Help

[Chubster]

Just moved my scope to a nice dark site for two weeks and upon setting it up found that i couldnt turn one of the altitude ? Screws on my mount. Further exam shows it is obviously bent . Any ideas how this could of happened???? It was working fine when i last set it up and havent touched them since. I leave the scope set up all the time, could this have bent it ? ie constant weight on them. Any ideas on how i can get it out ?

Also noticed that the opposite screw to the one that is bent goes through a spacer (for want of a better word), this is bolted to the mount via two allen key bolts, I have noticed that one of these was loose and that I cannot tighten it up.. you get so far and then it just loosens off again, could this be what caused the other screw to bend ?

Could probably send it back to Rothers where i got it but that will take ages and the post will cost more than the parts. Any help would be aprreciated

Chubster

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

What mount is it?

Captain Chaos

[Chubster]

What mount is it?

.....Doh...Sorry i should have said its a EQ5

[FLO]

Do you have a digital camera?

Perhaps you can post a pic?

[Chubster]

I have added a pic from the manual here, Its the altitude screw at the back (on the right) that is bent. Also if you look to the front you can see the block that the second alt screw goes through, this is the thing that I cannot get to tighten onto the mount completly. Hope Im making sense.

Cheers people

[GazOC]

Chubster,

Are you sure its bent? IIRC the two screws come in at angles on the EQ5. Take the weight off the mount and see whether you can adjust it that way.

Gaz

[Chubster]

Deffo bent Gaz got the mount off the tripod and I can only turn the screw a fraction, Just dont know how it happened I know you can bend them if you tighten one up without loosing the other if you know what i mean, but i didnt do that. I just cant see how it got bent

[GordonCopestake]

Once set to your latitude you shouldn't have to adjust it.... Should be 50ish im guessing?

[radioactive]

I had the self same problem with an EQ5 I got second hand I thought it had been caused by tightening down the rear adjuster thread far too much without counter turning the front one what I did was dismantle whatever you must to get a proper access to the threads this meant knocking off the stuck on covers remove the through bolt inside taking care to see where the plastic spacers are located so that they go back in the correct place. once you gain access to the bent thread allls I did was straighten it in situ making sure you do not damage the thread at all

so it can be done with a bit of patience

hope this helps

[FLO]

It should be easy to obtain replacemants - ask your dealer.

[Rob]

You could contact the nice lady (forgot her name :oops:) at OVL ?

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/

She could sort it for you.

Rob

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

In-situ straightening would involve using a soft wood stick on the thread, otherwise you will bash it up and ruin it altogether. After each bash, try unscrewing it so that the straight bit is supported. And don't bash it hard enough to break the casting.

I would try to get the thing out altogether if you can source a replacement one. Best way that I can think of to do this, after the dismantling is as follows:-

a) Unscrew the thread as far as it will go and then all the way in. If it moves in enough you can screw it back out, saw NEARLY all the way through it, screw it in and snap off the bent bit by hand, or by hitting it back and forth with the aforementioned stick (in USA speak toobafore). The bit left in should then simply unscrew out again.

Or, if it doesn't go in and out enough,

Saw it off inside, then unscrew the bit that's left. If you take this option, screw it in as far as possible then you are removing all the bent bit. That way it shouldn't get stuck on the way out.

HTH

Captain Chaos

( There is a warning in my HEQ5 manual about this bending, so they must be quite easy to bend, they have a get-out as you were told not to bend it. )

[FLO]

You could contact the nice lady (forgot her name :oops:) at OVL ?

There are three of them but Sue tends to man the phones most...

Personally, I'd contact Rother Valley Optics, I feel sure they would want to help.

[Chubster]

Cheers for all your input people, special thankyou to radioactive.... followed your advice and it is know sorted

Side note... spoke to Rother Valley and he (ian) was indeed very helpful if not a little bit bemused as to how it happened. He was about to close up shop so he said that he would get a mount in the evening and see how it could be taken apart so that i could gain access, he was most concerned that i would do further damage to the mount. Good to see that shop keepers do care after they have sold their goods

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Now when you store it lie it down. That way, when the wife / girlfriend / brother / whatever,knock it over it won't have as far to fall and they won't feel guilty for having messed it up.

Captain Chaos (who has an infestation of Mr Nobody in his house)

[Jamie]

Captain Chaos (who has an infestation of Mr Nobody in his house)

He used to live in my house when i was a kid.