EQ6 Belt mod show of hands please.

[coldknights]

Hi I can get the 47 tooth and 12 tooth drilled out by cnc and the 2 belts from a company in the UK .
For each kit would work to be about £52.00 plus freight to Australia but to get them at that price ready to fit to the EQ6 we would have to buy 10 complete kits as if they have to do 1kit it would be £230.00 .
They also said it would be 4-5 weeks before they would be ready.
Can I see how many people want to upgrade there EQ6 to the belt instead of the grrrrrrrrrr gears that wake the neighbours up and keep the dogs barking every time you slew to a new target.
For the 10kits delivered to Australia would come in under the $1000 so no GST import tax is added or VAT leaving the uk.

only thing needed to do is use a file to file where the worm drive shaft sits the new pulley as per the link below.
Would be for both RA And Dec !

http://www.morningstarobs.com/belt-drive-mod.html

[RobF]

I'm interested Cathy if you get numbers. Have been day-dreaming about such mods but wouldn't be game on my own. If there were a few of us, then a greater chance of sharing the knowledge around. I would hope for smoother (hopefully lower) PE curve and much reduced DEC backlash.

Might be an idea to get an extra belt per kit as spares too if doing a group buy. Be interested to see/hear how you go with this :)

[coldknights]

Thanks Rob will get a spare 10 belts as well good thought does not hurt but with that extra should be ok I am trying not to go over that $1000 AUD other wise I have to pay import tax.
Yes would be good if a club that has got members that have have 2 or 3 EQ6 that they could do the mod on a Saturday afternoon to help get the mounts up and running a lot quicker as having a few extra people around to share the work load and there expertise around as well.
I am hoping that the results will be good as a lot of people have done this but not shared the whole experience on a YouTube channel for others to see dust down the video cameras.

[Occulta]

Cathy

Check out Hobby and Engineering Supplies in QLD as they have a vast range, including SDP-SI belts and pulleys, at good prices and shipping charges. I have delt with them for a few things over the years and found them very good to deal with. They usually have most things in stock.

http://www.hobbyparts.com.au/

From the home page, scroll down to almost the end and look for Timming Belts and Pulleys [headings are in alphabetical listing] and I am sure you will find the correct parts for the modifcations.

Chris

[coldknights]

Hi Chris do they sell the 47 and 12 tooth pulley if you can let me know then all we have to do is get a engineer on side to machine the bore out to the correct size.

[Occulta]

Cathy
You will have to check the site for the correct pitch and width for the modifications.

[naskies]

Hi Cathy,

Thanks for the idea. Any ideas what level performance improvement one might expect from doing this on an EQ6?



Chris,

Thanks for sharing this! It's been on my mind to cobble together some brackets / timing belt / gears / etc to build my own DSLR lens focuser, and it looks like this place has everything I need.

[coldknights]

Hi Chris below is the info for people to go to that web site you said and have a look for the parts listed below.i spent enough time setting all this up you said about this place you look and place the info back here for people to see if you like .


Cathy,

1 kit (2 pairs everything) would be £230.62 GBP plus carriage at

Shipping quotes are based on the address information you selected: AUSTRALIA
Available Shipping Methods Rates
Shipping (International Economy 7-15 Day service (EXPD) £35.00
Shipping (International Express (EXPD) 2-3 Working Days £45.00

This is a bit cheaper than the previous quote for 1 offs! The good news is that for a 10 set group buy we can get the turning on a CNC and the price drops a lot.

We quote

20 pcs. AL15T2.5-0/12-2 ZERO BACKLASH 15mm WIDE INCLUDING BOSS TO SUIT 4mm WIDE BELT BORED TO 5mm + 1 off G/S CIB @ £11.71 GBP each. Delivery : 5 weeks

20 pcs. AL13T2.5-0/47-1 ZERO BACKLASH 13mm WIDE INCLUDING BOSS 1 FLANGE ONLY BOSS SIDE TO SUIT 4mm WIDE BELT 12 mmBORE + 1 off M3 G/S CIB @ £12.00 GBP each. Delivery : 5 weeks

20 pcs. 4T2.5/177.5 Synchroflex @ £2.24 GBP each

Please check the specification quoted before placing an order.

Hi Dave it would have to make a big improvement on what the standard eq6 does

[Peter.M]

I have modded my heq5 pro, so i can give some feedback as to how they perform. The main thing you will notice when you use it will be the rattle of the gears meshing is gone. The performance of the mount will be around the same but backlash is essentially eliminated, this has a large positive impact on pointing. Guiding is essentially the same I could not comment much on guiding or PE.

One thing about the belts is that you need to use eqmod for them to work. This im sure everyone is aware of and shouldn't be an issue. I got my parts from this site before they offered it as a kit.

http://www.beltingonline.com/heq5-belt-mod-drive-kit-12097

Goodluck with your mods.

[coldknights]

Thanks Peter for the info I had that company info but I had not looked at the kits .
it works out around the same price for EQ6 I will have a look today and see if they do a kit if not I will ask them how much the they can do a Kit for and is it cheaper if we buy 10 kits at a time.
I sent them a email today hope to hear back from them tonight with a price on the EQ6 kit .
Also the kit that we want to get at the moment is the 47 and 12 Tooth pulleys so we can still use the SYnScan hand controller and not have to rely on EQMod .
We can in the future look at the other kits for the use with EQMod and not the hand-controller.
Once again Thankyou Peter for the info.:thanx:

[bojan]

I did this mod couple of years ago.. .
However, I didn't want to pay M$ for manufacturing 47 teeth timing pulley (which is not standard), instead I went with modifying the electronics to accommodate ANY gear ratio..
My (and this was done by many others) solution is 60-teeth timing pulley (from SPI SI) combined with 12-teeth (on stepper).

For the electronics and software/firmware, there are many options, one of them is definitely PIC_GoTo.
I went for Pololu step-motor driver modules and SoundStepper software.

EDIT
If I remember correctly, there is a way to enter a different gear ratio in the EQ6 firmware (at least some versions)..
When I find this info, I will post it here.
I hate when people pay way to much to various "entrepreneurs" for something that needs only a little bit of different effort (in this case, firmware parameters entry)

[bojan]

OK, I found something (only initial info), see here:
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/119826-eq6-belt-drive-modification/

With EQMOD (bypassing Synta hand-pad), you can use any gear ratio.. and you will want to use EQMOD, since it is a standard platform that enables managing many things telescope related.

[coldknights]

Hi Bojan thanks for your input in this forum .
There are different ratios to choose and I can see EQMod can accommodate this in a software environment so at the moment we can stay with the standard
47 and 12 Tooth pulleys that way people can still use there SynScan Hand controller,if they want to use EQMOD all the time and not the hand controller they can use the different pulleys in the link that you provided .
There are so many ways to get the mod done but I was looking for the simplest way to achieve a quieter mount that might track a little better and still provide use of the hand controller at this stage.

[RobF]

It was interesting to read somewhere that a 1 to 4 ratio (non standard) may help reduce ugly harmonics, albeit at the loss of hand controller functionality. Will be a glut of handcontrollers on the market soon :question: :)

[frolinmod]

Or sell your EQ-6 and purchase an AZ/EQ-6 which comes with belts as a standard and fully supported feature.

[coldknights]

Hi Rob and others yes there are other ratio's that work with EQMod and the standard Ratio of 47 and 12 tooth pulleys.

It will much cheaper for a upgrade then to buy a new mount like the AZ-EQ6

We spoke to a Australian Company that sells pulleys today and waiting for their
Price on the pulleys listed below I also might add these are made in Germany and are not the pulleys you can buy off the shelf, the ones below and also the company will be supplying Zero Backlash pulleys.

Once we get the info from them will post it here I think the Australian company are going to list the complete kit on there website so people can buy directly from them so no middle person required for the EQ6 at this stage but will keep you informed once we get the required info from them.

[naskies]

Thanks Cathy! :)

Will the kit be easy to assemble/use? Just wondering whether I'd need to do any irreversible modifications (filing, cutting, drilling, etc) since I'm not mechanically inclined.

[coldknights]

Hi Dave there will be a instructional YouTube video made on the mod that needs to be done to the case .
link to a web site with the info required below.

Once we get the first kit in we will make a video up for this mod,

For how to pull the EQ6 apart look at YouTube .

If you belong to a club maybe they can assist you to do this mod.


http://www.morningstarobs.com/belt-drive-mod.html

[coldknights]

Just a Update ...... One company I contacted had a kit available for the Eq5 but that kit is for use with the software package EQMod .....Now that I contacted them with the different pulley dimensions they have put those dimensions into kit form and have put it up on there web page as a kit.
Below is the link to them and the kit ...( Standard pulley replacement )

http://www.beltingonline.com/heq6-belt-mod-drive-kit-12220

These pulleys are zero backlash and not the cheap pulleys that are a stock item on the shelf these are made to order.



I am still waiting for the Australian company to get back to us about this kit to be sold here in Australia .

[Peter.M]

I am running 4:1 ratio at the moment and im loving it. Guiding is great (helix in deep space section) and my gotos are way more accurate.

[coldknights]

Hi Peter thanks for the info on the 4:1 Ratio working well for you and congrats on the Fantasic image as well .
This mod will reduce the grrrrrr noise and still let the owners of the EQ6 still use the SynScan Hand Controller GoTo functions.
If they want to use the Software program EQMod Only and not a Hand Controller as you said go with the 4:1 Ratio pulleys.


AstroAussie Lucas helped with the information for the 48 tooth pulleys for EQMod below.



HPC Gears in England ( I think this price is more then a year old )

2 x 12WF187 (12 teeth pulleys) bored out to 5mm
£12.08each = £24.16
2 x 48WF187 (48 teeth pulleys) bored out to 12mm
£23.64each = £47.28
3 x MXL80/3/16 (80 teeth timing belts) (I bought a spare just in case!)
£3.75each = £11.25
Postage £10.20

Total : £92.89

Below is the price I got from HPC UK 14/07/2013

HPC Gears UK below money in £


12T2.5-8 TIMING PULLEY - METRIC BOSSED 8.35 Ex-Stock
1 47T2.5-8 TIMING PULLEY - METRIC BOSSED 12.08 Ex-Stock
1 T2.5/177/4 TIMING BELTS 9.96 Ex-Stock
1 48T2.5-8 TIMING PULLEY - METRIC BOSSED 12.16 Ex-Stock

ALTERNATIVELY MODIFIED BORES
1 12T2.5-8-S05 TIMING PULLEY - 5MM BORE 12.22 2/4 DAYS
1 47T2.5-8-S10 TIMING PULLEY - 10MM BORE 15.95 2/4 DAYS
1 47T2.5-8-S12 TIMING PULLEY - 12MM BORE 15.95 2/4 DAYS

NB: ABOVE 47TOOTH IS STD 6mm BORE.

The following are the bearing replacement kit for the EQ6


4 x SKF 608-2RSH $8.88 Each inc GST
6 x SKF 6008-2RS1 $29.80 Each inc GST
1 x SKF 30206-J2/Q $15.32 Each inc GST
1 x SKF 32208-J2/Q $20.59 Each inc GST

Total $227.51 if you buy all these bearings as a complete kit.

From Wimmera Bearings Horsham

[coldknights]

EQ6 Teardown for the pulley and belt replacement below
Go to Page 4!!!!!!!!!

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.webastro.net/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D105519&sandbox=0&usg=ALkJrhi9ryoiUeqTu-n9B5kP-rQwY4H_2w

[naskies]

The final results for the HEQ5 belt mod that Fred_76 performed is pretty amazing:

* PE drops from +/- 23'' down to +/- 9''
* Max rate of PE change drops from 3.6''/s down to 1.5''/s
* Average rate of PE change drops from 0.70''/s to 0.36''/s

The increase in tracking performance and elimination of backlash makes it one impressive mod :eyepop:

[Steffen]

Will the EQ6 belt mod kit (the 47/12 one) also work on the HEQ5 Pro? I counted the teeth on the HEQ5 Pro once, but forgot… :ashamed:

Cheers
Steffen.

[coldknights]

Here is a link to the EQ5 kit BUT it is for use with EQMod only

Count the teeth on the EQ5 then look at belting online.com

Or HPC gears


http://www.beltingonline.com/heq5-belt-mod-drive-kit-12097

[Steffen]

Ok, thanks, I keep looking, and counting ;)

I'm not interested in any mod that precludes use of the SynScan hand controller.

Cheers
Steffen.

[coldknights]

Hi Steffen link below for the ( EQ5 ) Pulley and belt Mod Kit. !

http://www.tavcso.hu/?o=termek&te=HEQ5bord&n=en

Send them a email just to check that these pulleys are the same amount of teeth as the the original ones.

[Steffen]

Wow, thanks Cathy for doing all the research for me! Your google-fu is better than mine :thumbsup: Hat-tip to the Hungarians!

Does anyone have any tips on how to get the sprocket-wheels off the motor axes? This is the only part of the whole mod that worries me. I wouldn't want to wreck those motors...

Cheers
Steffen.

[1parsec]

Hi Steffen,
I bought an HEQ5 earlier this year and didn't like the gear train 'graunching' noises. Way too loud to be neighbourly at 1am.
I've been working on a standard 9:47 ratio belt mod for the HEQ5 to allow the Synscan controller to be still used and to improve the tracking too.
The pinion gear on the motor is loctited in position and can be tricky to get off the motor shaft.
I made a small extractor which made the job worry free !

I posted a thread on Stargazers Lounge
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/189089-heq5-standard-ratio-947-belt-mod/ which shows the steps I made to get it all working.
The 9 tooth pulley was the tricky one ! I didn't find any supplier who stocked them.
I ended up machining them myself from bar stock in one operation which meant concentricity and true running was spot on.
If using stock pulleys, boring them out to size has to be done very carefully to ensure concentricity which is tricky to do if they have flanges.
Dave.

[Steffen]

Thanks Dave, interesting read. What would it take to coax you into making another kit?

Cheers
Steffen.

[bojan]

Just heat the pulley with the flame from gas lighter, locktite will melt and you will be to pull it from shaft without problems.

[Steffen]

Oh, is that all? I thought they were shrunk or pressed on.

[1parsec]

Hi Steffen,
I've had quite a bit of interest here in the UK to make kits available and I am in the process of putting some together.
It'll be about a couple of weeks before I have all the parts ready.
Thanks, Dave.

[RobF]

Will be very interested to see what Dave puts out for NEQ6. Love the thought that looks to have been put into the HEQ5 kit (acrylic spacer panel, presumably to save milling the outer casing) and remover tool.
I'd be happy paying a bit more to have piece of mind I have the correct bits in the kit and a tool to make it all easier.

Would prefer to operate on my NEQ6 first though - HEQ5Pro currently much better behaved!

[coldknights]

Update on the HEQ5 Belt mod ( Dave in the UK ) below is the email I got from him Dave has done well and got the HEQ5 Kits Ready.

HEQ5 straight mod kit gear to belt no conversion in Ratio so you can still use the Synscan hand controller as Normal.

The belts are 6mm wide 2.5mm pitch. We machine the pulleys in house on our cnc machines to give a zero backlash profile.

I've added the fitting instructions to our website which shows more details about the kit - the images can be magnified in your pdf viewer if needed. Click the 'support' button at the top of the page.

The kits are now available on our website.

http://rowanastronomy.com/

YouTube Before the gear to belt change

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=TLYoN0XEBDs


After the Belt change


http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=7PLo_lo9et8


Many thanks
Dave.

Thank you Dave for contributing to this Forum.

[1parsec]

Hi Cathy. Thanks for forwarding the info on the belt kits.

Just to confirm, the kits are for the HEQ5 only and will not fit the EQ5

Thanks.
Dave.

[Steffen]

Cool stuff Dave!

One question: what purpose do the plastic rollers serve, could one not simply use a shorter belt?

Cheers
Steffen.

[bojan]

Easier belt tension control ? Belts could be the same size.. ..

[Steffen]

Neither the diameter nor the position of the wheels is adjustable, so tension control isn't made any easier through them, but I suppose standardising on a single (readily available?) belt size makes sense.

Cheers
Steffen.

[bojan]

But you can rotate whole the motor assembly (look at the screws and holes on pics).. which will make (with the help of secondary wheel) the tension adjustment easy(er).

[1parsec]

Hello,
There is an alternative belt length that could be used without the 2 rollers but the position of the motors are fully at the end of the adjustment slots to get the belt to tension.
This means the RA motor will hit the declination shaft and would require a bit filing off the aluminium motor end plate to clear. There isn't a 'perfect' length belt available.

With the rollers in the belt path, final tension is achieved with the motor in the centre of its adjustment and not interfering with any other parts.
The rollers also makes the belt wrap further around the small 9 tooh pulley which engages more teeth with the belt and both belts are now the same length.

Cheers, Dave.

[coldknights]

Hi Dave Thank you for explaining the reason for the tension rollers I have similar tension Rollers on my Dynamic Perception stage zero dolly.
Also another Question Dave are you doing the EQ6 pulley and belt kit soon ?

[Steffen]

Thanks Dave, that makes sense.

Cheers
Steffen.

[coldknights]

So Steffan are you going to do the Upgrade fom gears to pulleys with the parts Dave sells ?
I am glad he dropped in on this forum and told us about his kit for the HEQ5

[Steffen]

I'm still torn between the Hungarian and the English kit. It's difficult to tell which one would work better, but I do like the sprocket remover tool Dave offers.

Cheers
Steffen.

[coldknights]

Yes Steffan Dave's kit has the spacer in it so it will fit and also look the picture
Good to see the longer screws as well.
The gear puller is a fantastic idea and a great time saver I would say the UK kit from Dave is more value for money.


Also have a look at this YouTube video I came across of what looks like a new AZEQ6GT
With a wobbly pulley shame shame.!!!! At the 22 second mark

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbWMVqNVg8

And to think I was about to fork out to buy one I have now changed my mind.

In Dave's video of the belt conversion of his HEQ5 I can't see any wobble in his pulleys .

[1parsec]

Hello Cathy & Steffen,

That's an interesting observation on the video of the AZEQ6GT. It could be just the flange that makes the pulley look like its running out of true. But really bad if that's not the case !

The concentricity of the pulleys is obviously very important. The small pulley concentricity is is probably more important than that of the larger pulley. Errors from the small pulley will be faster and more difficult to guide out.
We machine the outer diameter, cut the pulley teeth and drill & ream the mounting diameter in one go on the our cnc machine. This method is much more accurate than buying in a stock pulley and then machining it to suit.

We will be looking in to making an similar kit for the EQ6, but will concentrate on the HEQ5 for now.
The EQ6 belt mod requires more work fitting it to the mount and we need to look carefully at making the kit as easy as possible to install.
Thanks, Dave.

[naskies]

Very interesting - thanks Dave. I look forward to your EQ6 kit... please let us know when it's ready :thumbsup:

[The_bluester]

Regards the AZEQ6, I have been mulling the idea of one myself for a while.

Pretty hard to tell from the video but there does not seem to be any corresponding movement in the belt to indicate that the functional part of the pulley has runout, it looks like it is just an end flange to retain the belt (That looks pressed on) that is not true.

[Loupy31]

Here they are bored out and ready to install..........Installation pics to follow

[RobF]

Where were those from Loupy?

[Loupy31]

http://www.beltingonline.com/heq6-belt-mod-drive-kit-12220

Tad Pricey but very well made

[RobF]

Wow, I didn't realise the EQ6 kit was out.
Did I imagine it, or did one of these kits include a tool to help with gear removal?

Be very interested to hear how you go and what difficulties encountered.

[Loupy31]

I believe that's the HEQ5 kit........................I think.

I have removed the gear from the motor several times, Had no problem

[naskies]

Rob, I think the ones that Loupy31 are talking about are different to the ones that 1parsec (Dave) is putting together.

Loupy31 - do the belts that you're using require modifications (filling, cutting, etc) to the EQ6 case?

[Loupy31]

belts are 4mm wide, should not have a problem

[RobF]

I think these were the ones with the tool we had been talking about (waiting for EQ6 kit).....
http://rowanastronomy.com/products.htm

Good to be spoiled for choice

[Loupy31]

When I saw this thread I was hoping it was going to happen soon, but I decided to buy now and hang the expense of the postage....Great service, ordered it last Friday evening and it arrived at my door yesterday morning....:thumbsup:

[Loupy31]

This past weekend, I fitted the belt conversion to my EQ6, result is great, Very quiet, No backlash, No Gear noise.
Only had to file about 1mm on the worm shaft flat to bring the pulley into the right spot, Other than that, everything else was a perfect fit, no other mods required..........:thumbsup:

[naskies]

Nice work! Any pics? Have you measured your post-install PE and/or pointing accuracy?

[Loupy31]

Haven't had a chance to test it on the night sky as yet, but this mount was very accurate before I did the belt Convert, (Gave it a complete rebuild when I first got it), main reason for the up grade, was to get rid of the gear noise, it was driving me nuts.:screwy:
and to get rid of the backlash. the mount now responds instantly to the hand controller.:thumbsup:

[1parsec]

Hello again,

I've been working on my NEQ6 / EQ6 belt kit for the last month or so and have just converted my NEQ6.

I wanted to use a 6mm wide belt and not have to modify the slots in the castings or any of the other tweaks usually required.

The belt mod I've already done on my HEQ5 had idler rollers to improve the belt wrap around the small pulley and this idea was put in to the NEQ6 too.
I made the idlers an optimum diameter so that the standard belt lengths used are a nice fit with the motor mounting adjustment in the centre of the slots.

Fitting the idlers on the NEQ6 allows belt path to be optimised to give a good clearance at the ends of the slots to make sure thet don't rub on the ends of the slots.
They also guide the belt to the centre of the slot too.
Not having the cut /grind /file the slots makes the mod relaively quick, taking about 1 1/2 hours.
It also eliminates the posibility of any swarf / filings remaining and contaminaing the worm wheel gear.

In order to do this I've made a new idler lower mounting plate and a new upper motor plate for each axis.
The additional benefit of the 2 plate arrangement means the upper motor plate has a nice flat surface to slide on when tensioning the belt
and makes it easier to find the loop on the end of the belt when placing the motor in position.

The mount is in my observatory now waiting for some clear skies so I can capture some tracking log data with the belts fitted.
I have a pre-mod track log using the original drive gearing for comparison.
I'll follow up with more details as soon as I can and with the tracking results when these clouds clear.
Cheers, Dave.

[Loupy31]

Nice work, Looks like you put a lot of thought into it.

[coldknights]

Hi Dave Well done been waiting for it to be finished any chance of a YouTube video on the installation of the kit ? It would help people if you had a step by step instructional video of the kit install .

Have you worked out the final price of this kit and also how much would it be for postage to Australia ?
Looks like you have some competition also on this kit and the EQ5 from the Company Beltingonline.

Looks like a Great kit waiting for your report on the testing.

Once again Thankyou Dave for adding to this forum with the Great products you make

[1parsec]

Hello Cathy,

Thanks.
It's taken a while to get the parts machined and finished, though everything went together very well.
I'm hoping to capture the belt tracking log over the weekend and compare the before and after performance. Once that's completed and all's well, I'll put the kit on the website.
I'm sure the improvement will be like the HEQ5 , eliminating the 10 sec tooth to tooth oscillation a big plus.
Though I can already say it sounds super smooth and quiet when slewing.

The main fitting instructions will be printed, with a .pdf file available on our website that have higer resolution images that can be zoomed in to.
There are a couple of stages during the disassembly that may be helped with a video, but will see how the printed instructions look like first.

I haven't finalised the price of the kit yet although it will be more expensive than the HEQ5 kit as there're more machined parts. The postage to Austrailia will be £9.95

We didn't make any compromises in the design. There are a number of significant improvements compared to the Beltonline kit.

I'd much rather have 6mm wide belts for this size mount and this is the main reason the extra parts were necessary. The 4mm wide belt seems minimal to me ?

We completely cnc machine the 12T and 47T pulleys from start to finish from bar stock and get excellent concentricity on the mounting bore to the tooth profile.
The Beltonline kit uses standard pulleys and then drills /bores them to size which is difficult to get good concentricity and consistency.
I believe our kit will be well worth the extra cost :)

All the best
Dave.

[coldknights]

Hi Dave ,
We got a NEQ6 a few days ago (bought it only for testing our 4 way Bluetooth ) with EQmod which I can report on works well .
The NEQ6 mount is in good condition but had a little bit of gear noise which we went through the procedure of adjustments till we were happy to get rid of 99.9% of the noise did not want to make a video with a mount with gears making noise .

We intend on doing a video on the 4 Way Bluetooth for EQmod for EQ5 through to EQ8 we will wait on doing the video till we receive your kit and can do a video then

So We will Be the first to put our hand up to buy 1 I can say from the pictures you have added a job well done send me a pm when you have the kit ready .

This NEQ6 will be for sale the day after the video is done then off to buy a EQ8 for testing which we will keep after the video is done!.

[Loupy31]

So Dave, what your saying is your kit is better than the Beltonline kit?
Taking the accuracy of the center bore and the width of belt,, out on the equation, what would be the improvement ( let me be clear, by improvement I mean overall performance of scope and mount ) of your kit over the Beltonline kit.

[1parsec]

Hi Loupy,
If you take out what are important factors when making a comparison I'm not sure what valid conclusions you can come to.
Our design was to use a wider belt and to make the pulleys to a high precision.
Dave.

[Loupy31]

Ok, how much will it cost to buy one?

And when will they be available

[1parsec]

The details will be on our website as soon as I set up for tracking test runs and we see the expected performance.
The time scale for that to be completed is some what weather dependant :cloudy: :)

Dave.

[Loupy31]

Could you also post the current draw during tracking and slewing please.

[Astro_Bot]

That'll be governed by the motors, so shouldn't change noticeably from the geared example. I measured EQ6/NEQ6 power usage a while back:

NEQ6 Pro Power (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=92524)

Someone also measured the HEQ5 Pro current draw (though didn't mention the exact supply voltage):

HEQ5 Pro Power (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=111507)

[coldknights]

Hi all,Dave from Rowanastronomy has the NEQ6 belt mod kit up on his web site now for sale .

http://rowanastronomy.com/productsa2.htm#heq6beltkit

There is a PDF file there for download on the fitting instructions link below

http://rowanastronomy.com/pdf/NEQ6-Belt-Kit.pdf

I placed my order for the NEQ6 kit and the bearing ring retainer removal tool and awaiting delivery I had the tracking number emailed to me so I can track it online .

Thank you Dave for getting the NEQ6 kits finished and the fitting instructions look great well done!
:thanx:

[Steffen]

If it's anything like the HEQ5Pro kit it'll be great. I put mine through the paces last Saturday and am very happy. Installation was a doddle (but I have stripped down my mount several times before).

Cheers
Steffen.

[coldknights]

Hi Steffen ,Glad your kit installation went well we are looking forward to the installation of the first NEQ6 kit in Australia have a clean table with white paper laid down ready to pull the mount to bits .Great set of installation instructions as well.

[coldknights]

The NEQ6 Belt kit arrived from ( Rowan Astronomy /Rowan Engineering)
only took 1 week and only $22.00 Australian dollars postage.
As you can see in the pictures Dave packed it well.
We also ordered the Bearing Ring Retainer Removal Tool
Now to get some spare time to fit all the parts.

:thanx: Dave
:)

[Loupy31]

Price?....... Never mind, found it, approx. $214.00 Aud

[Loupy31]

No Mods were required for the belt to work without rubbing on anything:thumbsup:

[coldknights]

We Finished installing the belt mod kit all went Well No Mods had to be done to the housing at all.:thanx: Dave.

[Loupy31]

Neat, how long have you had the mount for... looks brand new

[coldknights]

The mount is over 2 yrs old we have only had it about 2 or 3 weeks we bought it to test our 4way Bluetooth modules out on and did not like the Grrrrr sound of the Gears so we did the belt mod kit as we have a video to do on the 4 Way Bluetooth to upload to YouTube just waiting on the Boxes to come back from the manufacturer .
Once the video is done this mount (mount only ) is for sale so then it is off to buy a EQ8 so we can test the 4 Way Bluetooth module on that then we will be selling them.
We have tested the 4 Way Bluetooth on the NEQ6 with EQmod ,Stellarium scope and Stellarium ,the sky version 5 and the sky x which all worked well.
We have tested the new belt kit inside at the moment as we only finished it off today but mounted the 10" Newtonian and slewed around with 10kg of counter weight on it with the extra length of counter weight shaft as well.
We had no problem with slewing all different angles we gave it a good test .
Now the rain will be with us the next few days Murphy's law can't wait to take it outside for a night and try it.

[Loupy31]

Hi Cathy, do you have more pics on the install of the belt kit?

Also do you have a before and after Pec reading?

[Loupy31]

did you need to replace any bearings? while you had the mount in bits

[coldknights]

Hi we have a few more pics on the install but not much of importance just a few pics of the table and tools I will go through the pictures later today all so no pec data was collected our only interest was to have a quiet mount to do the video with so whoever buys this mount can do it it would good I think from visual inspection of the internals of the mount everything looked new even the shims compared to some of the pictures on the net and the YouTube video's we have seen this mount is in better condition then all of them I would class this mount as a Sunday mount only taken out and used on 1 Sunday every 3 months or so .
Is a shame that skywatcher did not make this mount with the belts but they did do it with the AZ-EQ6 and also the EQ8.
When doing the mod stick to the instructions carefully and also go to Astrobaby website on the rebuild it gives you the important part settings the worm drive setting instructions .
And the bearing were in top condition as well they to like new packed them a little with lithium grease as well not overboard like I have seen done bearing need Grease but not a bucket like I have seen on the net and YouTube .

[Loupy31]

Ok, sounds good, although PEC data would have been good if only to see how accurate the belt system is.....
Just a quick off topic question, why did you go for batteries in your blue tooth adapters.?

[Loupy31]

Ok, So let me get this right, there is a box (with batteries) plugged into the hand controller rs232 port and a cable going from the HC to the mount, so why do you need to blue tooth the HC.? wouldn't it have been more efficient to just blue tooth the mount and by pass the HC,(which doesn't get used in that setup)

[alistairsam]

hi,

I'm very interested in this.
just to clarify, does the mod change the gear ratio at all? do we have to change the tracking rate in eqmod or is the gear ratio precisely the same as the original?

Cheers
Alistair

[Loupy31]

Its same as the original

[Loupy31]

Ok, I understand that, but still cant understand why you need to plug into the HC, if your going to use astro programs, why not just go direct to the mount?

[coldknights]

With this mod you can still use your Synscan hand controller as well as EQmod .

[alistairsam]

Thanks Cathy.
What is the expectation of how low the backlash would be?
My main issues are with goto's not being precise when you re-slew to the same target even if on the same side of the pier and of course the periodic error.

with the belts, I imagine the backlash would be very low so apart from removing PE, would one expect to see an improvement in goto's as well?
anyone tested this?

Cheers
Alistair

[coldknights]

Send Dave a pm and he should be able to answer your questions.

[Loupy31]

Also take into concideration that each mount has its own variance in tolerance , regardless how well the timing pulleys are made

[Loupy31]

The only backlash, if any, will be in how well the worm shaft mates to the worm gear, all other backlash should be eliminated, But then again I am no expert.

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
What pointing error are you getting with your gotos when slewing back to the same target?

The main source of backlash which will give you gross pointing errors is from the worm-wheel mesh.

The secondary source of backlash is from the clearance between the motor gear teeth to the transfer gear and then on to the worm drive gear.
Gear clearances may amount to 10 to 20 arc sec of backlash which cause a lot of grief when guiding.

And third, the worm wheel PE and combined eccentricities in the drive gearing.

The gear clearance is eliminated with a belt mod and as such the mount response to guide corrections is much improved.

Next time I'm set up testing I'll do a backlash test on my NEQ6.
Thanks,
Dave.

ps Purposely setting a slight imbalance in RA and dec causes the worm wheel contact to be on one side and can help a lot with that backlash problem.

[Loupy31]

That is basically what I said,

[1parsec]

Yes, I'd agree with that.

[alistairsam]

Thanks Dave

if I center and sync a star in the east, then slew to the north and slew back to the star, its always at the edge of the field. is this normal for the neq6?
would be good if you csn test this with the belt mod.

I will get this kit and use the oppotunity to adjust the worm mesh.

is a gear puller required for the gear on the motor?

cheers
Alistair

[coldknights]

Hi Alistair we did not need the Gear Puller tool for the removal of the gear just undo the 2 Grub screws and it comes straight off just remember to Debur the motor shaft with a small file so the new Gear can go on and follow the instructions and set it at 3.5mm download the PDF from Dave's web page and read it ,it helps a lot.

[RobF]

I've ordered an NEQ6 kit off Dave and was pleasantly surprised to find the prices for residents outside the UK are 20% off website quoted (no VAT) - about $211 AUD delivered.

(I was beginning to think Dave might just like Aussies :lol:)

[coldknights]

Hi Rob you will like the kit it is well built .
we have had bad weather here but we found ourselves as we went past the mount all setup we just had to turn it on change the speed rate to 9 and slew around tilted the scope 10" Newtonian past zenith and all around the place we just could not believe how Quiet it is and it's responsiveness to the key press's with the direction keys.
A well planned and well constructed kit.
Thanks Dave.:thanx:

[Camelopardalis]

:lol:

VAT only applies to EU residents ;)

[alistairsam]

Just ordered the kit.
Looking forward to pulling apart my mount, apart from all the other improvements:-)

[UniPol]

Me too

[1parsec]

Thank you Rob, Steve and Alistair for ordering the kits.
They'll be sent on Monday and should be with you in about 9-10 days.
You should receive an e-mail when dispatched with the parcel reference number.
That number can be entered on this web page and it will give deatils from when the parcel arrives at Australian customs. http://auspost.com.au/track/
Thanks again , Dave.

[coldknights]

Hi all video using the NEQ6 Belt Mod from Dave and our 4 way Bluetooth Module with EQMOD Stellarium Scope And Stellarium. This video was done with a ipad.
The 4Way Bluetooth Module boxes are still not back from getting Manfactured .
We have No pics of the module there are only 2 Prototype boards the rest of the boards will be made up after testing is done the boards get made in the USA.
Link below to the video on YouTube .


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sJUlBLOM6rE&feature=c4-feed-u

[Loupy31]

Interesting Vid., do you have a close up pic of that module you pluged into the mount

[Loupy31]

Any Chance Of taking/posting a few, would be nice to see a close up of the quality

[Loupy31]

So, Where does this module get its power from, I noticed there is no HC in that setup, why is that
:question:

[Loupy31]

Are you concerned that, some one on IIS will copy it.
Where does it get its power from, is it from the EQ6 Pro

[Loupy31]

Yes we did, results are NO backlash very Quiet, No rubbing of belt on mount casing.........Prior to the install, I had a friend of mine, who is an engineer, check to see how concentric the pulleys were, We did that with the Pulleys ON the worm shaft/motor for both axis, and found them to be perfect........Checking them on the shaft is the only real way to determine, how concentric they are.

[Loupy31]

So this Module, I assume it gets its power from the EQ6 Pro, is this correct?

[Loupy31]

So You followed my suggestion then

[Loupy31]

Seatec astronomy. That's all I will say.

[swannies1983]

Too many secrets.....

Interesting thread given my (now for sale) EQ6 was modified with a belt system made by Astromeccanica. I can't comment as to whether it was an improvement over the original setup as I purchased it in its modified state.

[Loupy31]

Basically All It does is get rid of gear noise and gear backlash not much else, regard less of what some people say.................Great movie though

[1parsec]

The above is not correct.

My findings are that is does a lot more than you say.
Both mounts I have fitted belt kits to , HEQ5 and NEQ6 have shown significant improvement in peak to peak periodic error.

The attached shows a before and after comparison for a HEQ5.
The transfer gear was a particular problem.
Look at how subsequent worm cycles don't overlap.
The max peak with the gears is +14.9 to -7.8 arc sec that has no chance of being improved be periodic error correction.

With the belt fitted the peak to peak was reduced to +6.1 to -7.4 and is now cyclic which can be further improved by periodic error correction.
The mount was nice and quiet too.

Thanks,
Dave.

[Loupy31]

Well of course it does, replacing the gears with the belt is going to remove any concentricity problems the gears may have had, Rather obvious I thought

[1parsec]

We now agree. Excellent.

Cheers,
Dave.
Originally Posted by Loupy31 http://www.iceinspace.com.au/vbiis/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1032344#post103234 4)
Basically All It does is get rid of gear noise and gear backlash not much else,
Originally Posted by Loupy31 http://www.iceinspace.com.au/vbiis/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1032344#post103234 4)
Basically All It does is get rid of gear noise and gear backlash not much else,

[alistairsam]

My primary objective is to improve pointing accuracy and repeatability as I'm working on automated imaging and I need pointing accuracy to be decent for plate solving to work consistently and as Peter's mentioned below, it would improve as well, or at least i'm hoping it would. Will need someone to test it out.

[alistairsam]

Hi Dave,

have you heard of a "PE Sync" problem with the 12T/47T ratio ?

I came across this thread where he mentions it and therefore has gone for a 4:1 ratio.
I know its been mentioned that this mod will work without any modification to tracking rate in eqmod, but I'm keen on using PEC as well. not sure if this is going to be an issue.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=589117&postcount=1

Can you please clarify.

found the ratio's of the spurs
- stepper gear (12 teeth)
- transfer gear (36 teeth)
- worm gear (47 teeth)

and the 47T/12T has the same effective reduction, but not sure what this sync issue is.

Cheers
Alistair

[alistairsam]

perhaps this needs a different thread but I came across this from another forum where the standard worm is replaced with the aeroquest machined worm with higher precision than the stock ones and aren't that expensive for the eq6. PE of +/- 4 arc secs is what's claimed but I think that's for a matched pair of worm and gear.
http://www.aeroquest-machining.com/pricing.php

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
The standard ratio is 47:12 which is what our belt mod uses.
It allows the handset still to be used and also EQMOD.
A belt kit using the non-standard ratio would mean the mount would have to be operated using EQMOD. The handset would not work.

Periodic correction reduces any repeating cyclic errors for the drive train .
Handset periodic correction will only work with the 47:12 ratio.
EQMOD periodic correction will work with any ratio.

If you use a 48:12 ratio any error from the motor pulley are in sync with the main worm cycle, which can also be corrected by periodic error correction.
I think this observation has come from some of the earlier belt mods that were done by modifying standard parts. It's difficult to bore the pulleys concentric. The motor pulleys wobble !
An eccentric pulley on the motor can be corrected if it uses the 48:12 (or any other divisible ratio) so not a total disaster.

However if the pulleys are made to a good precision it won't matter if they are 47:12 or 48:12, infact 47:12 would be prefered as you still retain the use of the handset and if you want to sell the mount in the future to some one who doesn't use EQmod.

So to summarise the only difference between the ratios is you can't correct for motor pulley error with 47:12 ratio.
However the error from the motor is usually small any way and even smaller with our kit.

Dave.

[1parsec]

Hello,

I have a track log taken a month or so ago of my NEQ6 mount with the standard gear train
and have been waiting for a clear opportunity to grab some data with the belts fitted.

Tonight was clear and here is the comparison of the 2 set ups. Gears.jpg & Belt.jpg
The overlay image of the 2 traces is shown with the Gears in red and Belt in blue. Overlay.jpg
The final image are the results in spreadsheet form for direct comparison. Sheet.jpg
All the main figures show a 30 to 35% improvement with the belts fitted.

The residual errors look to be more random and are probably from the worm
bearings and the variable tooth to tooth wheel errors.

I hope this information is helpful.

Thanks
Dave.

[alistairsam]

That looks good Dave,
Do you think changing the worm bearings really help as is done in most hypertune mods?

Would be good if you can do some pointing tests as well, especially repeat slews to the same star.
A plate solve after the slew should give you the error or difference.

Cheers
Alistair

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,

I'm going to replace the worm bearings and make 2 tests.
I have 2 types of bearings on order, standard SKF and a higher precision grade.
I'll replace the factory worm bearings with the new types and run a test with each.

I've not seen any results of a such a comparison . It will be useful to know.

The mount is in my workshop so it will be next time when I do a pointing test.

Thanks, Dave

[alistairsam]

Hi Dave,

I noticed Pempro has a backlash measurement tool. might be worth measuring backlash explicitly. I think there is an eval version as well.

Do you have the part numbers for the work bearings

Cheers
Alistair

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
The worm bearings are 608 type. The standard I've ordered is SKF608 2RS with a tolerance of 10 micron inner race radial run out.
I've asked the supplier to order a P5 precision bearing with 4micron run out but I don't know the manufacturer yet.. probably FAG or NSK.
Thanks,
Dave.

[alistairsam]

The kit arrived today, I think it took less than a week. Now to get some lithium grease, clear up a table and get started.

I've been imaging a bit with the NEQ6 with 20min subs and I had to discard 6 of them cause the guiding would be perfect, then all of a sudden, there'd be a spike ruining the sub. Its odd that it didn't happen in the other 4 x 20min subs but happened only in the later ones. it doesn't happen in shorter ones.

Is this the jump that you'll were mentioning earlier in this thread that's inherent with neq6's?

I will get the worm bearing as well. I wonder if their energy efficient ones would be any better as they are low friction, not that it matters too much. did you get the part number for the precision worm bearing?

Any pointing test results Dave?

Cheers
Alistair

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
I haven't done the pointing test yet, I have the bearing comparisons to do.
What's the size of pointing error you are getting now ? If it's high it will be down to the worm clearances and balance of the scope.(assuming the gears are locked tight on their shafts etc)
I always set my scope with a slight imbalance so the worm is always loaded to one side of the gear.

The precision bearings are from a German manufacturer, code- IBC 608.2Z.P5 Any of the premium manufacturers should be able to supply a P5 or better grade bearing.

It's the P5 that denotes the level of precision. Lower number = higher precision.
If the bearings prove to show an improvement, I will add these as an additional option to go with the belt kit.
Thanks
Dave.

[1parsec]

Alistair,
Here's my quick slew test.
I took an image at a reference position and slewed the scope about 15 degrees away. Then slewed from different directions back to the ref pos and took images.

Most slews returned close. The east and west directions being very good at 8 and 9 arc sec offset.
The north direction gave the greatest error of 175 arc sec but I this was probably down to that I'd not been too fussy setting the Dec worm backlash since the mount was last stripped down and that it's going to be stripped again for further bearing tests.
Cheers, Dave.

[alistairsam]

Thanks Dave.

That's close enough and plate solving and centering would take care of those small errors.
Do you remember what it was like with the spurs?

so the worm and gear mesh makes a big difference as well with pointing?

Have you tried the backlash tab in Pempro?
that takes an image while issuing slews and shows the backlash.

I know there's a lot mentioned about grease for the bearings and I know its not part of the belt mod, but what would you recommend? I believe white lithium isn't recommended, but bearing grease with PTFE or superlube with PTFE?

Cheers
Alistair

[RobF]

Does anyone know where you can buy new delrin spacers currently?

[1parsec]

Hi Rob,
There is a guy in the US who supplies them.
Doug Dieter (skygazer@kennaquhair.com).

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
I don't have any measurements with the original gears.

The worm gear mesh is the main reason for pointing problems.
If you can feel movement when gently trying to rotate the RA with the counterweight shaft that's the worm clearance.
I set my mount so that there's just the smallest of clearances with out the mesh being closed and no tighter.

I don't use Pempro so I've not tried that test.

There's a lot of opinion on the net to what grease is best.
Lithium + ptfe is commonly quoted but may not be suitable for very hot environments/climates . A continuous high average temp may cause the grease to dry out requiring regreasing. I've never had this problem though.

A general EP grease would be fine also.

Cheers,
Dave.

[alistairsam]

Hi Dave,

I'm yet to install the pulley and belts but wanted to know if you've noticed a small improvement in the size of your stars with long exposures.
Reason I ask is that guide corrections would normally be subject to the minor backlash in the spur gears, whereas with timing belts and pulleys, as this is eliminated, in theory the corrections would be a lot more quicker and more responsive?
any thoughts? FWHM measurements would be interesting. Another parameter to add to the list.
I will focus on the worm/gear mesh though.

Cheers
Alistair

[1parsec]

Hi Alistair,
I've not made that comparison but rather concentrated on the PE track logs.
They give the best indication on tracking performance.
An improvement in the tracking should give a corresponding improvement in the guiding performance and star profiles.
The size of the guider corrections will be smaller and as you've mentioned more responsive too.

Thanks
Dave.

[alistairsam]

hi,

I finally finished installing the belt kit on my neq6 yesterday and gave it a test run.
its a lot quieter and responsive and going by the pec data captured after the mod, its a huge improvement over the previous 30 arc sec PE.
the improvement could be the worm mesh adjustment as well that I did from scratch.

I took a few days for the mod, cleaned out all the bearings, adjusted the worm mesh after a lot of trial and error, and that has paid off. any imbalance shows up as the axes rotate more freely.
I captured this PE data with a star at the meridian through thin clouds.

couple of gotchas with the mod. when inserting the RA worm wheel into the body, you need to insert it as straight as possible. I tried it with the body fixed on the tripod as per Rowan's instructions, but I didn't insert it straight and it got wedged solid. took me half a day to get out. no damage though.
I then inserted it with the body vertical, and that went a lot easier.

that tip to use the plastic sheet with the allen key for the motors was brilliant.

couple of minor things,
when installing the worm end covers, tightening them causes the shaft to bind a bit. so I installed the cover first and then inserted the shaft and bearing and that helped as I could adjust the nut at the other end.
need to keep the timing pulley loose on the shaft before inserting, else it won't go in.
I was following the instructions step by step, and there is a warning early on to watch out for the thrust bearing accidentally falling. that needs to be one step earlier cause I read it after the bearing fell :-)

Overall pretty happy, and will post some results for repeated slews and target centering.

Cheers
Alistair

[allan gould]

Just finished the belt drive modification myself tonight. I had previously hyper tuned the eq6 and was quite happy with it but I thought that this modification would assist in a better PEC and/or guiding. It's certainly quieter in slewing and I will have to wait for the clouds to disappear before trialling it out.
The mount was capable of 30 and 60 min guided subs prior to this with perfectly round stars so I guess I'll have a trial with pempro to see what difference it has made.
The kit from Rowan was easy to do as long as the instructions are followed.
Agree that the tip with plastic sheet and Allen key was invaluable.
Allan

[alistairsam]

hi,

I did the belt mod a few weeks ago and just realized I must've inserted the delrin spacers incorrectly.
There's close to a mm gap between the RA scale and the float cover and 0.5mm in the Dec scale and I'm not able to remove backlash entirely.
so will have to strip it down again.

anyone have any pics or notes on where the spacers go for the neq6 for both axes?
I'll do the height measurements as per astrobaby's site, but if delrin shims are required, where do you source them from?

Cheers
Alistair

[peter_4059]

There's contact details in this thread for Doug Dieter. He makes them:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=55025

[Peter.M]

The PE posted is not correct, either you have your image scale wrong. Or you had guiding enabled during capture. I am only nitpicking because I dont want someone to go through this thread and think they can get an EQ6 to 2 arc seconds peak to peak. You cant.

[alistairsam]

I agree. Something funny going on there.
I was not guiding for sure, and pretty sure I got the image scale right but I did use the stf8300 and not a webcam or guidecam so not sure if that can skew data. Not sure if it used subframes.

I'll do another pe capture with eqmod's perecorder and post results along with screen shots of the settings. Perhaps I'm missing something

I can't edit that post to delete the graphs.

Cheers
Alistair

[alistairsam]

hi peter,

have a look at Peter_4059's short PE capture here, from my understanding, that's a deviation of about 0.5pixels at 3.7 arcsec/pixel which is around the 1.9 arcsec mark and is similar to my graph.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=115962

I've also seen PE graphs in the EQ6 yahoo groups with 4arcsec PE.
is there something fundamentally wrong with what all these measurements show?

hope to get some new PE data shortly.

Cheers
Alistair

[RobF]

I finished installed my EQ6 belt mod kit a couple of weekends ago. New ceramic worm bearings on RA and DEC, superlube grease, belt mod installed. Checked delrin spacer sizes and replaced a couple of old worn ones (spacers).

Pros: - No grinding at all now, just sings along
- DEC axis beautifully tight compared to play it used to have
- During PEC runs Sat night the DEC trackings was unusually flat and well-behaved. Fingers crossed that's a regular occurence.
- less play in RA
- PE smoother and about 25% less

Cons: - my PE was always poor (around 30-50" peak to peak), and although things are smoother it would seem the bulk of my PE movement is in the worm/gear which the belt mod hasn't affected (it has however reduced smaller scale blips and bounces). Its still just not feasible to do long exposure images without PEC programmed on this mount, alas, which gets residual PE under +/- 7 to 10". I guess I'll have to keep saving for my EQ8 or AP mount after all :)


There was quite a bit of play in the bearings for my old transfer gears, so you can see things have to be better with belts if carefully installed. I tried to get decent backlash values pre-mod, but its just been too cloudy here - would be very surprised if both axes aren't a lot better in that regard.

In the meantime its been incredibly useful to understand the innards of my mount which has been on my To Do list for ages. Much more confident in how to tweak these beasts now. I'd recommend the mod for anyone contemplating an overhaul any day. The whole kit from Dave was wonderfully engineered with great instructions - a pleasure to work with.

[technofetishism]

Doing this my self atm, cleaning out bearings is a pain though!