Sticky filter wheel

[Trentend]

Purchased a cheap but reasonably effective 5x2” filter wheel (like the one below) a while ago but it’s getting more difficult rotating the different filters especially in the cold. Can’t bring myself to spend £££ on a motorised version. Any DIY tips making this easier to use? 

[niallk]

Unscrew it and apply a little lubrication grease possibly?

[Trentend]

Looks like the friction is being caused by the small silver metal part sticking up below. I bent it back to reduce the strength of the contact and that seemed to do the trick. May also take your advice and apply some lubricant as the metal has also scored a channel on the other side of the wheel leaving some very small filings in the bottom 😳

[niallk]

If with your fix it doesn't need lubricant, it might be good to go without - just in case any gas emissions could possibly corrode filter coatings (???)  That might be just paranoia though!

[newbie alert]

Best thing I ever bought was a efw 

[Trentend]

On 30/11/2021 at 18:55, newbie alert said:

Best thing I ever bought was a efw 

Something like this? Wondering how it would be powered (looks like plugged in to a separate power pack via usb)

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/filter-wheels/zwo-5x-2-inch-electronic-filter-wheel-efw.html

[nfotis]

On 02/12/2021 at 00:13, Trentend said:

Something like this? Wondering how it would be powered (looks like plugged in to a separate power pack via usb)

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/filter-wheels/zwo-5x-2-inch-electronic-filter-wheel-efw.html

 

If you have a ZWO cooled camera with USB 2.0 outputs (most cooled cameras do), you feed the filter wheel from the camera USB hub (and the focuser)

N.F.

 

[Trentend]

I’m just visual so looks like I need a separate power supply

[nfotis]

And how you will control the filter wheel without a computer?

The USB connection carries power *and* commands together.

N.F.

 

[Trentend]

Lost in translation. What I was looking for was a battery operated filter wheel for visual that I could “press a button” and the wheel rotates. Looks like these don’t exist so I’ll stick with the manual version I have and work on reducing the friction so it turns more freely.

[Franklin]

On 28/11/2021 at 21:03, Trentend said:

I bent it back to reduce the strength of the contact and that seemed to do the trick. May also take your advice and apply some lubricant as the metal has also scored a channel on the other side of the wheel leaving some very small filings in the bottom 😳

I had the same problem. I unscrewed the metal spring clip and took some of the bend out of it, less pressure and it's working fine now. Did think about grease but decided against, as I don't want it on my filters. I did put a tiny bit of lithium grease on the axles though but not the spring. Also it helps to just turn the wheel in one direction only, across the direction of the spring clip.

[Trentend]

29 minutes ago, Franklin said:

I had the same problem. I unscrewed the metal spring clip and took some of the bend out of it, less pressure and it's working fine now. Did think about grease but decided against, as I don't want it on my filters. I did put a tiny bit of lithium grease on the axles though but not the spring. Also it helps to just turn the wheel in one direction only, across the direction of the spring clip.

Yes I’ve tried the same but no grease so far and working better thanks. Am wondering if there’s something I can do, other than grease, to prevent the metal strip scoring the back/other side of the wheel (it’s that that’s causing the friction - see the silver halo in the picture below).

[Franklin]

2 minutes ago, Trentend said:

prevent the metal strip scoring the back/other side of the wheel

Yes, that is the same as mine. I found that only turning the wheel in the direction that the spring clip faces works. That way the wheel travels over it rather than up against it. I think that is what has caused it to grate and sctratch the metal groove out. I may try filing it down a bit, to make it smoother.

[Franklin]

Thanks for the thread @Trentend, it reminded me to get it sorted, which I now have. When replacing the two tiny screws that hold the spring clip in place, there is a bit of play in the placement before tightening. This needs to be correct for the nose to fall in the holes. Tiny bit of lithium grease applied around the groove with a toothpick and now it works as it should have done out of the box! That's China for you!