The much promised EQ6 strip down guide.....

[Capricorn]

Take care of the finger. Gather that you cannot allow it to remain "unused" too much as has to heal but also still be flexed so that it doesn't remain permanently stiff/inflexiable.

[MikeP]

Thanks Mel - I'll give it a try tomorrow.

Mike

[ollypenrice]

Thanks for the guide. Most people on the forum will be delighted to find it out there.

I'm certainly one of them. Don't let one characteristically fatuous remark spoil the satisfaction you deserve to feel at having completed this project.

I don't know all the other write-ups myself but there is no doubt that this is the one I will use. The pictures and text are superb and I know that the work involved in writing anything like this is considerable.

Olly

[David Galvin]

Thanks for the guide. Most people on the forum will be delighted to find it out there.

I'm certainly one of them. Don't let one characteristically fatuous remark spoil the satisfaction you deserve to feel at having completed this project.

I don't know all the other write-ups myself but there is no doubt that this is the one I will use. The pictures and text are superb and I know that the work involved in writing anything like this is considerable.

Olly

Mel, this says it all.

[MikeP]

Satisfied "customer" here. Small amount of play in DEC now gone.

Thanks Mel.

Mike

[Astro_Baby]

Mike - make sure you check the motors will run a full 360' - sometimes they can bind in one small part of the cycle.

[MikeP]

Hi Mel,

Absolutely right - they did so I backed off the adjustment a fraction and ran through 360 with no binding. Apart from having a better adjusted mount, the instructions have helped me understand what goes on inside and removed the "fear factor".

Mike

PS I use EQMOD to control the mount but for this exercise it was more convenient to dig out the handset - I was amused to see that the stored date was November 2008!

[Astro_Baby]

They are simple beasts in many ways but what I dont understand is WHY they use such a complicated gear train. To my simple mind I cant see what a direct drive wouldnt be simpler to build. I mean we had direct drive turntables and cassette motors. Ok you;d need a bigger drive but boy it cant be that hard to do. Failing that I dont know whay the gear train isnt done on a rubber toothed belt which would be quieter for a start.

Also why oh why the worm carrier is so complicated is beyond me. I'd have thought having the wormn adjustment caried out directly on the worm with a simple spring tensioner would have been easy enough to sort out.

Anyone wanna give me a job at Synta I;ll get it designed better and I promise not to tip coffee over the MD (thats what got me fired once LOL)

[David Galvin]

I promise not to tip coffee over the MD (thats what got me fired once LOL)

I have just been told that MD may mean Managing Director, if so I would have loved to be the proverbial fly on the wall. (Can flies laugh?)

[laser_jock99]

Thanks for the informative tutorial. Maybe my old EQ6 will get an overhaul soon?

[TopHouse]

Just done my EQ5 today and noticed something strange re your QC comment above. After reading a few guides first i was expecting the gubbins to be full of sharp edges and bits of swarf plus rough mating surfaces and all caked in portland blue circle grease!

Well, I split the Dec & RA assemblies, the dec didn't have a single sharp edge, mating surfaces were actually quite polished and no burrs on anything, in fact not a sharp edge, but the cement grease was in abundace.

When it came to the RA, it had what seemed to be lithium grease in it and not the cement for the most part, nice big decent quality ball races and again mating surfaces polished. WD40 does a half decent job of removing the gunky grease but i opted for a paint roller tray filled with white spirit and a toothbrush, after finishing there were a few tiny swarf fragments (mostly brass form the worm gears) but all in all, standards inside were a lot better than I was expecting.

[Merlin66]

A-B,

Haven't forgotten about the NEQ6 puck images I promised....

Hopefully will get the chance to take them later today.

Ken

[tooth_dr]

Hey A-B

Many thanks for the guide. I 'did' my Dec aixs last night, I found it pretty straight forward. My Dec axis has been making slightly creaky noises, when you release the controller button, and it's starting to slow down, or as it picks up speed.

Things I noticed in the Dec axis:

No oversprayed paid

Very little swarf

Light grease on everything

Some of the bolts where not tight at all

The brass wheel at the end of the worm gear didn't rotate straight, appeared to be a 'buckle' on it. Once removed and cleaned and reset this was gone!

I've it all back together and plan to do the RA axis tonight.

SO many thanks, I wouldn't have attempted if without this guide! And I agree entirely with MikeP's comments.

[ncjunk]

AstroBaby,

Great looking guide...I have been umming and ahhing about doing this for ages as my RA seems rough as giants causeway.

I will give it a go with your guide just have to get some lithium grease from somewhere.

[Astro_Baby]

Lithium grease - Halfords are useless I find but you can generally get it from any decent push bike shop. Some hardware stores have it but not the B&Q varieties.

[TopHouse]

Any half decent motorists shop has it but not always in tubes, you may have to buy a tin which is about 5 earth pounds (ish)

[ncjunk]

I found some lithium grease or grasa litio...had to look that up.

But it is like honey or golden syrup rather than the white lithium grease in the pics. I would guess it is a general/automotive grease (sys high temperature on the jar).

Would this be ok or is there a specific type to get?

It was only 3€ so bought it anyway as I can always use it on something.

[Starflyer]

High temp grease is designed to stay quite gloopy at high temps, at low temps it may get too sticky and you'll end up worse off.

This is the stuff a lot of people recommend, Google for a local or internet source.

[ncjunk]

Thanks, I thought it was incorrect but I can use it on non important things like the gate for the drive. oohhh and battery terminals...

I will get some of the stuff you mentioned over the internet.

[Jarndyce]

I am so impressed with the detail you've put into this, Mel. Fantastic.

I haven't got an EQ6, but felt compelled to read the strip-down anyway!

A superb resource.

As for low temp lithium grease, yes, I find quality bike shops stock this.

Richard

[Astro_Baby]

Laughs - Jarndyce you must have a very quiet life

I am working on a TAL guide at the moment. My sister always says if I spent less time taking things to bits and posting here I might actually learn the sky - but what she does know

Thank you though for your nice comment.

I need to make a few upgrades to the guide. Nothing nasty but theres a few bits I need to get round to adding.

[Colan]

I don't have an EQ6 (one day hopefully) but I enjoyed reading your guide anyways :-)

I am sure it is very comprehensive, as is your collimation guide (Which I have used)

[yesyes]

Would something like this be a suitable grease?

EP2 Lithium Complex Grease 400G Tube on eBay (end time 23-Apr-10 09:04:37 BST)

Or this one even. I guess I won't need 400g ;-)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220577753849&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[MickyWay]

Best I've seen. Superb in detail, photos etc........Just Brilliant.

Thanks for your time and dedication!

Regards,

Got to be a sticky....Mods ???

[ncjunk]

I am still stuck on the type of grease, I found this in the local bike shop:-

Btwin - Teflon grease tube 150ml - BIKES / BICYCLES / CYCLES bike care and repair oil - Designed for  greasing moving parts such as headsets, pedal bearings, wheel bearings, etc.

Btwin teflon grease "High level of lubrication from -30 to 155 deg C. good resistance to water. prevents corrosion and oxidisation. to be used on bearings, chains forks, etc."

I think it is basically the same as the finish line product. I also found some low temperature lithium grease in the equivalent of B&Q over here but I had already bought the btwin stuff.

If someone just just confirm if this is ok to safe me mucking it up too much.

Thanks!