EQ6 Pro noise

[gb_astro]

I auditioned two EQ6 Pros at a Sydney retailer last week and was disappointed with the amount of noise they made while tracking.
It was a sort of high pitched rythmic buzz.
Not very loud but there is no way could I listen to it all night.
The dealer's comment was that since they both made the same noise that's just how they are. My comment was perhaps he had two bad samples and
I thought the EQ6 had a reputation for being fairly quiet.

Any EQ6 Pro users out there care to comment on their mount's tracking noise?

thanks,
gb.

[Matty P (Matt)]

Originally Posted by gb_astro

I auditioned two EQ6 Pros at a Sydney retailer last week and was disappointed with the amount of noise they made while tracking.
It was a sort of high pitched rythmic buzz.
Not very loud but there is no way could I listen to it all night.
The dealer's comment was that since they both made the same noise that's just how they are. My comment was perhaps he had two bad samples and
I thought the EQ6 had a reputation for being fairly quiet.

Any EQ6 Pro users out there care to comment on their mount's tracking noise?

thanks,
gb.

Hi GB,

When I first recieved my EQ6 Pro I was worried with the noise it made while tracking as well. Everytime I slewed the mount the pitch would change and I thought I had a faulty EQ6. But I had read that other EQ6 owners experienced the same problem so I disregarded it.

They are still very quiet when being used and when being used out in the field, they're almost silent.

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

Mine makes noise as well especially while slewing to an object sounds like a turbine winding up and down. But from info from other users its normal.

Adrian

[AlexN]

It is perfectly normal.

When they are indoors somewhere it sounds alot worse than it does when you're out under the stars... Also, most of the time you have your laptop going and when you're sitting at the lappy, you wont even hear the EQ6...

The EQ6 has a reputation of being quiet, because compared to some other mounts, it is. Spend a night next to an LX200 and tell me how you feel!

[montewilson (Monte)]

The tracking noise is reminiscent of some kind of wierd electronic music. It is quite a strange sound. But yes the LX200 is in a league of its own when it come to noise.

My EM-200 makes no noise at all when tracking but is noticeable when slewing. The sound is bit like jet engine!

[h0ughy (David)]

get your hearing aid checked and turn it off...... yes it is high pitched, but is is so quiet compared to 80% of the mounts out there in the commercial arena. its very normal - I have owned 4 and had them tuned - it is a healthy whine!!! both the heq5pro i have and the eq6 pro are the same, I also have a g11

[Karls48 (Karl)]

You guys must have good hearing, I cannot hear it when it is tracking. But then I'm over 60.

[RB (Andrew)]

Yeah I think it's normal too.
Have a listen to some when next we meet at the pony club Greg and see how they sound.

Monte's spot on about the EM200, can't hear it at all when tracking but when slewing it reminds me of a very quiet dentist's drill.

Ohhhhh, and leave the pour LX200 alone, I like the noise it makes, reminds me of an elec.coffee grinder.....mmmmm

[gb_astro]

Ok guys, thanks for the feed back.
Another case of relativity I guess.

gb.

[qld]

Originally Posted by gb_astro

Ok guys, thanks for the feed back.
Another case of relativity I guess.

gb.

they are noisy only when they are not perfectly balanced.when you hit the sweet spot on balance you cant hear them...even slewing .inaddition to the 3 weights supplied you will need additional weights that you can addjust quickly,the additional weights will vary in weight depending where they are placed and the weight of the scope accesssories.it took me almost 12 months to find the sweet spot...but it is worth it qld

[Ian Robinson]

I heard a similar thing about Atluxs (slewing) , haven't powered mine up yet so I guess I'll find out.

So long as it doesn't disturb the local dogs or wake the neighbours , how bad can it be , and sounds do carry and sound worse outside at night when the ambient noises of traffic and people dies down (and sane folks are off in noddy land).

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

The noise of my mount pales into insignificance in the wee small hours when I turn on that damn hairdryer to clear up the optics!!!!

Sidereal rate kind of just chugs along on my EQ5 unnoticed!
Doug

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

The noise of my mount pales into insignificance in the wee small hours when I turn on that damn hairdryer to clear up the optics!!!!

Looking at your avatar, that's not surprising.
How strong is that thing?

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

I can hear mine while tracking it like *whine tick whine tick* but only if I put my ear on the mount. Looks a little strange I know.......

Adrian

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Originally Posted by RB

Looking at your avatar, that's not surprising.
How strong is that thing?

[Babalyon 5]

Mine makes a high pitched whine when I turn it on, like a fan or something inside of it, however, it is minimal. Compared to my old mount, an LXD55, its as quiet as a mouse, even when it plays its slewing music!!

[vash (Ashley)]

Mine makes the high pitched whistle type sounds, but wait till you get autoguiding, it's like a symphony.

[casstony]

I'm with you gb, tracking noise drives me nuts. I can't relax and have those special moments with the heavens.

The LX90 I used to own had just a slight murmur which was not to bad.

[bojan]

Guys, this is all perfectly normal.
The "music" is produced by microstepping (audio frequency current produced by PWM, which then rattles the motor windings) and it may be additionally amplified by the telescope tube acting as resonator (I had that experience with my bartelized dobson... the vibration coupling was actually so strong that it significantly affected the image under certain circumstances, so I had to add absorbers on the spider vanes to eliminate it).
BTW, my classic EQ6 (no synscan or goto or whatever, no microstepping used)) is perfectly silent, I can not hear it at all (nor can my daughter, and she has almost un-naturally sensitive ears). But, this may be because I still do not have my newtonian mounted on it.

[gb_astro]

Hi bojan.

I noticed this resonance effect as well.
I had a SLT 102 refractor mounted.
Put the lens cap on the SLT and with my ear close to the lens cap
it sounded like the low frequency hum of a transistor radio at low volume.

gb.