Gears "stuck" - Skywatcher EQ3 Pro

[kynthia_j]

Hi community! I'm a new member and astro-beginner!

I registered here to ask a question about my mount, the EQ3 Pro. Since I got the mount and my telescope a few days ago, I was only outside about 3-4 times yet and everything worked fine. But today, as I wanted to take some pictures and setup my mount, the gears of the R.A. axis started "clicking" when I used the controller on a low rate. If it's not moving fast, the gears are clicking. I don't know what exactly the problem is and that's why I came here. I opened the gearbox and saw, that the motor gear is not properly spinning if it's not spinning really fast. How do I fix this? Is this a problem caused by the weight of my equipment (Skywatcher 150P + Canon 600D), because of the power supply (12V 2A) or because something broke or is not properly adjusted in the gearbox?

Thanks for your help!

Here is a video on Google Drive (I'm sorry for the external link, but when I upload it here it's too big for the post)

[Cosmic Geoff]

If you bought it new, it will be under warranty so contact your dealer.

If it was used, 🙄.   I doubt that the weight of the scope and camera is to blame.   If you can, swap over the RA and Dec motors, or their connections, and see if the fault moves.  Also check the motor wire connections.

[Peter Drew]

Sounds to me to be a power issue, something to check first.     Welcome to SGL.     🙂

[kynthia_j]

Thanks for your recommendations! I will contact the dealer and explain my problem!

[900SL]

Check your power supply before you do anything. 13V and 5A minimum I recommend. Are you running other electrical load other than the mount? 

[kynthia_j]

I'm running a laptop charger and a Canon battery charger on the same power strip. I have read on the internet that 12V and 2-3A is recommended for my mount. The main unit also says 12V input.

[Cornelius Varley]

24 minutes ago, 900SL said:

Check your power supply before you do anything. 13V and 5A minimum I recommend.

That doesn't look like a power issue. This looks more like a problem with either the drive motor or the gears not meshing.

[Knighty2112]

Does it run like this even with no scope or equipment attached? If so then I would definitely contact the supplier you bought it off if under warrenty and get it replaced if so. Make that no extra power is been syphoned off by other equipment on your power strip as suggested also to make sure that the issue lies not with power but either faulty motor, or maybe gears set too tightly during build in the factory.

[kynthia_j]

2 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

Does it run like this even with no scope or equipment attached?

With no equipment it works fine. I actually tried it with equipment again this morning and it seems to be working just fine too. Maybe I didn't get the balance right, even though I checked.

Another question, a few days ago I more or less heard the motor do the same thing when I was not using the controller, but very quietly. Is that bad?

[Knighty2112]

4 hours ago, kynthia_j said:

With no equipment it works fine. I actually tried it with equipment again this morning and it seems to be working just fine too. Maybe I didn't get the balance right, even though I checked.

Another question, a few days ago I more or less heard the motor do the same thing when I was not using the controller, but very quietly. Is that bad?

That could be a balance issue. Double check that it is balanced well in azimuth and altitude. Make sure any EP weight changes don’t cause any misbalance if they are significantly heavier in weigh between the two when changing any.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Knighty2112

[kynthia_j]

How do I really know it is well balanced? I just unlock those knobs and make sure everything moves just fine and not by itself