Problem with new EQ6 mount telescope overbalancing

[marineBLU28]

Hello

I just purchased the above mount a couple of weeks ago and after stupidly forgetting a power source for it (a blonde moment) I finally got to mount my Bresser Messier 127 OTA but I am having serious problems with the balance it keeps tipping forward really seriously. I have the two azimuth bolts in place and the one that stops the scope from tipping backwards seems to be fine it tightens up and the scope can't overbalance backwards but the bolt that stops the scope tipping forward doesn't seem to stop it overbalancing in fact if the scope gets overbalances it's only the bolt itself that stops the whole OTA from tipping right forward I have noticed the odd thing that even tho the bolt screws in and tightens slightly and will in fact move the mount the way it's supposed to it's not tight the way the 'backwards' bolt is in fact even when it tightens enough to still move the mount you can move it ie it doesn't seem to be as tight as the back bolt.

Sorry if I haven't explained this properly

Cheers Carolyn

[simon84]

Hi Carolyn, it sounds to me like you've not locked the clutches off, these are the two black levers that are found on the mount, these should be done up tight with the scope vertical and pointing north, this is the home position. When you power the mount up, after setting everything up on the handset you will then be able to move the mount using the hand control.

You only need to undo these levers if you need to manually move the scope around to a different position.

If thats not what your after let me know, I'll be on here for a while tonight so if I can help let me know.

[vincentnm]

There's a shaft that needs to be inserted under the mount and screwed upwards. This is the one that holds the mount to the tripod.

I think you've been tightening the altitude bolts to try and hold your mount.

Cheers

Vincent.

[marineBLU28]

Hi

Thanks for the replies I think Im not being very clear as far as I can see the top part of the mount is secure on the tripod using the bolt at the bottom underneath and the two bolts on the front but even tho they are tight and secure once the OTA is attached the whole telescope pitches forward ie the OTA part the equatorial mount part is still secure on the tripod. It looks to me that the azimuth bolts aren't holding the scope at say 50 for example the bolt that stops the Ota pitching backward seems to be working but the bolt that stops the OTA pitching forward doesn't seem to tighten the same way the back bolt does am I being any clearer

Cheers

[asteria]

Hi - is the whole mount/tripod/tube overbalancing? My CG-5 instructions say that one leg of the tripod should be pointing towards the North Celestial Pole (Polaris) to prevent the mount tipping forward.

"The equatorial mount allows you to tilt the telescope’s axis of

rotation so that you can track the stars as they move across the sky. The CG-5 mount is a German equatorial mount that

attaches to the tripod head. On one side of the tripod head there

is a metal alignment peg for aligning the mount. This side of

the tripod will face north when setting up for an astronomical

observing session."

Ed

[Mr Spock]

Hi

Thanks for the replies I think Im not being very clear as far as I can see the top part of the mount is secure on the tripod using the bolt at the bottom underneath and the two bolts on the front but even tho they are tight and secure once the OTA is attached the whole telescope pitches forward ie the OTA part the equatorial mount part is still secure on the tripod. It looks to me that the azimuth bolts aren't holding the scope at say 50 for example the bolt that stops the Ota pitching backward seems to be working but the bolt that stops the OTA pitching forward doesn't seem to tighten the same way the back bolt does am I being any clearer

Cheers

I understand what you mean - the two silver latitude adjustment bolts? Both should tighten. Is one of them too tight to move? Or is it a case of holding the mount up while you tighten the bolt; the EQ-6 head is very heavy and the bolt might be too tough to turn with all the weight on it.

[simon84]

I see whats going on, what you need to do is set the mount up on the tripod and dont put anything on it just yet.

Wind the bolt (A in the picture) thats nearest the weights all the way out, so that you can adjust the mounts altitude with the other bolt.

Turn the other bolt until you set the mount to the desired altitude and then wind the other bolt in until it tightens up. What your doing is setting the altitude with one of them and then locking it off with the other.

[marineBLU28]

Hi

Thank you very much for your kind replies

Thanks Mr Spock and SlySi84 I think you have managed to understand my (not very technical) description of my problem the thing is I am familiar with Equatorial mounts as my current scope came on an equatorial mount (Bresser Messier 127) I bought this mount as I wanted something that I could start to use for Astrophotography and that was computer driven ie I can sit at the eyepiece and not continually have to move the mount by hand to keep things in the viewfinder and i will be upgrading the OTA as well to one of the Apos.

Mr Spock is that really you coo I am impressed even more with this Forum.

Both of you yes that's exactly what I'm talking about the one at the 'back' in SlySi84's kindly supplied picture will only go in so far and won't tighten any more wheras the one on the 'front' next to the counterweight will screw in quite far but never gets much tighter like the one at the back... it's strange it goes in so far, never gets completely tight but then if you keep turning it it then starts to adjust the latitude scale forward then once you pass say 35 ish then the whole thing just tips over forward so I was worried that there is a problem with the thread on the inside of the mount that the bolts screw into on the 'A' side on the photo as it doesn't matter if I swap the bolts round, on that side they didn't seem to be able to tighten.

However if it is that I'm not doing it right that would be better!

I will try your suggestions tonight and hopefully it is something I'm doing and not a problem with the mount itself

Thanks again

Carolyn

[steppenwolf]

Carolyn, assuming that you are in the UK, the scale on the side should be reading 50 or more, not less than 50. At the 35 you mention, the bolts will be outside their operating range.

[marineBLU28]

Hi

Yes you are right! i was just using that number to indicate that that seemed to be the 'tipping point' where the whole thing would just drop. Even at 55 if I accidently push the OTA it overbalances which is what made me think it was something to do with the bolts as it wouldn't tip completely backwards as that bolt seemed to be fine.

As I said hopefully it is something I'm doing

cheers

Off home shortly from work to take all the info everyone has given me!

[marineBLU28]

Right chaps

at the risk of sounding like a broken record thanks again for all your help it's been much appreciated!

I went out this evening armed with all your emails printed out and it's just the same. First of all can I clarify that I have got this right that the two bolts should tighten fast ie you tighten them to the level that they both are solid so that the equatorial mount will not move forward or backwards unless you loosen the bolts to move the mount? I'm beginning to think that there is a problem with the inside where the bolts screw into also I've noticed that one of the bolts is ever so slightly curved not exactly straight BUT when I swap the bolts the side where I think there might be a problem the 'perfect' bolt won't tighten either it tightens so far but you can still move it within it's hole unlike the other one which is solid gawd I hope Im explaining this right!

Am I Living up to the 'Blonde' stereotype and missing something or could there be a problem with the inside bit that that bolt screws into ?

Thanks for your patience

Cheers

Carolyn

[steppenwolf]

It is possible to damage the threads in the mount so this may have happened. A bent altitude bolt is also a sadly all to common problem (normally it is the one that 'raises' the altitude of the mount. Was this mount bought new or second hand?

[simon84]

I bent one of mine after only a few weeks of operation. It might be worth taking the mount off of the tripod and laying it on its side and having a look up throught the fixing hole that fixes it to the tripod and through the gap where the azimuth bolts are and seeing if there is any sort of visible damage.

Whats your location? Only give a town rather than anything more accurate but if your local to me I'd be happy to come and have a look.

[paul11]

I have just got my tripod down from the loft and put the eq6 on it I have removed both bolts, then I put the rear bolt back in and as you wind it in it pushed the mount up. I suggest you do the same,if the rear bolt is engaged the mount cannot fall forward. So remove both bolts then put the one in at the rear and wind it in, if it does not move the mount the thread is gone. To get the mount to about 50 degrees the rear bolt will have to be wound in until about 25mm of the thread is left showing.

[Astro_Baby]

Iy sounds like one of the bolts is bent and not operating properly. Remove bolth bolts if you can and replace them with the astro developments ones.

Was this mount 2nd hand ?

[barkis]

It does seem as though the bolts are damaged, or at least one of them. The original bolts are notoriously soft, and if they are used to jack up the latitude without slackening off the locking bolt first, and physically lifting the mount to take some of the weight off the adjuster, it is very likely it will bend out off shape, and quite badly., therefore rendering it useles. If the bolt in a certain attitude missesn the cam of the mount, then it can easily drop forward, and that undesirable, as well as dangerous.

The bolts need to be extracted for inspection, but if they refuse to withdraw completely, don't force them, that will risk damaging the threads in the casing too, and that would be a a more serious situation. If you bought the mount in this condition, then you should have been told of the situation by the seller.

As already said, there are heavy duty replacement bolt available, which resolve the problem.

The mount needs to be placed on a work surface to do the work. Don't attempt to work on it on the tripod.

Ron.

[marineBLU28]

Hello Chaps

I ve just spent the last ten minutes writing a reply which seems to have disappeared!

Anyway back to replies, the mount is brand new I only bought it a week and a half or so ago as I said I then had to wait as for some reason I forgot to add a power source so I then decided to wait until that was delivered before setting up in my outside observatory.

I think I am becoming more convinced that this is an issue within the mount on the side that in the kindly supplied pic is designated 'A' ever since I set the mount up this side has never seemed to tighten up enough to keep everything stable no matter what bolt is in it also even though I have noticed a slight bend in one of the bolts that bolt will still screw in normally on the 'B' side and hold firm ie the mount will not slide back the way so that is what makes me think that even though it is slightly bent it's not a bolt issue as such.

I did contact Telescope house by email about the problem the night I was having the issue with the bolts asking them to call me but they just emailed suggesting I 'swap' the bolts round I did then call them explaining that I had already done this several times and pointed out that I thought the problem was with that side he then asked if the bolts were bent at that time I hadn't noticed anything and obviously the fact that both bolts were screwing in normally wouldn't have alerted me to that fact it was only when I examined the bolts very closely I noticed a slight curve in one Im assuming it could have come like that anyway.

I will give them a call tomorrow again I have to say I genuinely don't believe it's anything I have done I am familiar with these kinds of mounts and am always VERY careful about over tightening screws fixings etc I do believe that if there is a fault within the mount it had this before I received it.

The thought of having to send the part back is very depressing

Thanks for the offer of help SLiSi84 but Im up in Glasgow, and I believe you are at the opposite end of the country.

Thanks agin to all I'll let you know how I get on

Cheers

Carolyn

[asteria]

Good luck Carolyn - if this new and not functioning surely a warranty job. How disappointing for you. I hope that you are able to resolve it - this is a trustworthy retailer surely, as they have been around for a long-time.

Ed

[asteria]

Is the thread in the mount stripped or cross-threaded? May be a factory fault.

[marineBLU28]

Well Ive spoken to Telescope House who were very helpful (thanks Pete!) and we've decided the best course would be to send it back and they can have a look so I guess I'll have to dig my old mount out again but hopefully it will get sorted soon as it does seem a really nice mount.

Now I can get back to trying to decide when I upgrade the OTA to between the Meade series 5000 ED apo 127mm or the Explore Scientific ED 127!

Cheers

Carolyn

[simon84]

Good luck and I hope you get it sorted, I had a play with my one this morning and the only way I could replicate what your describing is if the "A" bolt wasn't wound in fully to meet the part inside the mount, like that the mount would fall forwards. With the mount then resting back on the "B" bolt I was then able to wind the bolt all the way in and lock it all off.

I'm not sure its a bolt problem at all and maybe something to do with the part of the mount that bolt is supposed to screw up tight to.

Glasgow is a bit of a hike for me all the way down here in Essex, funny thing is your mount will go past me at some point as TH is only 45 mins away from me in Kent...lol.

[marineBLU28]

Yes.

I think Glasgow would be a bit of a hike, but it was very kind to offer help and much appreciated, so as my equatorial mount passes by you on it's way to Telescope House wish me luck!

Cheers

Carolyn

[simon84]

I'm sure you will be up and running with it soon enough, TH have always struck me as a reputable company that get things done. Look forward to hearing from you when you do.

[marineBLU28]

Just to say I got a reply from Telescope House to say my mount was fixed apparently the repair was 'casting threads re-tapping'

So it's on it's way back so hopefully everything will be fine now!

Great service from them.

cheers

Carolyn

[simon84]

Well that makes sense as to why you couldnt tighten the bolt up. Hopefully that should be problem solved now.

Same good service from TH then by the sounds of things, wish I'd bought my gear from there rather than the other place......just one thing and I dont want to sound negative but if they have re-tapped the hole because it was stripped or cross threaded there might not be the same amount of thread there so go carefully with it. When this sort of thing happens to me I tend to go for a bigger bolt and re-drill and tap for the bigger bolt, that way I know the thread will be all there, so go a bit ginger with it and try it all without the scope on it first. I'm sure if there wasnt enough thread left they would have just supplied a new unit but better safe than sorry.

Hope it all goes well when you get it back.