Large and Small

[raymo]

Good idea Rick, thank you.
raymo

[BruceG (Bruce)]

Why not try running the mount from EQMOD from a computer or laptop. Carte Du Ceil is free as is eqmod drivers - you just have to purchase the required cable. That would eliminate the hand controller at least.
Just a thought....

[raymo]

Everything concerning the hand set seems to be working fine. I am running it without a scope or counterweights, and it appears to be turning the mount head at 15 degrees per hour, as it should, so I am guessing
that with all the load on it something is slipping. Has nobody out there had this problem? I 'm going to put the scope and weights back on now and see how it tracks then. Report back later.
raymo

[raymo]

Well, it moved 15 degrees per hour with and without the scope and weights. tried again last night; got the P.A. down to a few minutes between clouds, which would normally allow subs of 50-60 secs. Lo and behold, star elongation after approx. 10-13 secs [depending on the breeze.] Looks like I will be confined to wide field work, which I don't particularly enjoy. I will try circumventing the handset Bruce. As you say, it will eliminate another possibility.
raymo

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

That's not good

Having belt modded my EQ6, I have a better (than nothing!) understanding of how my mount works. There's not a lot to them...the handset talks to the motor board, the motor board tells the motors what to do, the gears turn, and assuming the clutches are engaged, the mount turns.

With the standard gears in the mount, I don't see how they could randomly slip, as they are meshed together. Unless of course they are no longer meshed. Likewise the worm gear. Still, might be worth checking the worm gears are adequately meshed all the same. If you haven't already, checkout Astro Baby's mount guide http://www.astro-baby.com/heq5-rebuild/heq5-m1.htm

Puzzled

[raymo]

I didn't mean that the gears were slipping relative to each other; I
thought a gear might be slipping on it's shaft. I have checked , and all gears are secure on their shafts. I just don't understand how the tracking rate can be right [15degrees/ hour], and the tracking be so incredibly far out. It defies logic. There has to be something I'm not seeing.
Normally I could get 10 second subs just by plonking the tripod down on the marks I made on the concrete, now I can't get longer than 10-12 secs
after doing a pretty good P.A.
raymo

[BruceG (Bruce)]

Hi Raymo,
How are you measuring the 15 degrees per hour? a minute (tiny) error in rate may be easily missed, but when you are tracking a pinpoint source via a 1000mm or more focal length scope rate errors will appear dramatic.

[raymo]

Hi Bruce, I scribed a mark on the R.A. setting circle at as precisely 15 degrees as possible. The drive was accurate to that mark with or without
the scope and weights, and regardless of considerable pressure I applied to the weight shaft, either with or against the drive motor. I can only get
20 secs at best with my 400mm scope.[normally 200-240 secs ], which
means the tracking is way out. The difference in tracking rate is not tiny,it is huge. In my experience stepper motors do not run slow [or fast]. Now
I've had time to calm down, I'll have another go tonight. [clouds willing].
raymo

[BruceG (Bruce)]

If the mount is accurately working with goto (once you have completed the 2 or 3 star calibration routine - go to and from the calibration stars. If the only got error is due to guiding drift the I think you have to say it aint the mount but perhaps the hand controller. Aren't there any WA folk over there willing to lend you a hand control for a day or so? that should be the first thing to eliminate. Hey I can send you mine if you cant borrow one locally (I use EQMOD so rarely use the hand control).
Let me know if you don't get any local offers and we will make it happen.
Bruce.

[raymo]

Thankyou very much, very kind. Clouded out at the moment. The go to is
not bad; the object is normally somewhere in a 25mm EP F.O.V.
raymo