I can't believe you only have little over 500 subs. These are some of the best, and most detailed astronomy equipment videos I have seen yet. Keep it up.
I would like to thank the author of this video (I am speaking generically because it was a list of videos that led me to this result) for his work and for having helped me to greatly improve my HEQ5 setup. Previously it drove with about 3.0" RMS and could barely capture anything. Combined with the terrible seeing here and the brightness of the city (Bortle 8), I kept trying for 6 years and almost gave up astrophotography. Well, I tried to make a last effort and cleaned and lubricated the HEQ5, installed Rowan's belt kit and changed the Hypertune's bearings. In the last few days I had open skies and was able to test the results. The HEQ5 is incredibly accurate, averaging 0.4" RMS and easily holding 0.3" RMS if you have a good guiding star (the seeing here is still very bad). Yesterday I managed to reach 0.28" RMS with a wind of about 5 to 10 km / h capturing the nebula of the lagoon (Messier 8). I am very happy and will continue strong and steady in search of new catches. If you also have the same problems I have, believe that they can be solved.
Very informative video, I doubt SkyWatcher would never compile this information for an owner. I notice you used "High Temperature: lithium grease, in a cold climate this could create additional friction. As a Losmandy GM8, owner, this video makes me appreciate how easy it is to service Losmandy equipment.
You mention this very briefly, but I think if you are going to do a full tear down and rebuild, it's worth replacing the small worm gear bearings (689 2RS ceramic hybrid ball bearing). Both Dark Frame and Astro Baby suggest replacing these are worth it, while replacing the main axis bearings only need to be done if there are noticeable problems. The four small bearings are quite inexpensive, as you point out, while replacing the 6 or 8 large ones is significantly more. The small ones obviously rotate much more and I believe they are also under quite a bit of radial load so likely get more internal damage. Also, any axial movement of the small bearings translates directly into rotation of the main gear and radial movement changes the engagement of the worm gear. The large axial bearings (6006 2RS1 SKF deep groove ball bearing) don't really contribute to any rotational error, unless there is a tremendous amount of stiction.
@@martinsastrophotography I thought you might have changed the 4 small ones since I didn't see you actually clean them. Did you also eventually change the 6 large axial bearings (6006 2RS)? I noticed on one website (bearings online) they say the SKF and FAG bearings are sealed for life with a rubber seal on both sides. I started to wonder whether opening up the old ones was really a good idea because they probably don't reseal perfectly so might eventually start leaking grease, especially in very hot weather.
@@douglassmith1215 I found that it was easy to remove the seals, clean them up and re-grease/reseal them, but if in any doubt I would certainly replace them with new ones. They are not expensive.
@@martinsastrophotography One last thing: one HEQ5 Pro rebuild video that is probably not looked at enough is the one from Ivan Ionov. It is in Russian so hard to follow (even with the auto translate subtitles turned on). But he shows a few nice tricks and in particular drew my attention to the fact that a careful inspection of the worm gear is a good thing to do. On his mount, during final assembly, he noticed a bit of stickiness at a particular spot on the worm gear rotation. He managed to track this down to a small burr on the worm gear (which I think he filed down). The relevant part of the video is around here: ua-cam.com/video/xVyenl37gXk/v-deo.html
I returned to this video yesterday having finally decided to tackle the dec. axis concern I've been living with. When balancing the dec. axis the rotation seemed sluggish or damped compared to the smooth, free rotation of the RA axis. My mount was purchased new in late 2020. I was pleased to find, when I disassembled the dec. axis, a reasonable amount of grease had been used. It appears to be a clear synthetic grease similar to the Super Lube I had on hand. All the bearings turned smoothly as one expects and the "drag" or "dampening" was caused by the heavy load of grease between the brass gear's drum and the aluminum housing. Just wiping some of it off the gear and out of the mating area made the rotation free and smooth. I did put a quick wipe of Super Lube in place of the heavy coat I removed, but not enough to impair the smooth rotation. Having read accounts of folks either finding a lot of heavy grease in their mount's bearings, or worse, no grease at all, I was pleased to find my mount seemed mostly appropriately greased with a "modern" grease and free of swarf. Now I have to wait for a clear night to see if my tracking is improved or not. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this video.
Martin, Brilliant video and easy to follow. I have just completed my Dec service during which I replaced all the bearings with new. I had just two problems the first was down to a bit of corrosion on the shaft. The bearing between the red washer and the body of the mount came out with the shaft and proved difficult to budge so I ended up spraying a bit of D40 on the shaft and eventually the bearing released. The second problem I encountered was with the button on the Dec clutch, it didn't go back in square and I had to dismantle everything to push it through and start again. The second time I pushed the button in from the back before attaching the worm gear. Otherwise a long overdue service, tomorrow I will try the RA axis.
I stripped down my HEQ5 Pro today following your UA-cam video. Now, it's working nicely, the bearings move much smoother than before. Thanks for your details explanation. Next, I will follow your UA-cam video to tune the backlash. Thanks your so much.
Fantastico tutorial. Aunque tengo verdadero panico a desmontar la montura de mi HEQ5 pro, creo que lo vere un par de veces mas y me lanzare!!!. Enhorabuena por el tutorial.
Hi Martin, just want to say thank you for taking the effort for making this video. I have just recently fully stripped down and rebuilt my HEQ5 Pro, works better than it ever has. Thank you for your excellent guidance and detailed content. Regards Matt
There is a special tool that is easily bought called a "lens spanner wrench". It is used to fit into the little slotted ring that holds camera lenses in place. They typically come with a variety of tips to fit into different sized slots and the distance between the tips can be varied. It's a must have tool for many projects (telescope, microscopes, etc) that involve lenses or other precision parts. I suspect it will likely work in place of the "special socket tool" mentioned in the video (although I have not yet attempted this project).
On my HEQ5 Pro , the allen bolts are imp sizes. I adjusted the tapered roller bearings, but it still a little stiff in dec, so I will do a full bearing change as I can hear a slight noise from the dec bearings
So I wondered why the RA scale ring and the polar scope were not fitting snugly against the housing. Using this guide I’ve stripped everything down and found the clear washer is missing which in turn makes the shaft protrude to far out where the polar scope goes. I’ve managed to order spares and fingers crossed it’ll all go back together soon. Thanks for another useful video 👍
Just a note, I had some issues taking off the worm drive, so I had to remove both float adjustment screws. When you do another maintenance maybe add a small section on correctly aligning and adjusting the float screws from both sides. It's not too tricky, just a bit more precaution needed.
Hi ! thank you very much for this video that make me confident enough to stripdown my HEQ5. I would like to say for everyone that struggle to put back the gear on the shaft or the ball bearings in the gear : You can put the inside piece in the fridge and the outside piece to warm a little in the oven (40°C or 100°F is enough) and everything can easily be rebuilt without forcing or hammer :) (this could be added to the video, I really struggled with that)
AS a mechanic, its hard to belive that this mount requires that maintanance. But i Like the way people take care of the parts, so that IT can Last a Lifetime. provided the plastic belt does not become brittle.
They don’t always require it. I started taking mine apart primarily to learn what was inside. That done, it’s reassuring to know that I can take it apart and sort any issues that arise in the years to come. The belts last a long time provided they are not over tensioned. Clear Skies.
If only Martin you can make a video on tuning the unmodified HEQ5's gear meshing ... I couldn't be more grateful for that! Though I've already ordered the belt mod however due to the covid and international transportation it looks like a long wait for me...
Hi Martin Thanks for a Brilliant and easy to understand video on this HEQ5 Pro strip down. I have just purchased a second hand, older version of this mount with all origional gears etc. I am going to have a go at this myself, and I have all the tools. May I ask if you have a video of doing this strip down without the Rowan mod? Thanks very much anyway. Keith
Maybe I need to get the Rowan kit? Infact - its the first thing I will do! I was straying away from the Rowan kit as I wanted to buy the upgraded PUK and Saddle. My one just has 2 screws which presses on the dovetail. Thanks for your help. k
@@TinwhistleDYes , I recommend you get the Rowan Belt Mod upgrade. The mount moves much more smoothly and quietly, and some of the backlash is eliminated. The other upgrade is nice but not as important.
I’ve been taking apart and reassembling a 13 year old Orion EQ-G mount that isn’t in the best shape. After putting the RA axis back together, I can see a pretty large (maybe 3 mm?) strip of the brass worm gear in between the alt/azimuth base and the worm carrier. It feels wrong, but I can’t tell if that’s just how it should all fit together. Thank you!
Hi Maya. I agree that doesn't sound right. I suspect something is not properly engaged. Best bet is to take it apart again and take a careful look at things during re-assembly. Sorry I can't be of more help than that. Clear Skies!
Awesome job Martin, thank you so much! Glad to know it's "Darkframe" approved. They do have upgraded bearings and worm gear. Do you know where we can get those?
Thanks for that. Here's what I know : Bearings: Available (in the UK at least) from ‘Bearings online’ www.bearings-online.co.uk Worm bearings : 689 2RS Ceramic Hybrid Bearing 9x17x5 @ £2.80 each (4 off) (SKF are the high end ones!) Worm Gear and Main shaft bearings : 6006 2RS1 SKF Deep Groove Ball Bearing 30x55x13 @ £5.05 each (6 off) Declination shaft, Tapered Roller Bearing : 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing @ £7.49 (1 off) Grease: ‘Geoptik Equatorial Mount Grease Kit’ Rother Valley Optics. Costs £18
Hello Martin, Can you do a strip down and rebuild of the Skywatcher Star Adventurer sometime? I'm glad I found your channel because your videos have taught me as well as help me make decisions on equipment. I am new to astrophotography. I have a Star Adventurer with a sticky/spotty rotating clutch. Considering an HEQ5. Thank-you for your good work. Best Regards Bob B. (PA, USA)
Hi Robert, Thanks for your positive feedback. I’m glad my videos have been helpful. Sadly I cannot strip down the Star Adventurer as it belongs to a friend of mine and I don’t think he will be keen. Clear Skies!
I was doing the belt drive upgrade and decided to inspect the worm gears while I was working on the mount - mostly because I couldn't get a satisfactory backlash adjustment on the RA axis. I could get the grub screws adjusted for no backlash, but when I tightened down the three bolts on the worm gear housing things got a bit too tight. I didn't appear to have any binding when I did the 360 test, so I may try again. In your video at the 1:06:15 mark you make note of a clear washer/spacer - I do not appear to have that. It was not stuck to the worm or the red spacer. I wonder if they have increased the thickness of the red spacer?
Hi there. Yes, the worm carrier often shifts a bit when you tighten the three large bolts, so it can take a few attempts to get it right. With the belt mod you can easily remove the belt then test how smoothly it moves by turning the gear on the end of the worm by hand.. Not sure about the clear/red washer issue. A question for Skywatcher I think.
Hi Martin just discovered your channel and subbed. Very useful video. On another comment you give a list of the bearings needed but do not mention the roller bearing for the RA just the Dec. Is this the same or is there a reason its not listed?
Hi there. Thanks for subscribing and for your question. The RA and DEC worm gear and main shaft bearings are all 30x55x13 (e.g. 6006 2RS1 SKF Deep Groove Ball bearing). The smaller worm bearings are all 9x17x5 (e.g. 689 2RS). The tapered roller bearing on the declination shaft is a 30205 (e.g. 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing). All are available at low cost online. Hope this helps. Clear Skies.
Hi Martin, thanks a lot for your very informative and enjoyable videos. Using them a lot. I am using a HEQ5-PRO and am struggling with backlash. I have completely rebuilt the unit with all new bearings, however cannot completely overcome the issue. Main challenge is that backlash is not even over the full circumference of the dec-axis. Once I get "backlash-free", I have binding on abt half of the circumference, solving the binding, I have backlash on the other part, what could I possibly do? Thanks and best regards, Math
Hi there. If the backlash varies then the large Dec gear is more elliptical than you would like. If the mount is new, I would suggest you try to quantify the backlash difference between the two sides and then get back to the supplier asking if this is in spec or not, then seek a replacement if it is out of spec.
Thanks Martin, the mount is out of warranty, what I will do is measure the Dec axis and, if out of spec, buy a new one. Where would you suggest to purchase one? Thanks, Math
Hi Martin thanks for the very comprehensive HEQ5 stripdown/rebuild video. I have now replaced all the bearings on my HEQ5pro RA axis and its moving a lot better. I still think that the rotation is a bit dampened. I have read that too much grease can be as bad as too little. Is it possible to improve free rotation by using less grease? Alternatively I was thinking of upgrading to a set of hydrid ceramic bearings. I have checked online and the prices vary greatly. When you upgraded to hybrid ceramic bearings which ones did you go for and from where? Thanks again Bryon
@@martinsastrophotography Hi Martin I have managed to track down a set of 6006 2RS and 689 2RS ceramic hybrid ball bearings at a reasonable price. They come lightly greased and rated up to 14,000 rpm. As they will only be doing a few revs per evening and are claimed to be 'self lubricating' is there a case for running them dry/near dry. How did you set yours up? Thanks Bryon.
After watching the video again I think I'm going to dare. Would it be possible for you to describe the necessary bearings? Different references appear in different videos. I would appreciate a description of what is needed in both DEC and AR axis. I would like to have them bought when I disassemble it. Thank you very much and greetings.
New bearings are surprisingly low cost! Here are the details: 1) Worm Bearings are 9x17x5. I replaced mine with '689 2RS' Ceramic Hybrid Bearings. SKF make high-end ones I believe. 2) Worm gear and main shaft bearings are 30x55x13. I used the '6006 2RS1' Deep Groove Ball Bearing from SKF. 3) Declination shaft tapered bearing is 30205. I used a 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing. 4) The best grease to use is probably the Geoptik Equatorial Mount 2-part Grease Kit. However I used a multi-purpose Lithium Grease that is good down to -15C. If you think your gears will get colder than that, I suggest finding something rated to a colder minimum temperature. I hope it goes well Paco.
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you very much for the reply. Could you please clarify some doubts? the bearings of both axes (RA and DEC) are d3 the same size? and the other question is the number of bearings of each type, 689, 6006 and 30205, I understand that they would be 4, 6 and 2 respectively. Thanks, again
@@pacoand4911 Yes, they are the same size. The video displays the bearing types as text overlays, and you can also see how many there are by watching it. There are four ‘689’ worm bearings, one tapered ‘30205’ bearing, and I think there are four of the 6006 bearings, but you should check the video to be sure. I made it a long time ago!
Hi Martin. Opende the ra axis and removed bearings and spacer. In your video There is a thin transparant washer. There is no such washer in my mount. Could that be an issue? Thanks for your advice, Math
Probably not. If it was not there before then do not worry. Sky-Watcher may well have adjusted the design slightly at some point in production between when my mount was manufactured and when yours was manufactured. If you really want to know for sure, then this is a question for Sky-Watcher customer service. Clear Skies!
Hi Martin, your HEQ5 videos are a great help for new HEQ5 owners. Mine was delivered with a lot of nasty particles visible through the polar alignment scope. May I suggest disassembly, cleaning and reassembly of the polar scope as a future topic?
Hi there. Thanks for the nice comment. I will add that idea to my list! Main thing is to take great care with the small round glass reticule inside the polar scope. It’s held in by three small grub screws. You need to unscrew the whole polar scope from the mount first. Then carefully loosen the 3 grub screws without letting the reticule fall out. Then carefully tip it out onto a soft clean surface. Then you can use an air blower (or if you have to a cotton bud) to remove the particles. Do not touch the glass with your fingers! Always hold it by its edges. Hope this helps!
@@martinsastrophotography thank you! The main thing I am worried about when taking it apart is if there's any issue aligning the graticule within the polar scope or the entire polar scope rotationally about the RA axis when reassembling it.
@@aTillasSister I understand. This is not at all critical provided you do your polar alignment the way I demonstrate in my polar alignment video. If you do it that way, the only consideration when orientating the graticule in the polar scope is the orientation of your telescope during polar alignment. I positioned mine so that the RA is about 20 degrees away from the home position simply so I don’t bang my head on my telescope during polar alignment!! :)
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks, your polar alignment method should be in the manual! If I get my choice of how to align the reticule, it would be to align it so that the 0 is at the top when the counterweight hangs down under gravity, but as you say using your method it doesn't matter any more. BTW I use a Neewer right angle viewer and a 3d printed connector, designed for iOptron but it also fits Star Adventurer and HEQ5. The right angle viewer rotates and so you can get to a convenient angle.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, the method in the manual is very old fashioned and does not exploit the excellent smartphone apps now available. Yes, those diagonal eyepieces for the polar scopes are much more comfortable on your neck!!!! My friend has one, but I don’t.....yet!
awesome video! I'm right in thinking the two worm gear sets are identical right? I only ask because I did a tune on my HEQ5 and the tracking has been awful ever since. :( I'm wondering if I accidently didn't put the gears in the same axis they came from...upon visual inspection they look identical!
Thanks for that. I don't recall if they are identical, but I can tell you for sure that the RA worm pulley has 47 teeth and the RA worm gear has 135 teeth. This should be sufficient info for you to check you have the correct parts in the correct place. Do you have the Rowan Belt mod?
Note that Rowan Engineering have changed the diameter of the RA motor pulley slightly, as it was not quite correctly matched to the tooth pitch on the pulley belt. I found this out when I called them about an RA oscillation I was seeing with 13.58 second period that was driving me nuts! They sent me a new motor pulley for free!
Grat Martin, it's a very useful video. But I have a problem with the built-in motor control panel. After switch on: "Both axes...no response". Okay, a new panel can solve this problem, but it's a little bit expansive. Do You have any advice, what to do? Prhaps a wiring diagram, setting values, etc. Many THX!
I opened my RA axis. It was hard for me to insert the worm into the base of the mount, and now the mount does not rotate despite the removal of the clutch. Do you know why?
I purchased a second hand heq5 which I am about to order the full bearing kit. In your original description of the roller bearing you said "30225 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing" but in one of the comments you said "The tapered roller bearing on the declination shaft is a 30205 (e.g. 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing)" I relies this is a typo but I want to get the right parts. Is it 30205 or 30225? Thanks Phil
Absolutely the right choice if you don’t feel confident in doing it yourself. I know Dave Woods at DarkFrame and he is excellent. I actually consulted him before publishing this video to ensure I was doing it right.
@@martinsastrophotography im not too far away 90min drive to him ye seems like a top guy as you said , hah i know i would mess it up ive just had to shell out on a new polarscope as it didnt go too well in calibrating process , if the scope i get isnt on the money il ask DLO if he would be so kind to align it for me
Can you tell us what’s changed? I literally stripped my mount last week based on your previous tutorial so keen to understand if there’s anything extra I should do without having to watch the full video?
Diellur Hi there. See the description... It’s the removal of the seals on the sealed bearings so you can remove the old grease, clean out the bearing and pack it with new grease. If your mount runs nicely, I recommend you don’t strip it all down again...just note the change for next time.
No more often than every 2 years I suggest. But the main thing is how smoothly it rotates and if it’s bad what’s the cause. Once it’s apart it hopefully becomes more obvious where the problems lie.
@@martinsastrophotography i have my Eqm35-pro goto for 1 year and 5 months at the moment is still performing good. I tested 2 nights ago also with a heavier telescope an Rc 6inch 152/1370 i thinknibhad like 7.5 kg weight with my other accesories and i was surprised how did it tracked orion nebula i took exposures of 60 sec unguided using only the mount sidereal tracking. Andndid obtain a very nice result. I also tested on Mars
It depends how much debris has built up in the worm gears. A star is such a small spot of light that it does not take much disturbance to the worm drive movement to throw the pointing off by a significant amount.
@@martinsastrophotography It makes sense. I have no intuition in this field. It is interesting and challenging to track to 1/3600th of a degree. I'm guessing the autoguiding software is used as a measure of the performance.
@@Martinko_Pcik Yes, you’re right. It measures how much the guide star moves around on the sensor. Provide the pixel spacing of the sensor is significantly smaller than the movement, this shows how well we are tracking the sky.
Martin, any idea why when I tighten down the setscrew (thumbscrew?) against the RA setting circle it increases the force required to turn the mount in RA? It's as if tightening down too snugly causes (something to) drag on the polar axis. (the mount is brand new - received it a few weeks ago). It came to my attention as I was aligning the RA circle (with the DEC axis horizontal and level) with the indicator on the mount while finding the home position. When I tightened the setscrew (as SW calls it in their manual for this mount) and rotated the polar axis the RA setting circle rotated with the polar axis and then released and remained stationary while the mount continued to be rotated - I expected that the setting circle would remained fixed relative to the mount body. Upon tightening further I noticed the RA rotation became more difficult. (no counterweight or scope mounted at the time). I was hoping to be able to use the mount for a while before having to "tune" it. (and we've had one clear night since I received it)
Hi David. If you polar align the way I explain in my video then the only use that remains for the RA setting circle is to assist with turning the mount head in RA from ‘horizontal’ to ‘vertical’ when finding the home position. I find the setting circle thumbscrew must be loose when I do this. However, if you draw a cunning pair of small black marker lines (with a thin tip permanent black marker pen) where the mount head meets the base (so one line stays stationary and the other moves when you turn the RA) such that they align with each other in the home position then you can use them instead to find the home position and you can forget about the RA setting circle and leave its thumbscrew loose. Problem eliminated!
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks Martin. It's the "cunning pair of small black marker lines" I was working towards when I came across the issue of the tightened screw dragging on the RA axis. So, I too, will ignore RA circle once I've got lines drawn.
Hi Martin, what do you think about the use of Lithium Grease? Some sites say to not use Lithium grease but use PTFE based grease. The reason they give is that in a telescope mount the grease is most of the time not "active", only now and then during very slow movements and the effect is then that it will "separate" (= oil coming out ...). In fast moving mechanics Lithium Grease is good, but not in slow moving mechanics. What is your opinion? Thanks!
Not sure if I’m honest. I have had no problems so far with the Lithium grease. Another option is the Geoptik 2-part grease that is sold specifically for this job, though it’s more expensive.
@@martinsastrophotography Ok, thanks! I will use the Lithium grease for now. The Geoptic grease is sold for 18 euros... the Lithium Grease about 5 euros.
Hi Simon. Not counter-productive. Whether the full strip down and rebuild is necessary depends how old it is and how much it has been used. So long as you are comfortable doing it, you will learn a lot and should enjoy the process, as well as get it running nice and smoothly! I hope it goes well.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks Martin I am half way though very detailed. I think it’s two years old now but my guiding is too high 1.2-1.4 ish for my 952mm scope I think the Rowan upgrade will sort this but I guess it makes sense to do a complete strip down at the same time or would you just do the upgrade first and see the results? Thanks
@@simonpepper5053 it depends if you want to know which made the biggest difference. If you don’t care, and just want it to perform better, then do both at the same time.
Hi Claude. I made two straight cuts with a junior hacksaw and then removed material on each side with a file. Would be much better with a milling machine but I don’t have one!
If your end float screw is not too tight, I made a similar tool by filing down a bit of 15mm copper pipe, but this probably won't be strong enough if your screw is tight.
Hi Martin, thank you very much for your extremely useful video. I already completed the DEC part and everything is really promising. However, I have a problem regarding the RA stripdown: I can't for the life of me unscrew the big black bolt (is that the correct name?) that holds in place the RA axis (see your video at 1:03:35), it seems completely stuck. I have already tried with Svitol and the like but it won't move by a micron. Is there any tool that can help me? Again, thanks a lot!
Hi there. I assume you have loosened the 3 grub screws? If so, and it is still seized even after applying penetrating oil, it might help to blow hot air at the nut to expand it slightly. You can get hot air blowers cheaply online that are hotter than hair dryers and have a smaller nozzle to help you direct the heat to where you want it. I hope this helps...Good luck!
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you for your quick reply. I was following your video step by step so yes, I have loosened the 3 grub screws, I double and triple checked them because the nut was so stuck that I had doubts myself I could have left them in place. I'll try with hot air and let you know how it goes. Thank you!
@@martinsastrophotography Unfortunately the hot air gun couldn't make it. I put even more penetrating oil but nothing happens, that nut seems like it has been welded. Before giving up, do you know the name of the tool that could fit into the three grooves of the nut? Thank you very much for your help.
@@tango1348 Sorry, I do not know the tool, but I recommend you send it to Dave Woods at DarkFrame in Hampshire, UK. He refurbishes these mounts professionally and will definitely be able to sort it for you. Check out the website darkframeoptics.com or call him on +44 2392 570 283.
I had the same problem. I will not really recommend my solution, but I found two hex keys of the largest size that would fit into the three slots and secured them by cable binders around the black nut. I could then wedge a tool with a long arm between the two keys and get sufficient torque to loosen the nut. I believe the extreme factory tightening of this nut is responsible for high friction in the RA movement. This was just one of a number of places where excessive tightening caused the refurbishment to take much longer time than expected.
I can't believe you only have little over 500 subs. These are some of the best, and most detailed astronomy equipment videos I have seen yet. Keep it up.
Thanks for that. Really nice to get such positive comments! Clear Skies!
I would like to thank the author of this video (I am speaking generically because it was a list of videos that led me to this result) for his work and for having helped me to greatly improve my HEQ5 setup. Previously it drove with about 3.0" RMS and could barely capture anything. Combined with the terrible seeing here and the brightness of the city (Bortle 8), I kept trying for 6 years and almost gave up astrophotography. Well, I tried to make a last effort and cleaned and lubricated the HEQ5, installed Rowan's belt kit and changed the Hypertune's bearings. In the last few days I had open skies and was able to test the results. The HEQ5 is incredibly accurate, averaging 0.4" RMS and easily holding 0.3" RMS if you have a good guiding star (the seeing here is still very bad). Yesterday I managed to reach 0.28" RMS with a wind of about 5 to 10 km / h capturing the nebula of the lagoon (Messier 8). I am very happy and will continue strong and steady in search of new catches. If you also have the same problems I have, believe that they can be solved.
I am very happy that my video has helped you. It sounds like your HEQ5 is performing really well. Clear Skies!
Very informative video, I doubt SkyWatcher would never compile this information for an owner. I notice you used "High Temperature: lithium grease, in a cold climate this could create additional friction. As a Losmandy GM8, owner, this video makes me appreciate how easy it is to service Losmandy equipment.
You mention this very briefly, but I think if you are going to do a full tear down and rebuild, it's worth replacing the small worm gear bearings (689 2RS ceramic hybrid ball bearing). Both Dark Frame and Astro Baby suggest replacing these are worth it, while replacing the main axis bearings only need to be done if there are noticeable problems. The four small bearings are quite inexpensive, as you point out, while replacing the 6 or 8 large ones is significantly more. The small ones obviously rotate much more and I believe they are also under quite a bit of radial load so likely get more internal damage. Also, any axial movement of the small bearings translates directly into rotation of the main gear and radial movement changes the engagement of the worm gear. The large axial bearings (6006 2RS1 SKF deep groove ball bearing) don't really contribute to any rotational error, unless there is a tremendous amount of stiction.
Thanks for that Douglas. Yes, I did change my worm bearings for Hybrid Ceramic ones. I was amazed how cheap they are to buy!
@@martinsastrophotography I thought you might have changed the 4 small ones since I didn't see you actually clean them. Did you also eventually change the 6 large axial bearings (6006 2RS)? I noticed on one website (bearings online) they say the SKF and FAG bearings are sealed for life with a rubber seal on both sides. I started to wonder whether opening up the old ones was really a good idea because they probably don't reseal perfectly so might eventually start leaking grease, especially in very hot weather.
@@douglassmith1215 I found that it was easy to remove the seals, clean them up and re-grease/reseal them, but if in any doubt I would certainly replace them with new ones. They are not expensive.
@@martinsastrophotography One last thing: one HEQ5 Pro rebuild video that is probably not looked at enough is the one from Ivan Ionov. It is in Russian so hard to follow (even with the auto translate subtitles turned on). But he shows a few nice tricks and in particular drew my attention to the fact that a careful inspection of the worm gear is a good thing to do. On his mount, during final assembly, he noticed a bit of stickiness at a particular spot on the worm gear rotation. He managed to track this down to a small burr on the worm gear (which I think he filed down). The relevant part of the video is around here: ua-cam.com/video/xVyenl37gXk/v-deo.html
@@douglassmith1215 Interesting. I’ll take a look. Thanks.
I went from 1,4 rms to 0,5-0,7!
Its even better than when I bought my mount new! 😁
Thank you!
That’s a great improvement! Thanks for the feedback.
I returned to this video yesterday having finally decided to tackle the dec. axis concern I've been living with. When balancing the dec. axis the rotation seemed sluggish or damped compared to the smooth, free rotation of the RA axis. My mount was purchased new in late 2020. I was pleased to find, when I disassembled the dec. axis, a reasonable amount of grease had been used. It appears to be a clear synthetic grease similar to the Super Lube I had on hand. All the bearings turned smoothly as one expects and the "drag" or "dampening" was caused by the heavy load of grease between the brass gear's drum and the aluminum housing. Just wiping some of it off the gear and out of the mating area made the rotation free and smooth. I did put a quick wipe of Super Lube in place of the heavy coat I removed, but not enough to impair the smooth rotation.
Having read accounts of folks either finding a lot of heavy grease in their mount's bearings, or worse, no grease at all, I was pleased to find my mount seemed mostly appropriately greased with a "modern" grease and free of swarf. Now I have to wait for a clear night to see if my tracking is improved or not.
Thanks for the time and effort you put into this video.
Hi David. Thanks for adding your experience here. Hopefully it will help others. Do let us know what difference it made. Clear skies.
Martin, Brilliant video and easy to follow.
I have just completed my Dec service during which I replaced all the bearings with new.
I had just two problems the first was down to a bit of corrosion on the shaft. The bearing between the red washer and the body of the mount came out with the shaft and proved difficult to budge so I ended up spraying a bit of D40 on the shaft and eventually the bearing released.
The second problem I encountered was with the button on the Dec clutch, it didn't go back in square and I had to dismantle everything to push it through and start again. The second time I pushed the button in from the back before attaching the worm gear.
Otherwise a long overdue service, tomorrow I will try the RA axis.
Thanks Rob. Glad it helped you and well done for solving those issues. Clear skies!
I stripped down my HEQ5 Pro today following your UA-cam video. Now, it's working nicely, the bearings move much smoother than before. Thanks for your details explanation. Next, I will follow your UA-cam video to tune the backlash. Thanks your so much.
Great stuff. I’m glad it was helpful. Clear Skies!
Great idea for the float adjuster. Made one and it works great. Thanks for the whole video too.
Fantastico tutorial. Aunque tengo verdadero panico a desmontar la montura de mi HEQ5 pro, creo que lo vere un par de veces mas y me lanzare!!!. Enhorabuena por el tutorial.
Gracias Paco por el gran comentario. Buena suerte y cielos despejados! (I hope Google translate did a good job for me!!!)
@@martinsastrophotography si Google ha hecho bien el trabajo...el siguiente comentario ...le pediré a Google que lo haga también😁😁😁
@@pacoand4911 eso sería un poco más fácil para mí! 😉😊👍
Hi Martin, just want to say thank you for taking the effort for making this video. I have just recently fully stripped down and rebuilt my HEQ5 Pro, works better than it ever has. Thank you for your excellent guidance and detailed content. Regards Matt
Thanks for that. You are very welcome. Glad it went well. Clear Skies!
There is a special tool that is easily bought called a "lens spanner wrench". It is used to fit into the little slotted ring that holds camera lenses in place. They typically come with a variety of tips to fit into different sized slots and the distance between the tips can be varied. It's a must have tool for many projects (telescope, microscopes, etc) that involve lenses or other precision parts. I suspect it will likely work in place of the "special socket tool" mentioned in the video (although I have not yet attempted this project).
Thanks for the info Doug. Much appreciated.
Dec axis ready, running smoothly now. Thanks Martin!!
Great stuff! Thanks for letting me know. :)
On my HEQ5 Pro , the allen bolts are imp sizes. I adjusted the tapered roller bearings, but it still a little stiff in dec, so I will do a full bearing change as I can hear a slight noise from the dec bearings
You're the king of HEQ5 Pro
Thanks Max! Appreciate the comment. :-)
So I wondered why the RA scale ring and the polar scope were not fitting snugly against the housing. Using this guide I’ve stripped everything down and found the clear washer is missing which in turn makes the shaft protrude to far out where the polar scope goes. I’ve managed to order spares and fingers crossed it’ll all go back together soon. Thanks for another useful video 👍
Well done. It’s always gratifying to solve such problems. Clear Skies and thanks for the message.
Just a note, I had some issues taking off the worm drive, so I had to remove both float adjustment screws. When you do another maintenance maybe add a small section on correctly aligning and adjusting the float screws from both sides. It's not too tricky, just a bit more precaution needed.
Thanks for your comment and suggestion. Yes it can be difficult due to the tolerance fit of the bearings to the housing.
Great video Martin. Both axes of my HEQ5-PRO mount are not running really smooth, as if they are a bit tight, so I am going to fix this. Thanks, Math
Thanks Math. Hope it goes well. Clear Skies!
Hi ! thank you very much for this video that make me confident enough to stripdown my HEQ5.
I would like to say for everyone that struggle to put back the gear on the shaft or the ball bearings in the gear :
You can put the inside piece in the fridge and the outside piece to warm a little in the oven (40°C or 100°F is enough) and everything can easily be rebuilt without forcing or hammer :)
(this could be added to the video, I really struggled with that)
Great tutorial!!, thanks for sharing.
AS a mechanic, its hard to belive that this mount requires that maintanance. But i Like the way people take care of the parts, so that IT can Last a Lifetime. provided the plastic belt does not become brittle.
They don’t always require it. I started taking mine apart primarily to learn what was inside. That done, it’s reassuring to know that I can take it apart and sort any issues that arise in the years to come. The belts last a long time provided they are not over tensioned. Clear Skies.
Excellent, thank you!
If only Martin you can make a video on tuning the unmodified HEQ5's gear meshing ... I couldn't be more grateful for that! Though I've already ordered the belt mod however due to the covid and international transportation it looks like a long wait for me...
Freeman Solitude I bought mine already Rowan modified so I don’t have one to make a video with!!! Sorry!
@@martinsastrophotography no problem you're an awesome teacher :) very detailed information, many thanks!
Hi Martin
Thanks for a Brilliant and easy to understand video on this HEQ5 Pro strip down.
I have just purchased a second hand, older version of this mount with all origional gears etc.
I am going to have a go at this myself, and I have all the tools.
May I ask if you have a video of doing this strip down without the Rowan mod?
Thanks very much anyway.
Keith
Thanks Keith. Sorry, I don’t have a version without the Rowan Belt mod. The only difference is the gearing between the motor and the worm drive.
Maybe I need to get the Rowan kit?
Infact - its the first thing I will do!
I was straying away from the Rowan kit as I wanted to buy the upgraded PUK and Saddle.
My one just has 2 screws which presses on the dovetail.
Thanks for your help.
k
@@TinwhistleDYes , I recommend you get the Rowan Belt Mod upgrade. The mount moves much more smoothly and quietly, and some of the backlash is eliminated. The other upgrade is nice but not as important.
I’ve been taking apart and reassembling a 13 year old Orion EQ-G mount that isn’t in the best shape. After putting the RA axis back together, I can see a pretty large (maybe 3 mm?) strip of the brass worm gear in between the alt/azimuth base and the worm carrier. It feels wrong, but I can’t tell if that’s just how it should all fit together. Thank you!
Hi Maya. I agree that doesn't sound right. I suspect something is not properly engaged. Best bet is to take it apart again and take a careful look at things during re-assembly. Sorry I can't be of more help than that. Clear Skies!
Martin, great video!
Thanks for that!
Awesome job Martin, thank you so much! Glad to know it's "Darkframe" approved. They do have upgraded bearings and worm gear. Do you know where we can get those?
Thanks for that. Here's what I know :
Bearings: Available (in the UK at least) from ‘Bearings online’ www.bearings-online.co.uk
Worm bearings : 689 2RS Ceramic Hybrid Bearing 9x17x5 @ £2.80 each (4 off) (SKF are the high end ones!)
Worm Gear and Main shaft bearings : 6006 2RS1 SKF Deep Groove Ball Bearing 30x55x13 @ £5.05 each (6 off)
Declination shaft, Tapered Roller Bearing : 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing @ £7.49 (1 off)
Grease: ‘Geoptik Equatorial Mount Grease Kit’ Rother Valley Optics. Costs £18
Hello Martin, Can you do a strip down and rebuild of the Skywatcher Star Adventurer sometime? I'm glad I found your channel because your videos have taught me as well as help me make decisions on equipment. I am new to astrophotography. I have a Star Adventurer with a sticky/spotty rotating clutch. Considering an HEQ5. Thank-you for your good work. Best Regards Bob B. (PA, USA)
Hi Robert, Thanks for your positive feedback. I’m glad my videos have been helpful. Sadly I cannot strip down the Star Adventurer as it belongs to a friend of mine and I don’t think he will be keen. Clear Skies!
I was doing the belt drive upgrade and decided to inspect the worm gears while I was working on the mount - mostly because I couldn't get a satisfactory backlash adjustment on the RA axis. I could get the grub screws adjusted for no backlash, but when I tightened down the three bolts on the worm gear housing things got a bit too tight. I didn't appear to have any binding when I did the 360 test, so I may try again.
In your video at the 1:06:15 mark you make note of a clear washer/spacer - I do not appear to have that. It was not stuck to the worm or the red spacer. I wonder if they have increased the thickness of the red spacer?
Hi there. Yes, the worm carrier often shifts a bit when you tighten the three large bolts, so it can take a few attempts to get it right. With the belt mod you can easily remove the belt then test how smoothly it moves by turning the gear on the end of the worm by hand.. Not sure about the clear/red washer issue. A question for Skywatcher I think.
Hi Martin just discovered your channel and subbed. Very useful video. On another comment you give a list of the bearings needed but do not mention the roller bearing for the RA just the Dec. Is this the same or is there a reason its not listed?
Hi there. Thanks for subscribing and for your question. The RA and DEC worm gear and main shaft bearings are all 30x55x13 (e.g. 6006 2RS1 SKF Deep Groove Ball bearing). The smaller worm bearings are all 9x17x5 (e.g. 689 2RS). The tapered roller bearing on the declination shaft is a 30205 (e.g. 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing). All are available at low cost online. Hope this helps. Clear Skies.
Hi Martin, thanks a lot for your very informative and enjoyable videos. Using them a lot. I am using a HEQ5-PRO and am struggling with backlash. I have completely rebuilt the unit with all new bearings, however cannot completely overcome the issue. Main challenge is that backlash is not even over the full circumference of the dec-axis. Once I get "backlash-free", I have binding on abt half of the circumference, solving the binding, I have backlash on the other part, what could I possibly do?
Thanks and best regards, Math
Hi there. If the backlash varies then the large Dec gear is more elliptical than you would like. If the mount is new, I would suggest you try to quantify the backlash difference between the two sides and then get back to the supplier asking if this is in spec or not, then seek a replacement if it is out of spec.
Thanks Martin, the mount is out of warranty, what I will do is measure the Dec axis and, if out of spec, buy a new one. Where would you suggest to purchase one? Thanks, Math
@@mathjennekens6153 If you plan to buy a new Dec gear, you will need to contact Sky-Watcher to see if they will sell you one.
Hi Martin thanks for the very comprehensive HEQ5 stripdown/rebuild video. I have now replaced all the bearings on my HEQ5pro RA axis and its moving a lot better. I still think that the rotation is a bit dampened. I have read that too much grease can be as bad as too little. Is it possible to improve free rotation by using less grease? Alternatively I was thinking of upgrading to a set of hydrid ceramic bearings. I have checked online and the prices vary greatly. When you upgraded to hybrid ceramic bearings which ones did you go for and from where?
Thanks again Bryon
Hi Byron. I don’t recall what bearings I bought but I do remember being surprised by how cheap they were!!! SKF seem to be a respected manufacturer.
@@martinsastrophotography Hi Martin I have managed to track down a set of 6006 2RS and 689 2RS ceramic hybrid ball bearings at a reasonable price. They come lightly greased and rated up to 14,000 rpm. As they will only be doing a few revs per evening and are claimed to be 'self lubricating' is there a case for running them dry/near dry. How did you set yours up?
Thanks Bryon.
@@bryontuck-martin1915 The ones I used were sealed so I just put them in as they were.
After watching the video again I think I'm going to dare. Would it be possible for you to describe the necessary bearings? Different references appear in different videos. I would appreciate a description of what is needed in both DEC and AR axis. I would like to have them bought when I disassemble it. Thank you very much and greetings.
New bearings are surprisingly low cost! Here are the details: 1) Worm Bearings are 9x17x5. I replaced mine with '689 2RS' Ceramic Hybrid Bearings. SKF make high-end ones I believe. 2) Worm gear and main shaft bearings are 30x55x13. I used the '6006 2RS1' Deep Groove Ball Bearing from SKF. 3) Declination shaft tapered bearing is 30205. I used a 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing. 4) The best grease to use is probably the Geoptik Equatorial Mount 2-part Grease Kit. However I used a multi-purpose Lithium Grease that is good down to -15C. If you think your gears will get colder than that, I suggest finding something rated to a colder minimum temperature. I hope it goes well Paco.
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you very much for the reply. Could you please clarify some doubts? the bearings of both axes (RA and DEC) are d3 the same size? and the other question is the number of bearings of each type, 689, 6006 and 30205, I understand that they would be 4, 6 and 2 respectively. Thanks, again
@@pacoand4911 Yes, they are the same size. The video displays the bearing types as text overlays, and you can also see how many there are by watching it. There are four ‘689’ worm bearings, one tapered ‘30205’ bearing, and I think there are four of the 6006 bearings, but you should check the video to be sure. I made it a long time ago!
@@martinsastrophotography ok...thank you very much
Hi Martin. Opende the ra axis and removed bearings and spacer. In your video There is a thin transparant washer. There is no such washer in my mount. Could that be an issue? Thanks for your advice, Math
Probably not. If it was not there before then do not worry. Sky-Watcher may well have adjusted the design slightly at some point in production between when my mount was manufactured and when yours was manufactured. If you really want to know for sure, then this is a question for Sky-Watcher customer service. Clear Skies!
Hi Martin, is it not better to replace all the bearings? My mount is about 6 years old. All the best Martin, great video.
If 6 years old then yes, I would replace all the bearings. Thanks for the great comment.
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks Martin, order them yet, so next week a lot of sweat !!!!!
Hi Martin, your HEQ5 videos are a great help for new HEQ5 owners. Mine was delivered with a lot of nasty particles visible through the polar alignment scope. May I suggest disassembly, cleaning and reassembly of the polar scope as a future topic?
Hi there. Thanks for the nice comment. I will add that idea to my list! Main thing is to take great care with the small round glass reticule inside the polar scope. It’s held in by three small grub screws. You need to unscrew the whole polar scope from the mount first. Then carefully loosen the 3 grub screws without letting the reticule fall out. Then carefully tip it out onto a soft clean surface. Then you can use an air blower (or if you have to a cotton bud) to remove the particles. Do not touch the glass with your fingers! Always hold it by its edges. Hope this helps!
@@martinsastrophotography thank you! The main thing I am worried about when taking it apart is if there's any issue aligning the graticule within the polar scope or the entire polar scope rotationally about the RA axis when reassembling it.
@@aTillasSister I understand. This is not at all critical provided you do your polar alignment the way I demonstrate in my polar alignment video. If you do it that way, the only consideration when orientating the graticule in the polar scope is the orientation of your telescope during polar alignment. I positioned mine so that the RA is about 20 degrees away from the home position simply so I don’t bang my head on my telescope during polar alignment!! :)
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks, your polar alignment method should be in the manual! If I get my choice of how to align the reticule, it would be to align it so that the 0 is at the top when the counterweight hangs down under gravity, but as you say using your method it doesn't matter any more. BTW I use a Neewer right angle viewer and a 3d printed connector, designed for iOptron but it also fits Star Adventurer and HEQ5. The right angle viewer rotates and so you can get to a convenient angle.
Thanks for your comments. Yes, the method in the manual is very old fashioned and does not exploit the excellent smartphone apps now available. Yes, those diagonal eyepieces for the polar scopes are much more comfortable on your neck!!!! My friend has one, but I don’t.....yet!
awesome video! I'm right in thinking the two worm gear sets are identical right? I only ask because I did a tune on my HEQ5 and the tracking has been awful ever since. :( I'm wondering if I accidently didn't put the gears in the same axis they came from...upon visual inspection they look identical!
Thanks for that. I don't recall if they are identical, but I can tell you for sure that the RA worm pulley has 47 teeth and the RA worm gear has 135 teeth. This should be sufficient info for you to check you have the correct parts in the correct place. Do you have the Rowan Belt mod?
@@martinsastrophotography great, thanks, I'll take a look. Yes I have the Rowan belt mod.
Note that Rowan Engineering have changed the diameter of the RA motor pulley slightly, as it was not quite correctly matched to the tooth pitch on the pulley belt. I found this out when I called them about an RA oscillation I was seeing with 13.58 second period that was driving me nuts! They sent me a new motor pulley for free!
@@martinsastrophotography oh interesting! I'll have a look into that. Thank you very much!! 🙂
Grat Martin, it's a very useful video. But I have a problem with the built-in motor control panel. After switch on: "Both axes...no response". Okay, a new panel can solve this problem, but it's a little bit expansive. Do You have any advice, what to do? Prhaps a wiring diagram, setting values, etc. Many THX!
Thanks Eszter. Sorry, I don’t have schematic diagrams for the control board. You may need to replace it (£98 approx for a new one)
I opened my RA axis. It was hard for me to insert the worm into the base of the mount, and now the mount does not rotate despite the removal of the clutch. Do you know why?
From your description it is difficult to know. I would take it apart again.
I purchased a second hand heq5 which I am about to order the full bearing kit. In your original description of the roller bearing you said "30225 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing" but in one of the comments you said "The tapered roller bearing on the declination shaft is a 30205 (e.g. 30205 TIMKEN Tapered Roller Bearing)" I relies this is a typo but I want to get the right parts. Is it 30205 or 30225? Thanks Phil
It’s 30205. Apologies for the typo!
I have corrected the typo in the description. Thanks for pointing it out.
think id rather pay the money and send it to dark frame optics to be done properly , peace of mind aswell as i would only bugger it up🤣
Absolutely the right choice if you don’t feel confident in doing it yourself. I know Dave Woods at DarkFrame and he is excellent. I actually consulted him before publishing this video to ensure I was doing it right.
@@martinsastrophotography im not too far away 90min drive to him ye seems like a top guy as you said , hah i know i would mess it up ive just had to shell out on a new polarscope as it didnt go too well in calibrating process , if the scope i get isnt on the money il ask DLO if he would be so kind to align it for me
Can you tell us what’s changed? I literally stripped my mount last week based on your previous tutorial so keen to understand if there’s anything extra I should do without having to watch the full video?
Diellur Hi there. See the description... It’s the removal of the seals on the sealed bearings so you can remove the old grease, clean out the bearing and pack it with new grease. If your mount runs nicely, I recommend you don’t strip it all down again...just note the change for next time.
Hello. Nice video. How often you think that grease it should be replaced ?
No more often than every 2 years I suggest. But the main thing is how smoothly it rotates and if it’s bad what’s the cause. Once it’s apart it hopefully becomes more obvious where the problems lie.
@@martinsastrophotography i have my Eqm35-pro goto for 1 year and 5 months at the moment is still performing good. I tested 2 nights ago also with a heavier telescope an Rc 6inch 152/1370 i thinknibhad like 7.5 kg weight with my other accesories and i was surprised how did it tracked orion nebula i took exposures of 60 sec unguided using only the mount sidereal tracking. Andndid obtain a very nice result. I also tested on Mars
@@GalaxyArtMedia That’s great. Thanks for commenting.
@@martinsastrophotography with pleasure
I am surprised a little of greasing makes such an improvement in the accuracy of tracking.
It depends how much debris has built up in the worm gears. A star is such a small spot of light that it does not take much disturbance to the worm drive movement to throw the pointing off by a significant amount.
@@martinsastrophotography It makes sense. I have no intuition in this field. It is interesting and challenging to track to 1/3600th of a degree. I'm guessing the autoguiding software is used as a measure of the performance.
@@Martinko_Pcik Yes, you’re right. It measures how much the guide star moves around on the sensor. Provide the pixel spacing of the sensor is significantly smaller than the movement, this shows how well we are tracking the sky.
Martin, any idea why when I tighten down the setscrew (thumbscrew?) against the RA setting circle it increases the force required to turn the mount in RA? It's as if tightening down too snugly causes (something to) drag on the polar axis. (the mount is brand new - received it a few weeks ago).
It came to my attention as I was aligning the RA circle (with the DEC axis horizontal and level) with the indicator on the mount while finding the home position. When I tightened the setscrew (as SW calls it in their manual for this mount) and rotated the polar axis the RA setting circle rotated with the polar axis and then released and remained stationary while the mount continued to be rotated - I expected that the setting circle would remained fixed relative to the mount body. Upon tightening further I noticed the RA rotation became more difficult. (no counterweight or scope mounted at the time).
I was hoping to be able to use the mount for a while before having to "tune" it. (and we've had one clear night since I received it)
Hi David. If you polar align the way I explain in my video then the only use that remains for the RA setting circle is to assist with turning the mount head in RA from ‘horizontal’ to ‘vertical’ when finding the home position. I find the setting circle thumbscrew must be loose when I do this. However, if you draw a cunning pair of small black marker lines (with a thin tip permanent black marker pen) where the mount head meets the base (so one line stays stationary and the other moves when you turn the RA) such that they align with each other in the home position then you can use them instead to find the home position and you can forget about the RA setting circle and leave its thumbscrew loose. Problem eliminated!
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks Martin. It's the "cunning pair of small black marker lines" I was working towards when I came across the issue of the tightened screw dragging on the RA axis. So, I too, will ignore RA circle once I've got lines drawn.
Hi Martin, what do you think about the use of Lithium Grease? Some sites say to not use Lithium grease but use PTFE based grease. The reason they give is that in a telescope mount the grease is most of the time not "active", only now and then during very slow movements and the effect is then that it will "separate" (= oil coming out ...). In fast moving mechanics Lithium Grease is good, but not in slow moving mechanics. What is your opinion? Thanks!
Not sure if I’m honest. I have had no problems so far with the Lithium grease. Another option is the Geoptik 2-part grease that is sold specifically for this job, though it’s more expensive.
@@martinsastrophotography Ok, thanks! I will use the Lithium grease for now. The Geoptic grease is sold for 18 euros... the Lithium Grease about 5 euros.
Hi Martin if I am planning on the Rowan upgrade would one still do this procedure or is doing both counterproductive? Thanks
Hi Simon. Not counter-productive. Whether the full strip down and rebuild is necessary depends how old it is and how much it has been used. So long as you are comfortable doing it, you will learn a lot and should enjoy the process, as well as get it running nice and smoothly! I hope it goes well.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks Martin I am half way though very detailed. I think it’s two years old now but my guiding is too high 1.2-1.4 ish for my 952mm scope I think the Rowan upgrade will sort this but I guess it makes sense to do a complete strip down at the same time or would you just do the upgrade first and see the results? Thanks
Yes, sounds like a good point to do the whole strip down. I really enjoyed doing it, and hopefully the video will give you some extra confidence.
@@simonpepper5053 it depends if you want to know which made the biggest difference. If you don’t care, and just want it to perform better, then do both at the same time.
Hi Martin, how did you make that "special tool (12 mm)"? What did you use to remove the metal? Thanks!
Hi Claude. I made two straight cuts with a junior hacksaw and then removed material on each side with a file. Would be much better with a milling machine but I don’t have one!
If your end float screw is not too tight, I made a similar tool by filing down a bit of 15mm copper pipe, but this probably won't be strong enough if your screw is tight.
Is this tutorial also useful for stripping down the EQ6 pro?
Hi Armin. The principles are relevant but the detail is different on an EQ6 Pro.
Hi Martin, thanks for your fast answer! So I will try. Thanks for your great tutorial!
Hi Martin, thank you very much for your extremely useful video. I already completed the DEC part and everything is really promising. However, I have a problem regarding the RA stripdown: I can't for the life of me unscrew the big black bolt (is that the correct name?) that holds in place the RA axis (see your video at 1:03:35), it seems completely stuck. I have already tried with Svitol and the like but it won't move by a micron. Is there any tool that can help me? Again, thanks a lot!
Hi there. I assume you have loosened the 3 grub screws? If so, and it is still seized even after applying penetrating oil, it might help to blow hot air at the nut to expand it slightly. You can get hot air blowers cheaply online that are hotter than hair dryers and have a smaller nozzle to help you direct the heat to where you want it. I hope this helps...Good luck!
@@martinsastrophotography Thank you for your quick reply. I was following your video step by step so yes, I have loosened the 3 grub screws, I double and triple checked them because the nut was so stuck that I had doubts myself I could have left them in place. I'll try with hot air and let you know how it goes. Thank you!
@@martinsastrophotography Unfortunately the hot air gun couldn't make it. I put even more penetrating oil but nothing happens, that nut seems like it has been welded. Before giving up, do you know the name of the tool that could fit into the three grooves of the nut? Thank you very much for your help.
@@tango1348 Sorry, I do not know the tool, but I recommend you send it to Dave Woods at DarkFrame in Hampshire, UK. He refurbishes these mounts professionally and will definitely be able to sort it for you. Check out the website darkframeoptics.com or call him on +44 2392 570 283.
I had the same problem. I will not really recommend my solution, but I found two hex keys of the largest size that would fit into the three slots and secured them by cable binders around the black nut. I could then wedge a tool with a long arm between the two keys and get sufficient torque to loosen the nut. I believe the extreme factory tightening of this nut is responsible for high friction in the RA movement. This was just one of a number of places where excessive tightening caused the refurbishment to take much longer time than expected.
Is not better buy new bearings???
They are pretty cheap, so by all means do that if you prefer. I have replaced my worm bearings with hybrid ceramic ones.