HEQ5 Dec axis won't move

[RussellH]

Hi All,

I bought a 2nd hand HEQ5 Pro mount from a member here about a month ago. Between weather, work, buying a scope and awaiting parts to build an EQDirect cable, I've only just gotten around to powering it up today. The mount has a belt mod. When I plugged in the hand controller and just tried to move in RA and Dec, the RA axis moves OK, but when I try Dec movement, nothing happens.

I took off the motor covers and I can see the belt cog, belt, pulley and motor shaft all move, but there is no rotation of the axis.

Please tell me I am doing something wrong, and it's not a busted motor? :(

If it is a busted motor, anyone know how I get it replaced?

Thanks.
Russell.

[miker]

Is the clutch tightened/engaged?

[RussellH]

The lever that locks the axis in place? No, I can rotate the axis freely by hand.

[miker]

I think you need to lock the Dec axis just like the Ra axis otherwise the motor drive train has nothing to drive. Hope I am understanding correctly. I have an AZ-EQ6 and the clutches must be engaged to drive the scope.

[RussellH]

Oh realy? I thought nothing could move the axes if that was engaged. My RA is disengaged though and moves. I'll give it a quick try but I don't ant to strip anything in the process.

[RussellH]

DOH! USER ERROR AHEAD!!!

Thanks miker, :thumbsup: I don't understand why the RA moves whether it's engaged or not then. Maybe it's a weight distribution thing or something.

I guess the FAQ maintainers have a new dumb-question-of-the-week to add in now.

:thanx:
Russell.

[miker]

You might find that the Ra axis is actually locked/engaged a little bit. Just enough to let the motor drive the shaft. Let us know how you go.

[miker]

Not dumb at all, don't ask me how I knew the answer 😂.

[The_bluester]

What you may find is that there is unlocked and then there is "Unlocked" with the clutches. The axis should be free to move by hand with the clutch unlocked with more or less zero drag otherwise you may have issues with balancing the mount.

The clutches on these purely couple the drive between the ring gear that is driven by the worm (Which is on one of the shafts you could see turning) and the axis itself. They are not like some mounts which have a clutch and a friction lock to stop the axis moving when the clutch is dis engaged.

The clutches and support bearings for the two axis on the AZEQ6 that miker has are a different design to the EQ6 (I have the Orion branded version of the same mount) and in some ways are not as good as the EQ6. Simpler and better in other ways but for more serious astrophotography than I am doing now I can see a different mount in my future as they don't allow for the same degree of setup tuning.

[RussellH]

There doesn’t seem to be much movement between locked (the axis won’t moved) and unlocked (the axis moves with no change in resistance between close to the locked position and fully open). I’ll try and do ing tonight on whether there does seem to be any real difference anywhere along the travel, as I do have some balance questions, but that’s for a different thread.

[The_bluester]

The clutches are not all that progressive, the thread under the lever is putting tension on a brass button, more or less once it touches the other surface it is a fraction of a turn of the lever before it is tight.

[miker]

Russell, there is a pdf of the owners manual here...

https://inter-static.skywatcher.com/upfiles/en_download_caty01316546253.pdf

Might be some extra info.

Michael