My NEQ6 mount is now unusable, rail kit needed!

[Quetzalcoatl72]

I've contacted the people at darkframe and it looks like they are never going to be making any more of these rail kits, it is the ultimate solution to my problem. I don't have 3d printers thousands of pounds or high tech machinery or the technical skill to create something to fix the problem. If anyone knows anyone or anywhere where i can buy a Rail kit i will be greatful thanks!

As for the problem in case anyone was wondering, my scope cannot budge over 50 degrees because of skywatchers flawed design choice. Bolt slips under the tongue, even more so now as the metal is shredded.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Quetzalcoatl72
found a workshop i could take it to

[bottletopburly]

  I adapted my own mount tapping an aluminium wedge so the bolt hit metal square on ,I’m surprised Rowan Engineering doesn’t stock something like a rail kit maybe drop them an email and ask . 
seems odd they say not making rail kit as this comes up in a search 

https://www.darkframeoptics.com/product/eq6-rail

Edited July 16, 2021 by bottletopburly

[Quetzalcoatl72]

8 hours ago, bottletopburly said:

seems odd they say not making rail kit as this comes up in a search 

 

yup, it's been over a year now and they haven't restocked it, so i can assume they wont

[adyj1]

15 hours ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

I don't have 3d printers thousands of pounds or high tech machinery or the technical skill to create something to fix the problem. 

I appreciate this may have just been a turn of phrase caused by your understandable frustration, but is there a 3d-printed solution for this, or are you thinking that someone fettling away at the problem might come up with one?

Ady

Edited July 16, 2021 by adyj1

[Quetzalcoatl72]

42 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

I appreciate this may have just been a turn of phrase caused by your understandable frustration, but is there a 3d-printed solution for this, or are you thinking that someone fettling away at the problem might come up with one?

Ady

I've searched all over the internet for a place to buy modifications such as that wedge but to no avail, a lot of people have shown what they have made. I don't have the machinery or knowhow to make these things, 3d printers lathes etc.

[Quetzalcoatl72]

take this for example https://darrenjehan.me.uk/skywatcher-eq6-altitude-mod/
great tutorial, 0 links or information on where he got it or the pricing. they could make a killing selling these for people who have this problem

[JamesF]

Do you use the mount on a tripod or a pier?

James

[Quetzalcoatl72]

2 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Do you use the mount on a tripod or a pier?

James

tripod.

[JamesF]

Hmmm.  A tripod might be more of an issue from a stability point of view, but as a temporary workaround you could try not opening the southerly legs of the tripod all the way, so the top of the tripod is at an angle, meaning the alt angle of the mount itself doesn't need to be so large.  I did actually consider doing something similar when putting a NEQ6 on a pier using a wedge on the top of the pier to offset the base of the mount.

There have been a number of mods for this problem produced commercially over the years and most seem to have disappeared after not very long which suggests that they're not considered worth the effort.  I'd guess that's either because not enough people actually want one, or that it isn't possible to make them for a price that people are willing to pay (which may both be effectively the same reason).  Part of that could be down to the fact that the manufacturing tolerances for the mount are sufficiently loose that it's hard to make a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

It's a problem I still need to solve for myself though.  I keep telling myself I'll give it more thought when I have time.  The way my life is though, the only way I'm ever going to get more time is to fake my own death

James

[Quetzalcoatl72]

51 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Hmmm.  A tripod might be more of an issue from a stability point of view, but as a temporary workaround you could try not opening the southerly legs of the tripod all the way, so the top of the tripod is at an angle, meaning the alt angle of the mount itself doesn't need to be so large.  I did actually consider doing something similar when putting a NEQ6 on a pier using a wedge on the top of the pier to offset the base of the mount.

There have been a number of mods for this problem produced commercially over the years and most seem to have disappeared after not very long which suggests that they're not considered worth the effort.  I'd guess that's either because not enough people actually want one, or that it isn't possible to make them for a price that people are willing to pay (which may both be effectively the same reason).  Part of that could be down to the fact that the manufacturing tolerances for the mount are sufficiently loose that it's hard to make a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

It's a problem I still need to solve for myself though.  I keep telling myself I'll give it more thought when I have time.  The way my life is though, the only way I'm ever going to get more time is to fake my own death

James

Probably a mixture of those reasons, I may have myself someone who can fix me up a thing in their workshop now atm. I dug myself 3 deep holes in the garden filled with cement so it's super sturdy, also everytime I set up my tripod it's always perfectly level, So it's kinda like a pier as in I don't waste levelling each time.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Have you tried messaging @Gunnar to see where you might get one of these plates ?
Or if nobody sells then what the dimensions are you can then get one made pretty cheaply I would think and the tap and drill will not be expensive you could then do the mod yourself.

Personally I would maybe get a new replacement bolt as well as you may find the old one has bent a little, these too are not expensive.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Just  looked and this member has not been on SGL since 2018 so that might not be an option but you could try.

Nice thread about this HERE

Steve

Edited July 16, 2021 by teoria_del_big_bang

[Synchronicity]

16 hours ago, bottletopburly said:

  I adapted my own mount tapping an aluminium wedge so the bolt hit metal square on ,I’m surprised Rowan Engineering doesn’t stock something like a rail kit maybe drop them an email and ask . 
seems odd they say not making rail kit as this comes up in a search 

https://www.darkframeoptics.com/product/eq6-rail

I can't find a photo but I did something similar to my EQ5 using the brass latch block from an old yale lock.  Not pretty but it worked well and justified me hoarding that old lock and about ten thousand other bits of rubbish!

Michael

[Quetzalcoatl72]

1 hour ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Just  looked and this member has not been on SGL since 2018 so that might not be an option but you could try.

Nice thread about this HERE

Steve

thanks, I think i have someone local who can help that i'm meeting on sunday who can maybe whip up something like that on that thread. It's not the only problem I'm facing with the mount though, the hole where the bolt goes through is pretty threaded, a couple more rough uses and there'd be non left. May have to get a larger hole drilled through or something, hopefully not though. I have to laugh at the quality of the metal though, seeing a sticker "made in China" on the base, for the price you pay for this kind of equipment I shouldn't have to fix these problems, I already installed a belt mod because of the bad tracking. 

[malc-c]

On 16/07/2021 at 05:53, bottletopburly said:

,I’m surprised Rowan Engineering doesn’t stock something like a rail kit maybe drop them an email and ask . 
seems odd they say not making rail kit as this comes up in a search 

https://www.darkframeoptics.com/product/eq6-rail

 

I would have thought that if Rowan Engineering believed there was a market for these they would have already have developed one, especially given the fact its been a good 12 month since Darkframe stopped producing them.

If I were faced with the same issue, I would try and find a local machine shop who could drill and tap a couple of holes and add a lump of steel (ali will soon get churned up, even on first use) to the mount.  Either that, or try and contact anyone who makes large scale 5" gauge steam engines as they will have the machines and knowhow to knock one up.

[Quetzalcoatl72]

On 17/07/2021 at 10:59, malc-c said:

I would have thought that if Rowan Engineering believed there was a market for these they would have already have developed one, especially given the fact its been a good 12 month since Darkframe stopped producing them.

If I were faced with the same issue, I would try and find a local machine shop who could drill and tap a couple of holes and add a lump of steel (ali will soon get churned up, even on first use) to the mount.  Either that, or try and contact anyone who makes large scale 5" gauge steam engines as they will have the machines and knowhow to knock one up.

I ended up getting a generous local astronomer to craft a plate and install it, i've yet to test it out with PA because weather

[Ricky Graham]

i just ordered a rail kit from DFO, then i saw this thread? They took my money so im hoping they have the kits again?

[ONIKKINEN]

54 minutes ago, Ricky Graham said:

i just ordered a rail kit from DFO, then i saw this thread? They took my money so im hoping they have the kits again?

Let me just say that i have no personal gain or beef with the company, but.

You might want to search Dark Frame Optics on this forum and online in general and form your own opinion. It seems that any topic naming this company is like Plutonium, untouchable, and locked away forever. Hope you see your money or the product one day.

[Nigella Bryant]

I got a neq6 wedge for mine, expensive but works a treat. Just Google it. Mine is slightly older than the current model. 

[Quetzalcoatl72]

On 11/09/2021 at 04:13, Ricky Graham said:

i just ordered a rail kit from DFO, then i saw this thread? They took my money so im hoping they have the kits again?

they told me they had to get another supplier and now they're in stock for 129.99, i just ignored them. that's way too expensive for a chunk of metal, i just got someone to screw a piece of metal on the mount for free and it works fine!

[oldannie]

I'm not very technically minded so bear with me if this is irrelevant .!! My old NEQ6 had worm gears and I had problems with the azimuth adj bolt, it just wouldn't hold and eventually got an NEQ6 wedge which made a world of difference though had to add an extra washer!

 

Annie

[Ricky Graham]

8 hours ago, Quetzalcoatl72 said:

they told me they had to get another supplier and now they're in stock for 129.99, i just ignored them. that's way too expensive for a chunk of metal, i just got someone to screw a piece of metal on the mount for free and it works fine!

I ordered it at the price you say. It includes special delivery and I have to say it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I can turn the bolts with one finger now. When spending £1200 on a mount it’s worth it’s weight in gold. 
 

personally I feel that skywatcher should be modifying their mounts or selling two different latitude dependant mounts, because I’m at 54 degrees and the mount 💩‘s itself at about 48 degrees

 

ive ordered the stronger bolts too which are now pointless given the shift I have off the originals with the rail slider kit. 
 

it’s honestly night and day and I’m now looking forward to polar aligning again because it’s not a wrestle. 
 

im not affiliated with DFO, I’m just happy that the product has dug me out a hole 

 

Rgds 

 

Ricky 

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Ricky Graham