EQ6 Rebuild

[Mike]

OK I have finally managed to get some replacement shims for my EQ6 from a guy in the US who makes sets of them for $6 (including postage). So, weekend after next I will be stripping down and rebuilding my EQ6 for the second time in an attempt to get rid of the weird tracking issues I have been having.

Hopefully I will then be able to finally get back to doing some imaging, especially now the nice dark skies are here. It's been way too long !!

I will keep you posted.

[Mike]

OK, completely stripped the mount down over the weekend. It is now in pieces all over my kitchen table.

What I foudn was that one of the bearings had seized up. I took the dust caps off and the grease inside was a strange brown colour with hard bits in. A good clean out with white spirit and a regrease has got it back to normal. I am wondering if this was the cause of my weird guiding errors.

I also found that the shims had degraded and had cracked putting small flecks of white plastic all over the place, including near the teeth of the worm ! Not good.

Anyway, everything has now been given a good clean out with white spirit, swarfega and washing up liquid and has ahd a good dry. It is now all ready for a regerase and reassemble, including new shims (once I find my digital micrometer in the garage somewhere). Hopefully the mount will be back in full working order for the weekend to carry out some tests.

I have also ordered the EQDIR Mod from the states (Shoestring) so I can do away with the hand-unit and operate everything from the laptop (thanks for the advice Chris). This apparently gives a much easier alignment routine, greater control and more accurate GoTo and guiding.


b.t.w. The Paramount ME is down to £7500 - mmmmm, wonder what I can sell......

[Rocket Pooch]

Well done, did you change the RA worm end barings?  they are £8 for new units!

When you put it together can you do a PE measurement it would be interesting to see what it is.

[Mike]

No I didn't. Apart from the brown gunk inside one of them (the grease in the others was clean and looked fine) all of the beaarings seem fine to me.

I fully intend on doing a PE Graph for my own curiousity so I will post it up here once it's done.

[JohnP]

I look forward to seeing how you get on with the EQMod as well..... John

[Ian]

Mike, I've got a digital vernier caliper and a micrometer if you can't find yours...

[Rocket Pooch]

Mike, I've got a digital vernier caliper and a micrometer if you can't find yours...

Is that a gag about Mike's manhood?

[Mike]

Oy!! 

Just ordered a Cordless Gamepad too to control the EQDIR/MOD

[Rocket Pooch]

Did you get the rumblepad?  I did it works from 30 meters away

[Mike]

Yeah the guys on the UKAI Forum that had the EQ-MOD recommended the Cordless Logitech Rumblepad II so that is what i've ordered.



I believe there is also another Mod called EQ-DEFCON that allows you to use the Gamepad and a high powered laser on the top of the mount to shoot down aircraft and satellites when you get bored of imaging. It's a bit pricey though so i'm not sure about that one just yet.

[Rocket Pooch]

Actualy I was mucking around with mine in the summer with the lens cap off trying to burn a spider, its a long story involving wine.

Karen was not impressed.

[Ian]

I don't suppose the spider was too impressed either...

did you get it?

[Rocket Pooch]

No didn't get it, I was trying to reinact a scene from Diamonds are Forever.

[Rick]

Now where did I read that story about the person who turned the laser out of a DVD burner into a pointer, and burned his fingers with it?

[Mike]

There is a website somewhere that gives full instructions into how to turn a maglite into a laser weapon by replacing the bulb with the laser from a DVD Writer. There is also a video showing the guy popping a balloon with it from about 3 feet away. I think you can find it on YouTube.