gah!!! bugger!!! (heq5)

[ving]

I had a clear night last night and was up late (for me)... anyhow I am about 1/2 way thru my next seeingdouble and i am really enjoying this one :)

thats the end of the good news....

the bad news: I was doing my 2 star alignment, i started with sirius and was slewing over to taurus when cheryl called me in, "wait a sec" i said, but no it was urgent as we had a virus and obviously the computer was going to blow up... i figured that the mount would stop at its destination any how so i left it to see what was such a big problem... the norton said it had found a virus,had cleaned it up and it wanted a restart so i asked "have you restarted yet?", no was the answer.... in the mean time in the back yard i hear a grinding noise and recognise it to be what i assume to be slipping gears so inhaste i leave cheryl to find that the scope has hit the card table in its gleeful parabola across to tuarus!!!! :mad: :sadeyes:

the scope slewed pretty well for the rest of the night but i dont know if it did any damage to the gears. :doh:

thats the last time i leave the scope unattended!:mad2:

would this have damaged teh gears or anything else?
what do ya think?

[toetoe]

Now that is a bugger David, hope you have no dramas with the mount. Didn't wreck the card table i hope.

[ving]

ol peter, as you can tell i am not worried about the card table, just the mount... I am wondering if the gears are damaged or anything...

[h0ughy]

nnot good

[ving]

you cold david?

[33South]

Normally with gear damage you would expect to hear some indication like a clunk or grinding noise, from the mount that is, not your teeth.

When the drives running use the screwdriver test, wack one end on mount (pointy bit) near the drive housing the other against your ear.:shrug:

My view if it sounds good is good.

[ving]

thanks chris, I'll give it a try...

i am probably worrying for nothing huh!

i might have a look at the gears to make sure anyhow...
its sure good having it all computer controled now :D

[ving]

whats with the ever changing avatar? ;)

[33South]

"a jealous resentment of all stable life-forms,
or filthy rotten stinking samelings" HHGTTG

[ving]

ahhh! good old hitch hikers :)

[ving]

heres a link for kyou chris :)
http://www.vogon.com/guide/

[gbeal]

Vinger,
pop the covers off and have a squizz. If there is a small pile of metal filings, then yep, you may have damaged them. If not, then listen with the covers off for a while. It could be that only a few teeth are damaged if any, and this won't be immediately obvious, so says Sods Law.
Good luck,
Gary

[h0ughy]

no not cold, finger tired???nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. as for the mount do what ^^^^^^^ said

[Ric]

Hi Ving, hope the mount comes through unscathed, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

All the best

[ving]

had a look, all seems well. but when i lock the dec and give it a wiggle theres just the tiniest tiniest movement... is that ok or not?

[gbeal]

Maybe? But it is a compromise between having absolutely no movement with the gears tight as, and stalling the motor(s), or having them loose, and suffering a little backlash. I opt for slightly loose. The dec especially, as any adjustment for slightly off with your polar alignment will be all in the one direction anyway.

[acropolite]

Always said Nortons was trouble :P, hopefully there's no permanent damage.

[tailwag]

:bashcomp: Yes an amateur astronomers equipment is sacrosanct, I hope it is all okay.