EQ6 - Aaaarrrrrggghhh!

[Waxing_Gibbous]

I have an EQ6 Pro that has performed flawlessly for the entire two years I've had it. Never missed a beat.
It has been idle for two months but I recently took it out and gave it a run.
It was working last Saturday.
Now it's not.
Symptoms are, well, one only really - I can press any arrow I like at any speed rate and it goes nowhere. Doesn't even whine or groan.
Power connection is OK. Connector cable and contacts - ditto.
The hand controller accepts input just fine.
There is a amall rattle in the controller that wasn't there yesterday!

I'm hoping it's just the HC, but if anyone else has had a similar experience with a different cause, I'd really like to hear it before I, a) splurge on a new one and / or b) head over to astrobaby.com for strip-down instructions.

Thanks.

[Tandum]

Peter,
Mine stopped a few months back. I just took it back to the dealer and they fixed it for free. I believe they have a 5 year warranty :)
robin.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

I'd give that a try except I bought it from another IISer and I'm not sure if the warranty is transferable or if it's still covered. I certainly don't have the original receipt.
I might try Synta direct as they were very helpful with my old EQ5.
Did 'they' give you any idea of the fault?

[jjjnettie]

:( Get well soon little mount.

See if you can borrow a hand controller to test.

[Tandum]

Nope. They kept the handset and I took the mount home. Got the Hset back a couple of weeks later.

[Terry B]

Do you have an EQDIR or eqivalent to try and use the scope without the handset?
This would test to motors etc.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Next on the list!
I'll have to wrestle the laptop from my wife as the PC is about 20 metres away from the mount.

[MattT]

Have you tried blowing on the connecting bits and plugging them back in? Still works on my computer.... most of the time.

[I.C.D]

Hey Peter how is your power have got full voltage ,they can do some funny thing on low power .
Mind runs of a 12volt battery with a 12volt to 17volt transformer I have had no trouble with mine since
I.C.D
:thumbsup:

[Waxing_Gibbous]

That's a good point. I run mine off a Celestron Powertank (basically a truck battery with a night-light) and it'a normally fine.
We only have 2 phase mains here, so turning on the kettle adversely affects the mount;:rolleyes: .
It's just very frustrating that it should "fail to proceed" after giving such great results for such a long time.

[I.C.D]

Peter the 12v /17v I am using a 12volt laptop power supply (best $70 spent)the good thing about it is even if the main battery voltage drops to 9/10 volts the power supply will still put out 12/ 15 volts and keep the mount working.
My observatory is solar powered with one 80 watt panel and 3 6volt 200ah batterys it run,s every thing laptop,mount,camera lights and fans.


Ian .C :thumbsup: