EQ6 - Aaaarrrrrggghhh!

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

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 (Robin)]

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 (Peter)]

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 (Jeanette)]

Get well soon little mount.

See if you can borrow a hand controller to test.

[Tandum (Robin)]

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 (Peter)]

Originally Posted by Terry B

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

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 (Ian)]

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

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Originally Posted by 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

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; .
It's just very frustrating that it should "fail to proceed" after giving such great results for such a long time.

[I.C.D (Ian)]

Originally Posted by 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; .
It's just very frustrating that it should "fail to proceed" after giving such great results for such a long time.

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