Mine is permanently on and gets lots of use. I struck a problem with the screw catching when I thought I had loosened it enough - so when I wound manually, it would catch against the motor.
Took the screw out and filed the end again to a nice flat surface, checked the plastic spacer wasn't all "butchered" - it wasn't - put the screw back and it's been fine since - I just ensure I've screwed the screw out far enough, but no so far it comes out and falls into the grass
I've developed the practice of keeping the screw head right in front - no good having it rotated behind where you cannot undo it. So all rough focussing is done manually, then tighten up the screw for the motor-driven fine adjustment which is never more that a few degrees of rotation back and forward so the screw head stays accessible, in front.
Now, I mush get a longer lead - that has become a problem. I've been hanging it off the motor, but if I leave it swinging, I get seasick looking through the eyepiece
So I place it against the finderscope bracket - but it's inclined to fall down occasionally or gets in the way when I want to use my laser to align the scope.
Looks like I need a metre uncoiled lead. Ken, I think they are standard telephone handset connectors - is that RJ12 whereas the telephone cable connection is RJ11 - help anyone?