EQ8 trouble

[Debo]

Oh dear my EQ8 has  just decided to stop working 🥴, what shall I do?

The mount is 10yrs old and has always worked perfectly up until today, I powered it up and got no response from the handset and there was a humming/buzzing sound coming from

inside the head. I tried the old on/off technique several times but the problem remains.

I'm not confident enough to tinker and get the thing apart and would probably end up doing more harm than good.

Options:- 

A> Find someone to repair it if it's possible, do you know of any companies or individuals that could do this ???

B> Try and sell it. Obviously making it clear that it is broken and not working (spares or repair), if I do how much do you think it would be worth ???

Any thoughts 🤔

Thanks Den

Edited January 16 by Debo

[tomato]

Sorry to hear about the problem.  Astro mounts are not really severely stressed mechanically so if it was working fine on your previous session it is more likely to be the control electronics. There are some very adept SW mount trouble shooters here on SGL who hopefully will see your post and point you in the right direction.

Given the up front cost of a like for like replacement and the ready availability of critical spares, I would have thought a repair is a viable option.

 

[Stuart1971]

2 hours ago, Debo said:

Oh dear my EQ8 has  just decided to stop working 🥴, what shall I do?

The mount is 10yrs old and has always worked perfectly up until today, I powered it up and got no response from the handset and there was a humming/buzzing sound coming from

inside the head. I tried the old on/off technique several times but the problem remains.

I'm not confident enough to tinker and get the thing apart and would probably end up doing more harm than good.

Options:- 

A> Find someone to repair it if it's possible, do you know of any companies or individuals that could do this ???

B> Try and sell it. Obviously making it clear that it is broken and not working (spares or repair), if I do how much do you think it would be worth ???

Any thoughts 🤔

Thanks Den

I owned an EQ8 for a few years, until last year, and the one thing with them is that  there is only one control board inside them which is easy to swap and easy to get a replacement, at around £150 

It’s the only thing that can really go wrong with these mounts, unless it an actual steeper motor failure, which I doubt, and if it is then still easy to swap…and get a spare

I actually swapped my board because I thought I had an issue with it, but turned out to be a bad cable. So I had a spare board with my mount and only recently sold it in eBay as I sold the mount last year..

so assuming it’s the older EQ8 without the USB port then this is what you may want…

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-replacement-motherboard-for-eq8.html

Edited January 16 by Stuart1971

[Stuart1971]

The other thing to check is the power supply, as a lack of power at the correct amperage will also cause similar issues…

[Debo]

22 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

the older EQ8 without the USB port then this is what you may want…

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-replacement-motherboard-for-eq8.html

Thanks Stuart and Tomato,

Repair does seem to be the way to go.

It is the older Eq8 so that's certainly an option (if it really is that easy to swap) 🙂

The power supply I'm sure is good but I will double check.

Edited January 16 by Debo

[Debo]

39 minutes ago, tomato said:

I would have thought a repair is a viable option.

Yes 👍

[Stuart1971]

11 minutes ago, Debo said:

Thanks Stuart and Tomato,

Repair does seem to be the way to go.

It is the older Eq8 so that's certainly an option (if it really is that easy to swap) 🙂

The power supply I'm sure is good but I will double check.

It is easy to swap, there are I think 6 screws on the cover, and the board is fastened to the inside of that with a further 4 screws, and then it’s just a case of pulling the separate plugs off the old board and plugging into new board..DONT pull them all off at once unless you label them first, which is what I did…there are about 6 cables if memory serves…

[Stuart1971]

38 minutes ago, Debo said:

Thanks Stuart and Tomato,

Repair does seem to be the way to go.

It is the older Eq8 so that's certainly an option (if it really is that easy to swap) 🙂

The power supply I'm sure is good but I will double check.

This may help too, if you do need to replace…this is the cable plug connection side of the board…

and a pic of the other side of the board too

Edited January 16 by Stuart1971

[malc-c]

Den,  

This thread is worth a read.   I'm guessing that if the mount is 8 years old that the two main microcontrollers will be PICs rather than an ARM processor that is now appearing on newer boards.  If  it looks like the images in Stewarts post, could you or Stewart let me know what's marked on the packages with the green dots- possibly 16F or 18F series.

If the board is PIC based, and it's one that I can program with the hardware I have here then I'm willing to take a look and try and repair it for you.  Can't guarantee a fix, but as you will see from that thread there is quite a good success rate.

Edited January 16 by malc-c

[Stuart1971]

2 minutes ago, malc-c said:

Den,  

This thread is worth a read.   I'm guessing that if the mount is 8 years old that the two main microcontrollers will be PICs rather than an ARM processor that is now appearing on newer boards.  If  it looks like the images in Stewarts post, could you or Stewart let me know what's marked on the packages - possibly 16F or 18F series.

If the board is PIC based, and it's one that I can program with the hardware I have here then I'm willing to take a look and try and repair it for you.  Can't guarantee a fix, but as you will see from that thread there is quite a good success rate.

It’s deffo the board I have pictured above, as that the one I bought for mine, (MC009) and it’s the only one the older EQ8 mounts used, the newer ones are the MC015 boards and have a USB port, which you can get and will fit his older mount, but he would need the new facia too as it’s a different size…they are the same boards now that are used on the EQ6 mounts with a USB port, and they have jumpers on the back to set for different mounts…

As for package marking I have no idea not as I sold my mount and the spare board I had with it..☹️

[Debo]

11 minutes ago, malc-c said:

If the board is PIC based, and it's one that I can program with the hardware I have here then I'm willing to take a look and try and repair it for you.

Thanks Malcolm,

I'll get the board out and have a look.

[Stuart1971]

According to this @FLO  do a new board which they say fits both USB and non USB EQ8 mounts, BUT I know for a fact that this board requires a complete new black facia as the board is a different shape and size and does not fit the original facia, but it does not mention if that is supplied with it, if it is then this would be a good upgrade to give you the USB option too…

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/skywatcher-replacement-motherboard-with-usb-for-eq8-pro-mounts-inc-non-usb-models.html

[Debo]

1 minute ago, Stuart1971 said:

BUT I know for a fact that this board requires a complete new black facia as the board is a different shape

Thanks for that

Edited January 16 by Debo

[Stuart1971]

Just now, Debo said:

Thanks of that

Your welcome, might be worth asking FLO about this, if you go down the route of a new board…👍🏻

[Stuart1971]

1 minute ago, Debo said:

Thanks for that

Also dumb question, but it’s not just the handset that has failed is it…?

[Debo]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

handset that has failed

Maybe because it doesn't power up and does seem to feel warm on the back (never noticed that before), although the mount makes a sort of buzzing noise immediately it's turned on 🤔

The handset is certainly looking it's age so  I'll get a new one,  just rule it out of the problem.

[Stuart1971]

2 hours ago, Debo said:

Maybe because it doesn't power up and does seem to feel warm on the back (never noticed that before), although the mount makes a sort of buzzing noise immediately it's turned on 🤔

The handset is certainly looking it's age so  I'll get a new one,  just rule it out of the problem.

Do you not use the mount for imaging, as you don’t need the handset for that, so could prove it’s the handset that is the issue…?

[malc-c]

The "No Response XXX Axis" where XXX is RA / DEC or Both is because when the handset sent out the command e:1 to interrogate the control board it never received and reply.  If it reported a single axis isn't responding then this would prove that the handset, cable, and the control board is powered up correctly, and the issue is with the PIC or blocking diodes in the serial traces.  When it reports that both axis are not responding then it could be at any point in the communication path.  The curly cable, the connection on the mount, both blocking diodes or both ports on the PICs.

The handset tends to be fairly robust, so it is very rare for that to have a fault.  The simple way to rule out external connections is to use an EQDIR cable with EQMOD or GSS running on a windows PC.  If either of these two applications can't detect the mount then its pointing towards the control board in the mount, which could be anything from the RJ port where the handset plugs into or (and has been the case for the majority of the boards I've repaired) the serial ports of the two PICs being blown, often due to the insertion of the wrong cable into the handset port.

@Debo If you could detail how you are using the mount, visual observing using the handset, or imaging using the handset as a pass through it would help.  

[Stuart1971]

13 minutes ago, malc-c said:

The "No Response XXX Axis" where XXX is RA / DEC or Both is because when the handset sent out the command e:1 to interrogate the control board it never received and reply.  If it reported a single axis isn't responding then this would prove that the handset, cable, and the control board is powered up correctly, and the issue is with the PIC or blocking diodes in the serial traces.  When it reports that both axis are not responding then it could be at any point in the communication path.  The curly cable, the connection on the mount, both blocking diodes or both ports on the PICs.

The handset tends to be fairly robust, so it is very rare for that to have a fault.  The simple way to rule out external connections is to use an EQDIR cable with EQMOD or GSS running on a windows PC.  If either of these two applications can't detect the mount then its pointing towards the control board in the mount, which could be anything from the RJ port where the handset plugs into or (and has been the case for the majority of the boards I've repaired) the serial ports of the two PICs being blown, often due to the insertion of the wrong cable into the handset port.

@Debo If you could detail how you are using the mount, visual observing using the handset, or imaging using the handset as a pass through it would help.  

I think he said that the handset does not even power up, so nothing on the display, no error messages…and the back of the handset is getting very warm…

[Debo]

The orange backlight of the handset does flash on for an instant (showing no text) and then goes off.

I tried powering up the mount without the handset attached and that very worrying buzzing noise is still there 🤔

I think I'll get the mother board out and have a look and maybe replace it before getting a new handset.

 

Edited January 17 by Debo

[malc-c]

11 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

I think he said that the handset does not even power up, so nothing on the display, no error messages…and the back of the handset is getting very warm…

 

20 hours ago, Debo said:

I powered it up and got no response from the handset and there was a humming/buzzing sound coming from

 

 

Sorry... I totally misread Dens original post, picked up on the "no response" thinking it was the message displayed on the handset.  Based on the info which Den has just posted then this would seem to be a power related rather than a communications issue.  The buzzing could well be a faulty H bridge chip (or chips) or possibly the buck convertor section that supplies the higher voltage (around 35v) to the H bridge drivers.  The fact it still makes this sound without the handset connected suggests that the handset isn't the cause.    The handset can be tested by powering the unconnected handset via a power source via either the power port jack or (if fitted) a USB - A - B cable.  If the screen's back light comes on and no text such as the "No Response.."  message mentioned above is displayed then this indeed would suggest that whatever it was that has caused the issue took out the handset as well.

Edited January 17 by malc-c

[Debo]

Update latest.

I took the scopes and weights off the mount with the intention of getting to the motherboard and thought I'd give it one last go at powering up with the handset connected.

Low and behold, no buzzing from the mount and the handset was working, displaying the AUTO SLEW HOME message, I pressed 1 (yes) and it established the home postion, hooray.

Next it went through the usual stuff, Ver 04.39.05, Sun Warning, Set Longitude and was OK, then it got to Set Latitude and froze and wouldn't accept any inputs from the keypad except ESC

which then just restarted the whole start process again (with the same result) 🤪

It's got to be a handset problem, so new handset ordered  (hope this emoji isn't premature)

[Stuart1971]

1 hour ago, Debo said:

Update latest.

I took the scopes and weights off the mount with the intention of getting to the motherboard and thought I'd give it one last go at powering up with the handset connected.

Low and behold, no buzzing from the mount and the handset was working, displaying the AUTO SLEW HOME message, I pressed 1 (yes) and it established the home postion, hooray.

Next it went through the usual stuff, Ver 04.39.05, Sun Warning, Set Longitude and was OK, then it got to Set Latitude and froze and wouldn't accept any inputs from the keypad except ESC

which then just restarted the whole start process again (with the same result) 🤪

It's got to be a handset problem, so new handset ordered  (hope this emoji isn't premature)

I had a sneaky suspicion it might be after you said that it would not power up, it would have been strange for it to have been the motherboard and the hand control that failed at the same time, and the had control was deffo an issue…they do also suffer in the cold too.

Anyway glad it ,looks like it’s sorted…👍🏻

[Debo]

2 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

Anyway glad it ,looks like it’s sorted

We'll see 🤞

[malc-c]

Well that's progress...  well done