...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JB-WELD-MAC8265-S-TEX-8265-S-Weld/dp/B0006O1ICE

I had to repair a metal clamp for one of my larger tripods...

For another tripod, all three of the anchors for the spreader popped off...

You can effect a much tidier repair using J-B Weld.  All surfaces to be joined should be roughened, and cleaned thoroughly of any dirt, grease and oil.  The adhesive takes 24 hours to cure, then it's golden.  That's in addition to any clips or straps you might wish to add afterwards.  Instead of those, however, you can use the J-B Weld to attach thin sheets of aluminum over the areas, taping or strapping those down temporarily until cured.  The backs of the metal sheets and the surfaces to which they're attached should be roughened.

I have used J-B Weld with great success in many repairs to my telescopic items.  The stuff has been used to repair cracks in engine-blocks even.

Incidentally, I would be interested in seeing an image of the worst of the damage.

I think you are right. Epoxy is worth trying. It just the threaded insert that have been pushed out and some splits around the sleeve. I have ordered your suggested epoxy. Thanks 

[Alan64]

Indeed, you can get those righted quite easily with the J-B Weld.  I would then, further, overlay the repairs with aluminum sheet; for example...

https://www.hswalsh.com/product/ks-metals-aluminium-aluminum-sheet-256-0032-081mm-fz256

Or, twice the thickness if you'd prefer.  The thicker, the better... 

https://www.hswalsh.com/product/ks-metals-aluminium-aluminum-sheet-257-0064-16mm-fz257

You can punch a hole through the sheet, slightly larger than the diameter of the threaded-insert, and to form a collar, a flange, round and up the sides of the insert.  You would use the J-B Weld in attaching that as well.  Those inserts would then give you no more trouble.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Alan64

[Richard N]

On 03/07/2021 at 18:34, Richard N said:

I think you are right. Epoxy is worth trying. It just the threaded insert that have been pushed out and some splits around the sleeve. I have ordered your suggested epoxy. Thanks 

Epoxy repair done. Seems fine. I think it will last a long time if they are not over tightened again. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

[Paul63]

Hi

Have a couple of these EQ2 tripod legs up in my shed I think, l will have a look tomorrow or Saturday.