Heq5pro Slewing Problem

[RobF (Rob)]

Mine ran off once last night while I was aligning at a higher rate to centre on a star for 3 star alignment. Hopeing to get out again tonight (if wind, wife and sky alllow) before I decide on whether to ask for return.

Has anyone found a way to recover? I mean, if you're all aligned and it runs off you're pretty well screwed and have to cal all over again from what I can tell?

Starting to wish the budget would have stretched to an EQ6, sigh.

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

The new handset fixed my mount completely. It works just like it's supposed to.

Ive had it running night & day (tracking the Sun), parking it, 1,2 or 3 star alignment everything I can think of.

Perhaps the nature of the quality assurance of this and a lot of other gear is just to replace it, not repair at all.
I struggled a couple of weeks to make it work, to fix it, when it was beyond my control....just replace the handset.
It was good to get back to observing.

[jinxsta]

Hi all another way I found to cure my problems apart from reversing hand controller lead was go and get a cat 6 patch cable from dicksmiths the connections seem nice and tight and I haven't had one problem yet except the the cat 6 cable is stiffer than the coiled cable. Just make sure its not a cross over cable as there is 2 wires reversed in the pinouts and may damage the mount or hand controller.
I got the 10 meter cable only cause Ive got a perment peir set up and the hand controller sits next to the pc.
One other thing the black square case on the hand controller lead is some sort of noise surpressor it looks like a magnet but isn't (someone more electronically minded maybe able to clear up the name) so it might be possiable that some sort of electrical garbage is upsetting the hand controller ? unsure just a thought.

Jinxsta

[danielsun]

Originally Posted by RobF

Mine ran off once last night while I was aligning at a higher rate to centre on a star for 3 star alignment. Hopeing to get out again tonight (if wind, wife and sky alllow) before I decide on whether to ask for return.

Has anyone found a way to recover? I mean, if you're all aligned and it runs off you're pretty well screwed and have to cal all over again from what I can tell?

Starting to wish the budget would have stretched to an EQ6, sigh.

No RobF, once it runs away I have to switch it off and start over and the thing is that some times when my mount runs away there is no way of me stopping it unless I hit the kill switch.
and it's not just the HEQ5's, I just sold one which was perfect to get my EQ6 pro which has the problems.
I also know it is not a power supply problem because I have a 2.5 amp power supply and also a 17amp/hr jump pack and my mount has played up with both.

Cheers Daniel

[danielsun]

Other than Stand alone mode problems and runaway slews does anyone else have the problem of the DEC axis not moving at all during some slews?
And some of the lights on my hand controller have blacked out.

[RobF (Rob)]

I'm going to have to get on to Andrew's next week.

Another 3 hr session tonight, and had a lot of trouble getting an inital 3 star alignment. At one stage I looked down and caught the LEDs on the handset dim, brighten, dim without me touching anything which definitely looked like connection problems again to me.

Tried a soft piece of tubing to wedge mount end connection and a new rubber/felt wedge at handset end. Also put a large rubber band around coiled cord at mount end to take up tension rather than mount connection holding it. Thought that had it fixed for an hour or so, but on 3 separate occasions fine slewing started to wander until I gently tweaked cable near handset end - sure it wasn't hard enough to disturb the connection - I'm starting to wonder about a broken wire in the coil.

Didn't stop me doing what I wanted to tonight, but not good enough for a new mount.

[RobF (Rob)]

Daniel (Jinxsta), have you actually replaced your cable with that cat6, or extended?

Daniel(sun), I agree high speed slews you can't stop unless you power off - escape doesn't work. Tonight a had a few low speed wanders that I seemed to be able to recover from though.

Geoff - you lucky bugger - sure you don't want to send that handset and cable to Brissy for a few months "quality control"?

[jinxsta]

I replaced the coiled handset controler with the cat 6 network cable its great cause I can just sit at the laptop and not have to get up and down.

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

No

Although I got this from BINTEL I've bought heaps from ANDREWS they have always been very helpful

The factory must find its cheaper to replace bits and pieces rather than extra QA step..opps doesn't work thy this one. It generally works too, the prices for astro technology is very cheep compared to 10-15 years ago

[pjphilli (Peter)]

Hi Geoff
Next time you switch on could you note your Version number and let us know? I recently installed Version 3.23 and this seemed to fix my problems - but time will tell!
Cheers Peter

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

Peter,
Version 3.23
Good Luck

[pjphilli (Peter)]

Hi Geoff - thanks for the info.
Hi Rob - If you are going to contact Andrew Lees, ask for Luke who is his astro "expert". Luke has a degree in Astro Physics and is working toward his Master's degree. He is friendly and knowledgeable and by now may have some clues as to your problem as he may have had some feedback from others with similar problems. I would be interested to know the results of your contact in due course.
Cheers Peter

[RobF (Rob)]

It was the cable.

Replaced today with Dick Smith 5m cat 6 and its taken everything I've thrown at it tonight for hours (first time ever).

Only one session, but fits with what I was starting to zero in on from last couple of sessions - twisting the cable where it fits into the plastic plug seemed to fix/break connection. All that pain for a @#$!$# cable.

Speculation - EQ6 owners have a decent serial plug on one end, so 50% less chance of these sorts of issues. The coiled cable is quite soft and only held lightly in the socket (much less robust than average run of the mill network cable). Gradual twisting stress as mount pivots around eventually breaks contact (especially as mount is in high speed slew).

Thanks Daniel

Originally Posted by pjphilli

Hi Geoff - thanks for the info.
Hi Rob - If you are going to contact Andrew Lees, ask for Luke who is his astro "expert". Luke has a degree in Astro Physics and is working toward his Master's degree. He is friendly and knowledgeable and by now may have some clues as to your problem as he may have had some feedback from others with similar problems. I would be interested to know the results of your contact in due course.
Cheers Peter

Yes Peter - have talked to both Luke and Lee over the phone now and both extremely helpful - one of the reasons I bought from Andrews. I guess I should try and get my cable replaced - haven't called yet - wanted to see how cat6 went first.

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

"Speculation - EQ6 owners have a decent serial plug on one end, so 50% less chance of these sorts of issues. The coiled cable is quite soft and only held lightly in the socket (much less robust than average run of the mill network cable). Gradual twisting stress as mount pivots around eventually breaks contact (especially as mount is in high speed slew)."

I have Argonavis with the same plug and it cops a hiding for years
When I was mucking about with mine, I tried a different cable from Dick Smith with out success

GOOD NEWS
Keep having fun

[pjphilli (Peter)]

Hi Rob - Great news - patience and perseverance eh?
Although my mount appears to be going OK I will keep a close watch
on that connecting cable. The type of plug/socket used is most unsuitable
for connections where there is movement. Why they went away from the miniature D type plugs/sockets which have proved reliable over many years?
- probably cost I suppose. Cheers Peter

[pjphilli (Peter)]

Hi
Apart from problems noted in previous replies I would like to replace the lead that came with my HEQ5Pro with a longer lead. I see that the JayCar catalogue has Cat 5e flexible patch leads, RJ45 to RJ45 of my required length of 2 metres. Is Cat 6 cable necessary or would one of these leads be OK?
Cheers Peter

[jinxsta]

pjphilli cat 5e patch cable should work. The diference between cat 5e and cat 6 is the higher standard of cabling, cable etc as long as its a patch cable and not a cross over cable I can't see a problem but I must stress I have not actually pluged in a cat 5e cable just my 2 cents worth but I would like a softer cable to run to mount will look for a cat 5e cable to for my self.

[Tandum (Robin)]

My EQ6 arrived today so I now have a spare handset and controller to see what makes a difference. Unfortunately, due to my broken foot, I'm still not allowed to walk for another month

[pjphilli (Peter)]

Thanks Daniel
At $5.25 the 5e patch cable is worth a punt so I will get one when I am in town next week, try it and report here on the results.
Cheers Peter

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Tandum

My EQ6 arrived today so I now have a spare handset and controller to see what makes a difference. Unfortunately, due to my broken foot, I'm still not allowed to walk for another month

Hot to it, don't you have another foot?