HEQ5 Pro Hyper Tune. Get the best out of your mount. Astrophotography

[@ShevillMathers]

Hello from a Pom ‘down under’. There is one really essential thing I would do when doing this re-build. Put some turps or similar in a shallow dish-tin lid whatever, then put the worm wheel brass gear in the fluid, use an old toothbrush and carefully go round the fine gear teeth to brush out all the fine metal particles that are held in by the old grease. These particles in the grease act as a grinding paste over time and produce wear on the worm and wheel. Similarly, do the same with the worm gear. Finish both gear sets with a squirt of brake cleaner (Acetone), then a blower when dry. Those parts are now truly clean ( you could use an ultrasound bath to do the cleaning if you have one). In my many years of building/making and machining gears, this just takes the hypertune to the next level. Stiffness on the Dec axis is usually because the cone shaped bearing housing is too tightly adjusted on the tapered roller bearing and just needs fine adjustment before tightening the three locking grub screws. Greetings from Tasmania Australia.

[@Astrobloke]

You are slowly talking me into stripping the mount again lol. The summer months are the time to do it. May even splash out on a new toothbrush just for cleaning my worm gears.

[@2ASupp0rter]

You did a wonderful job of explaining the HyperTune. I can't wait to hear the improvements you achieved in total RMS!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Gary. Well first chance was tonight and guiding is between 0.3 - 0.5 total rms. It was 0.8 -0.9 so a huge improvement. I will be doing PEC training so it may get even better. I shall keep you informed

[@2ASupp0rter]

@@Astrobloke That is spectacular improvement! Can not wait to see images from the improved performance. Clear Skies!

[@Cosmoknot]

Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial Glen!!! I just got a new HEQ5 Pro in October this year. Even brand new, the Dec and RA axis where very stiff/sticky when trying to balance just like you demonstrated. I purchased the Rowan belt mod and the bearings you suggested and installed everything today following your tutorial. A compete night and day diffference!!! I can now balance my gear accurately, it's extremely sensitive when sliding the counter weight by just a tiny bit (like it should!). My guiding this evening is averaging 0.55" from the other night at 1.3" More than doubled my accuracy. Thanks again so much and keep up the great work!!

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Peter. That is excellent news and wow what a fantastic improvement on your guiding. Thank you for commenting and letting me know your results its really appreciated. Really happy my video helped.

[@rorybroesder]

I was tossing up whether or not to go ahead with the belts and bearing on my new heq5 pro. I'm getting the exact same performance as yours. I'm going to go for it- I really hope that mine matches your performance post tuning

[@ArthurAstroTO]

I'll preface this comment by saying that I found this and other hyper tuning videos invaluable to guide me through the process. Thanks for putting this video out. I echo @ShevillMathers comment below that getting the preload on the tapered roller bearings on the RA and Dec may solve stiffness that is presumed to be bearing issues. Also 4 of the 6 6006 bearings are only functioning when the clutches are disengaged. As a result they work when you balance the scope but not when the mount is tracking. If you have a new/newer mount I'd take a few minutes to adjust the bearing preload on the tapered roller bearings by adjusting the threaded collars on RA & Dec axis. Then fine tune the backlash on the worm, motor and intermediate gears. You may find the existing/supplied bearings aren't the problem and save yourself a few dollars.

[@Astrobloke]

@@ArthurAstroTO thank you and totally agree. As you will have seen my mount was not new and the bearings needed replacing in my mount as the original ones had leaked and become stiff severely affecting the mounts tracking performance. The points you make are very valid but unfortunately youtube offer no way of editing a video once uploaded so changing or adding new details is basically impossible apart from making a hew video.

[@Mrcloc]

I was very glad to hear 53:40, even though it's a horrifying sound because it means I'm not the only one who did this. I bound my worm up thoroughly on my EQ6, but I thought the worm was slipping! On close inspection I saw the gears weren't turning. I found that the RA worm adjustment needed to be feather-light; a lot lighter than the Dec worm adjustment. Thank you for the concise and useful video. If anyone is wondering, the HEQ5 is basically a smaller version of the EQ6/NEQ6/EQ6-R, so this applies if you have one of the "6" mounts.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you for taking the time to watch my video and comment. The adjustments as you say are really fine. I have recent video using a tool that really helps with this kzbin.info/www/bejne/bV60eKN-pZ2pg9E

[@astroventure2221]

I can't believe how smooth and easily your mount rotates. Mine is new and clearly leaves a lot to be desired from the factory. Thank you for the great tutorial.

[@Astrobloke]

I don’t think Sky watchers quality control is of a very high standard and so mounts come out some good and some not so. I hope you are able to get yours running well as they are a great mount at the end of the day

[@astroventure2221]

@@Astrobloke I'm coming to the same quality control conclusion. I ordered the ceramic hybrid bearings. Working on collecting the other brains to get it tuned up. I've identified my RA backlash is loose. Thanks for a great tutorial.

[@Astrobloke]

@@astroventure2221 you are welcome. Be careful when tuning backlash as its very easy to introduce fine binding. Phd2 can compensate for backlash but not binding

[@markwood1660]

watching with great interest for my old HEQ5 Pro - perfect timing

[@Astrobloke]

Well worth doing Mark.

[@ljscourfield]

Hi Glenn. Really enjoying your videos and your channel - it's made getting into astrophotography a much less daunting task. I will be having a crack at my HEQ5 Pro soon! Appreciate the time you take to go through everything so thoroughly. Cheers.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi and thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am very happy that the videos have helped you as that was my main objective of starting my channel (and to keep busy and have some fun) It is a lot of work and so it means a lot you recognising that, thank you. Clear skies

[@dadomoura2509]

I watched your video, after I received your link as answer to my post. I thought that my mount was condemned, but it is not. So, I decided to consider the possibility to restore it and instal the Rowan belt as well. I'm not an expert to restore it by myself. I prefer to send to someone who has work with that. If you were in Brazil, my mount would be already at your door :). Great job. Congratulations.

[@Astrobloke]

I am glad you found the video useful and I hope you are able to get your mount working well again, clear skies

[@dadomoura2509]

@@Astrobloke thanks for sharing your knowledges. Im following your "vídeo classes" 😊 from now on.

[@SpacePlan10]

Great video. It’s made a daunting job seem less intimidating.

[@Astrobloke]

Thats great news and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, its much appreciated. Wishing you great results and clear skies for the New Year.

[@microreniassance2929]

Thank you so much for a great video. I am ordering the bearings to super tune my EQ-G Orion mount which is the EQ5 just rebranded. I'll be following your video to do that super tuning. When, I look at the bearing specs; they are way over-rated for the work they do in this mount. In fact, the mount seems well under-rated for the actual load it can carry and easily slew --PROVIDING THE SETUP IS ACCURATELY BALANCED!! I've heard reports of astrophotographers deliberately loading up this mount to 50lbs (Balanced) and seeing tracking at 0.8 or less. This mount is a sleeper. It's capable of easily 30lbs payload for astrophotography, providing your setup is well BALANCED and your mount is super tuned. Try it and you'll see! This thing a gem! ..and a BEAST! All the weight is carried on the bearings which handle thousands of pounds. The 30205 bearings are wheel bearings for cars FFS!! If your setup is smooth and supertuned, all the worm and gears work against is the inertial resistance of the setup. And slewing even at high rate is so slow accelerating, the stress the worm actually sees is minimal. However, If you're setup isn't tuned and balanced do not attempt to run over 24 or so pounds as payload, though. Free movement is the most important aspect of the mount. Any stiffness, increases load on the worm gearing and will wear out the mechanism quickly. But, if you can balance and super tune your EQ5 mount?, yeah it can handle a lot more than 24 lbs. Do it at your own risk, though. Success depends on how conscientious you are in your balancing and tuning. If you're not sure, have an experienced APer take a look at it.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you and I totally agree. I have often loaded beyond what they say it the max. As you say with a smooth minimum friction mount and totally balanced there is hardly any drive needed to track the mount. I have only ever found limitations with very large scopes like my CT10, in windy conditions. All the best with your tuning, clear skies

[@microreniassance2929]

Thanks for the response. I agree large scopes with a radial cross section (SCT) really catch the wind like a sail. That's really going to give your guiding a challenge! But, aluminum flexes much easier than steel and since that's what the mount body is made of, there will be a synchronic flex. And that will be a limitation to this mount. Avoid higher winds and or wide scopes! Clear skies,@@Astrobloke

[@microreniassance2929]

@@Astrobloke Well, I finished my super tune on my EQ-G mount. Things went very well and I stepped through your video as I did it --which helped avoid the unexpected. I, as well, found no manufacturing markings on any of the bearings, none. And, holy cow, those worm drive bearings were awful. There were random indentations in the bearing "seal" ring. And, the bearings ran like gravel was in there; one of them freezing up completely. I imagine there was a split ball bearing or some major trash on the bearing races. I'm anxious to get the mount tested, now; but the rain and clouds are holding things up. Thanks again for a valuable instructional video. Great work and much appreciated.

[@Garethbellamy]

Thank you for such a detailed breakdown of the installation

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Gareth, you are welcome, thank you for watching and commenting.

[@padraigfarrell7150]

Great instructions, very well presented. And thanks to yourself and Joe for showing us PEC training, that’s always eluded me. You’re a great asset to the community.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you for your kind comment. Really happy that we were able to help you

[@davidphillipson7256]

superb thank you Astrobloke. I'm pretty handy with this sort of stuff buy needed this to convince me to do it, saved considerable money doing it DIY.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you David. I really enjoy working on stuff like this too. Clear skies

[@davidphillipson7256]

@@Astrobloke many thanks for reply. I'm just about to order bearings from your recommended online vendor and can't find 6006 2RSR exactly, I can find 6006 2RS C3, do you know if this is significant? dimensions are the same. all the best

[@grahambatty9157]

Thanks Glen, just followed your video and installed the new bearings on my mount , looking forward to trying it out on the next clear night. 😀

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Graham, thank you for commenting and I really hope it all works well for you. Clear skies

[@dlindsay1797]

About to undertake this project. I'm actually guiding at .2 to .3 total, but balancing is a best guess with the stickiness and occasionally/periodically I have a momentary spike in the guiding. Great walk through!

[@Astrobloke]

Your guiding is extremely good for that mount so unlikely to see that improve. It will make balancing easier with smoother axis and no stiction though. Good luck and thank you for watching and commenting.

[@dlindsay1797]

@@Astrobloke Agreed! I am looking to get rid of the occasional spike and stiction balancing issue. Also, my total scope and accessories weight is 16.8 pounds and that probably has a lot to do with excellent guiding and I'm sure, a little luck in the particular mount. FLT91 / WO 50mm unislide guide scope, ASI294MC Pro, ASI 130MM mini guide camera, ASIair Plus, small USB hub, WO additional slide handle and 2 dew heaters.

[@geoffnash3098]

Wanted to let you know I'm going to be in London Tuesday the 12th of September 2023 will be a Hyatt place by the airport would like to meet you. You have been a huge help to me with astronomy

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Geoff. I would have loved to have met up with you but I am away from home atm and a long way from London. Thank you so much for the offer though. Any help I can give I am happy to and hope it really helps. Clear skies my friend

[@celestromel]

You’ve done this more than once! Very informative. Thanks.

[@Astrobloke]

It might look like I have done many but honestly I haven’t. Many a year spent tinkering with motorbikes and cars has given me a good base knowledge of how to do this sort of thing though. Glad it helps,

[@astro_vino]

Just wanted to say your video has been extremely useful today following the strip down of my HEQ5 to address the Dec and RA (though I was missing a bearing puller to do the worm drive bearings!) … however, all other bearings replaced and the rotation / motor belts running very well so many thanks for tremendous help Glenn!

[@Astrobloke]

Nice one. It makes a really nice difference to the mount. Glad my video was helpful

[@roberthughes6972]

Great tutorial.. Many thanks. I had tried this with problems bearing removal, so the bearing puller is now on order. Clear Skies to you!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. They can get a bit stuck but the puller will sort that for you. A rubber mallet is another tool that can help

[@bokvaj]

thank you for the video. Just one thing - i had problems with the washer that is needed to be screwed away and holds the axis with 2 small bearings and cog wheel (15:38) - problem with it is, that if you return it and screw it too tight, then the cog will be moving badly, and if you screw it back too loose, then it will probably loose more by the movement of the bearing and you will get backlash. It took me 15 mins to find out what was causing the backlash of RA axis :)

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Petr , yes the float nut is important to get right. No movement on the worm gear but too tight and it stops its free and smooth rotation. Unfortunately it does take a little time and fine adjustments to get everything working at its best but worth the effort. Thanks for commenting and I hope the video was helpful, clear skies and good luck

[@Br00se]

I'm going to try this on my Orion Sirius EQ-G (same mount) this weekend. I got it used last year and it has always been a little stiff and guiding has been all over the place. Thanks for taking the time to make this.

[@Astrobloke]

It should hopefully show a nice improvement for you. Thank you for commenting

[@darrenedwards2549]

Excellent video Glenn. Gave me the courage to go ahead and do mine. So much smoother now. Look forward to seeing what improvements I get with guiding.

[@Astrobloke]

That's great Darren and I hope you get great results from that. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment, clear skies

[@DavidMills_Physicist]

Excellent video - clearest explanation of how to fix the backlash on these mounts that I've seen. I'll have to try with mine. You've got me very tempted to try swapping out the bearings too, but small steps first...

[@Astrobloke]

Just very small turns when you are close on the backlash. The job is not too difficult at all and would recommend doing it as it does not cost much either.

[@clairehunter7911]

I kind of feel like I could follow and do this for my mount now. Thank you so much for such a clear and easy to follow guide.

[@Astrobloke]

You're very welcome!

[@MyNikonian]

Excellent video Glen, started the hyper tune on my mount last night, a vast improvement,

[@Astrobloke]

Nice one. You can definitely improve on the factory finish for sure

[@MyNikonian]

@@Astrobloke haven’t done the RA yet but it’s vastly improved the balance on the Dec.

[@AndrewRankine-z2u]

Thanks for the great video. I had it running it two days ago when I worked on the mount but I have yet to test it outside-I'll be very interested to see the graph. I found however that that the puller was necessary on extracting every bearing bar the worm gear as none of them wanted to come out with the ease of yours. A rubber mallet and piece of wood were persuaders to get the new ones in. These tight tolerances (tighter than yours anyway) bother me-I feel I'm doing something wrong. Slightly heart-in-mouth stuff, but all done and moving freely now. Now for the proof of the pudding. Andrew (Australia)

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Andrew and thank you for letting me know your progress since watching the video, I am really pleased it helped. Bearings can be such a hit or miss thing and you have obviously had a tough time with your mount but glad to hear its sorted. I think temperatures can make quite a difference so that might be why yours are tight but I wouldn't overly worry. Good luck with testing and I hope it all works great for you, clear skies

[@celestromel]

Brilliant Glen! I have a brand new HEQ5 Pro and I’m tempted to do your mod right now!

[@Astrobloke]

Congrats as you have bought a great mount. I bought mine used and it was quite old and so it benefited greatly from the mod. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions

[@Capitaine.Albator]

Awesome 👏 I have to go back to work. Will finish later tonight. 👍🏻✌🏻🇨🇦

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you.

[@OlliesSpace]

Looking like that is tuned up lovely and ready for action. Looking super smooth. 👍

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Ollie. Its lovely now

[@stxe34]

did this to my heq5 last year makes the operation so much smoother especially with the rowan belt mod. guiding sits around 0.3 - 0.5 total rms.

[@Astrobloke]

I am getting the same numbers so very happy. I will be PEC training also so who knows may improve it more.

[@riaandewinnaar5040]

Very nice! Just picked up one of these, incredibly well priced on the used market these. This tutorial will come in handy.

[@Astrobloke]

Its a fabulous mount and I love mine. I was lucky to pick up a used one at a great price. They perform brilliantly. Thanks for your comment

[@ragost01]

Very nice video! Has the belt drive mounted since a while ago. I did this for the sake of fun on my EQ5 Pro. And it's gotten better, so it's always a good thing to do if you're going for long exposures. As you also get a good idea of how the functioning of the mount is definitely worth just for that too.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi and thank you for watching and commenting. The belt mod also seems to quieten the mount down and it it just seems to slew smoother as well as improve guiding by reducing backlash and play. Definitely the best mod for this mount and one I highly recommend.

[@SimonsAstro]

Excellent job Glenn. Well explained, you are a brave man taking your Heq5 to bits like that! It’s a scary job, one that I wouldn’t like to do! I’ll book you for when my mount needs a service! Glad it’s working better for you👍

[@Astrobloke]

It wasn't too bad Simon. Have you got your EQ6 R Pro now?

[@SimonsAstro]

@@Astrobloke No Glenn, it’s been put back and back, been waiting for 4 months now! It should now be next week😀 my poor old Esprit just sits there! But I have stroked it a couple of times😀

[@bengterlandsson7921]

Great job! Excellent explanations and clear instructions.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Bengt, hope it is of help.

[@kevinashley478]

New subscriber here. Great video. I have just started in astrophotography and been using a star tracker for a year now. I am getting an HEQ5 in the next week or two and I have heard it needs some tinkering to get the max use out of it. This will help a lot.

[@Astrobloke]

@@kevinashley478 thank you and welcome to the wonderful world of Astrophotography. The HEQ5 is a fantastic mount and I am sure will serve you very well. The belt mod is the first and best upgrade you can do if it is not already done. Any problems please feel free to reach out, happy to help. Clear skies

[@zve482]

Outstanding. Well done. 😀👍🏻👍🏻

[@Astrobloke]

Really appreciate you commenting, thank you

[@CuriousRiz]

Literally finished hypertuning my heq5 Pro yesterday. Lol!

[@Astrobloke]

Excellent. Did it all go well for you? I am amazed at the difference in the mounts smoothness and the guiding last night was between 0.3 - 0.5 rms which is excellent (was 0.8 - 0.9 before)

[@CuriousRiz]

@@Astrobloke Actually not really, the previous owner had obviously taken it apart before and cross threaded the nut on the RA axis (threads totally destroyed). I can't find a replacement anywhere, so modelled and 3d printed a replacement for the time being, longer term I'm going to machine a new one I'm just waiting for the Aluminium to arrive. I haven't had a chance to check the tracking yet but It does feel very smooth so far, fingers crossed the number will have improved too. Great video by the way! :)

[@Astrobloke]

@@CuriousRizThanks but what a shame. That takes some doing to strip that thread. But I read so often where people have bent bolts or stripped threads, Too heavy handed or just not really knowing what they are doing. Many years tinkering with old cars and motorbikes has helped me. I hope you get it all sorted, sounds like you have it all in hand though, good luck.

[@CuriousRiz]

@@Astrobloke Yeah it is a pain, but oh well! Luckily I have the tools to fix it otherwise I don't know what I'd do!

[@cattaraugustonawanda4426]

Thanks for a great presentation ! Very helpful.

[@Astrobloke]

Glad it was helpful!

[@astro_vino]

A quick note - after following this great video I still had movement in the RA even after trying to tighten / untighten the mounting … the final step ended up being the worm drive end float adjustment under the rubber cap - all of sudden the wobble was gone and now with the bearing replacements and your recommendations it is moving and balancing extremely well!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you for this. I will add a note in the description as that can cause an issue. I was fortunate that mine had no movement in them when reassembled but that should be checked. hope the improvements give you great results

[@astro_vino]

@@Astrobloke Ok great, here’s hoping for clearskies for everyone and thanks once again for such a great channel, your content has been extremely useful

[@douglassmith1215]

Even if you don't want to do a full tear down and rebuild of the HEQ5, I can confirm that tightening up the worm drive end float under the black rubber cap can definitely help with eliminating wobble, particularly in RA. I guess this can loosen up after awhile. (I found the same was true of my Vixen GP2, which has a generally similar construction). By the way, a lens spanner wrench is a very useful tool for adjusting the worm gear end float.

[@astro_vino]

@@douglassmith1215 I purchased a lens spanner wrench a few months ago following trying to separate some spacers but indeed - a great suggestion! as it has been great to tighten / unfasten these challenging components!

[@massimo541]

Awesome tutorial, congratulations! Many thanks

[@Astrobloke]

You are welcome, thank you for taking the time to comment

[@ergio1]

Hi Glenn, awesome, very clear tutorial… thanks for sharing and well done the mount looks like it will be spot on for guiding!!!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. It is guiding lovely now and I am very happy with it

[@jlecomte0719]

Very instructive. I wish someone did something similar for a CEM70 :)

[@Astrobloke]

Thats a nice mount. What are your rms numbers like with that mount?

[@jlecomte0719]

@@Astrobloke It really depends on seeing. On the best nights, I get 0.3" RMS. On an average night, 0.6" RMS. It is a nice mount indeed! But I can see myself having to do some maintenance on it in a few years. Hopefully, by then, someone will have made the jump and disassembled it :)

[@brucemullis479]

Good video Glen, enjoyed it. Now I feel the need to check the backlash on my EQ6RPRO.

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Bruce, I checked mine also but it was all good

[@davidrawlins5178]

Great video, Glenn, I really like the way you present the tasks clearly and logically. Makes it look doable for newbies! One question - the bearing 6006 2RSR isn't available on bearings-online but used a ceramic bearing for the other one and the 6006 2RS Ceramic looks to be that - can you confirm? Many thanks

[@Astrobloke]

Hi David and thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.That bearing I believe will be good for that. The 6006 is the most important part as thats the size. The letters denote different types of seal etc.

[@iancoombes6120]

Great tutorial, thank you. Going to order up the bearings and do my mount. 👌

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Ian. you should see a nice improvement after

[@iancoombes6120]

@@Astrobloke Evening Glenn, looking at ordering the bearings, the 6006 2RSR are not recognised ? Is there a typo there ?? Thanks, Ian 👌

[@Astrobloke]

@@iancoombes6120 Hi Ian. No unfortunately they seem to have different stock all the time. I actually ended up getting SKF 6006 2RS1.

[@iancoombes6120]

@@Astrobloke Glenn, thank you. I did see the same question asked earlier in comments. Sorry for being impatient 😁

[@Astrobloke]

@@iancoombes6120 no its cool mate. You want to make sure you get the right ones.

[@AB-ft2lb]

Huge improvement, great tutorial too!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you for taking the time to comment

[@AB-ft2lb]

@@Astrobloke Really enjoy your videos

[@paulwinstanley4675]

Great video I'll be doing mine very soon now I have seen the result 👌

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Paul. Good luck

[@MrKapeji]

Super video, very clearly demonstrated.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you, i hope it was helpful

[@MrKapeji]

@@Astrobloke I just checked the bearings site to check out the ones you listed and they no longer seem to have the 6006 2RSR bearings, what are the bearing dimensions? I wonder if the stock number changed.

[@Astrobloke]

@@MrKapeji 6006 is the bearing size and the letters after just denote slight differences in design. They have 6006 2rs1 which are basically the same but you can email them and ask what they suggest as a suitable alternative

[@MrKapeji]

@@Astrobloke Nice one Glenn, thanks for the quick reply, I wasn't sure what to look for there. I will do as you suggest though in case there is a qualitative difference, these seem ok at first glance though.

[@MrKapeji]

@@Astrobloke Just finished the job, all fitted very nicely and the video proved extremely useful, so thanks again! :D

[@DSOImager]

Looking forward to seeing how it performs Glenn.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. Was able to test last night and guiding was excellent. went from 0.8 - 0.9 rms to 0.3 - 0.5 so very happy. I will hopefully sort some videos of it in action and capturing soon.

[@DSOImager]

@@Astrobloke That's awesome! Totally worth the upgrade.

[@Bogfra1]

Nice work Glenn.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you

[@peteradshead6566]

Thank you Glenn, I watched all your video in the hope of improving the guiding performance of my HEQ5. I have to say that in my experience any stiffness users may detect while spinning the RA or DEC axes, with the clutches released, is more likely to be caused by scuffing between the very large brass wheel gears and the close fitting outer housings rather than by any stiffness in the bearings. Thinking about the design philosophy behind the clutch action ask yourself why the brass wheel gear has such a large surface area and is such a close fit inside the outer housing. The locking of the clutch is not achieved by friction alone between the small button and the surface of the wheel gear. Regarding adjustment of the worm and wheel engagement I would also suggest that it is better not to fit the toothed belts and to turn the worm gear by hand while you make the adjustment. This way it is easier to detect binding which unfortunately can start well before backlash has been completely eliminated. I prefer to put up with a little backlash rather than have increased wear of my worm and wheel teeth caused by high engagement forces. Having said that you are getting great guiding performance at less than 0.5 arcsec RMS, I am doing well if I get down to 0.8 arcsecs. Cheers, Pete.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Peter and thank you for your comments. I'm sorry but I don't fully agree with your theories on the mounts operation and design. Any mount with rubbing between that gear cylinder and the housing would be in serious trouble and just wouldn't work at all. A lot of the stiction is caused by leaking grease onto that cylinder from cheap bearings or poor assembly and also parts being over tightened. That gear needs to spin freely in the housing. The large surface area of the gear is not to do with the locking mechanism. Its diameter is set by the number of teeth the gear requires and the rest of the body is there to hold the 2 deep groove bearing races that are needed to allow it to turn with minimum resistance on the shaft axis. The centre shaft could never be moved to force the cylinder to contact the housing and the gear is locked just by the brass button and screw of the clutch lever. This is why when locked it can be made to slip without much effort. I understand your thoughts on gear wear but as long as they are lubricated correctly there is little danger of that happening as these move at such small increments. I would argue that your guiding would improve if you fine tuned out your backlash. Good PHD2 settings using the guiding assistant and PEC training have all aided in me getting such good guiding figures and my mount now performs perfectly.

[@yanghu6133]

@@Astrobloke Hello Glenn, thanks for very detailed video and explanation about the mechanics of outer housing and the cylinder. I have a question though: during guiding and go-to, after we lock the clutch, is the brass button the only source of friction to drive the axis by the cylinder gear? If it is, it really seems not very secure and tight… considering the axis maybe be carrying up to 13kg of payload.

[@speedtripmantriumph7542]

@@yanghu6133 hi. Yes this is all friction that is applied. Remember your load is balanced so the forces needed to slew or track the mount are not that great. Unlock your mount and you can feel how much effort it takes to move it just by pressing down or lifting one side. Not very much at all, hence why the locking mechanism is so small and simple and not required to be anything more.

[@yanghu6133]

@@speedtripmantriumph7542 thanks, Yeah it makes sense. And also if the axis is stiff, it will put pressure on the guiding as well. So bearings are really important it seems!

[@Karnivor555]

Hi Peter, you were absolutely right with your assumption. After replacing the bearings of my HEQ5 I still had a little stiffness in my mount. I just saw that the brass wheel was scuffing inside the housing. I used a little sanding paper to just remove carefully a little material where I had brass markings from scuffing. That fixed it. Mount is moving freely now and is tracking perfectly. Thanks Glenn for this video.

[@AstroPilotchannel]

Awesome job Glenn, I think I might do this to my new Sirius EQ-G it’s quite stiff in both axis and I might go ahead and put the Rowan Belt mod on when I get the chance, great job and keep up the good work👍👍clear skies

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Trevor. Well worth doing as it makes a huge difference

[@NeilW210]

Excellent presentation Glenn, thank you. My HEQ-5 is quite tight in RA, and difficult to balance. This has given me the courage to fix it. I notice that the 6006 2RSR units are coming up as "No Products Found in This Category" on the Bearings Online site, so I assume they no longer hold stock. Looks like I can source them from a supplier here in Australia though.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Neil. You can also use 6006 2RS1. Think the code denotes the type. The 2 and S meaning 2 seals so sealed both sides. The bearing companies are very helpful if you call with any questions and can recommend comprisable products. Should last a lifetime seeing as they will move only 180degrees max in a night and not 20,000+ rpm as designed

[@tempusfugit6820]

I would suggest loosening the lock nut that apply the pressure on the tampered bearing first. Those mounts are assembled way too tight from the factory. Loosening it would help quite a bit. I did this on mine and it balances very easily now.

[@NeilW210]

@@tempusfugit6820 thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try.

[@NeilW210]

@@Astrobloke I have now completed the process.. The RA is really good, but the Dec, while moving quite smoothly, doesn't spin like yours. Any suggestions? I'm still quite pleased with the result overall.

[@jasonpressler7111]

I have found the grease used on RC transmissions to be excellent.

[@Astrobloke]

I will have to check that out. Is it lithium based?

[@jasonpressler7111]

@@Astrobloke I cant remember, the stuff i use is called udder butter by CowRC.

[@Astrobloke]

@@jasonpressler7111 Thats such a cool name, they also sell Moo slick lol

[@LogansAstro]

Very comprehensive workflow video Glenn.

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks Logan. It was quite a few days work but worth the effort and should help a lot of others with the mount.

[@SharpStarAstro]

Great tutorial! Looks like you did a great job, pretty nice!

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. Its not actually difficult to do just takes a bit of time. The mount feels so much better now

[@Chris_NGC6188Ara]

Great vid Glen, very easy to follow thankyou heaps. This is the vid that gave me the confidence to have a go myself. Butttttt!@!! I have one bearing stuck like the preverbal to a blanket to the base of the Dec shaft. I played with it for about an hour. It's stubborn. I'll have another go tomorrow.

[@Astrobloke]

You are welcome Chris. So annoying when one bearing hangs on. I had one do that to me once and I made sure there was grease on the shaft and kept either working it up or tapping it back down with a rubber mallet. eventually turning it upside down it just fell off. They just need to be dead straight. Good luck

[@ronrakos4165]

Hello Glenn! Thank you this great video and all of your other videos. I have really learned a lot and have enjoyed watching then. I have a relative new HEQ5 Pro and I going to upgrade with the Rowan belt modification. Are you replacing the bearings because the original bearings are inferior to the new ones or are you replacing them because the original bearings are worn out? Even if your mount was older; I would not think that the bearings would wear out at the low slew speeds relatively short time in use when compared to their design intend of continuous use in an electric motor or other equipment application. Listening to your commentary it seems to be a little of both. Thoughts?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Ron and thank you for the kind comments. The Rowan belt ,od is without doubt the best upgrade you can do for that mount, will improve backlash and makes it a lot lot quieter. The HEQ5 I bought was quite old and very stiff in both the RA and DEC axis and why I decided to strip it down and service it. The bearings were ok but a couple were leaking at the seals and so decided a new set of bearings would not hurt (not overly expensive) You are right that it is extremely unlikely bearings would ever wear out in a mount. I also think someone had been inside this mount before and had not done a great job. It runs lovely now. Clear skies

[@ronrakos4165]

@@Astrobloke Thank you Glenn for the quick response. Yes, you did mention in your video that some of the screw heads looked like they may have bee messed with! Based on the quality of the bearings that you found inside and given the relatively small cost (~$75) would you recommend just replacing them anyway to improve tracking?

[@Astrobloke]

@@ronrakos4165 I would see what the mount guides like because if it is guiding at a satisfactory error I would not change them. I would only recommend taking your mount apart for this kind of work if it has issues. As I said before mine was very stiff and difficult to balance and was guiding poorly.

[@pederp5749]

Thank you. That was very helpful! You got a new subscriber ;)

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you very much, really appreciate your support

[@douglassmith1215]

What about just changing/upgrading the four small worm gear bearings? Dark Frame seems to just replace those and only inspects the larger bearings and replaces them if they are damaged. I think their logic is they do not rotate as much and move at a much lower speed. Also, movement on the main axis bearings does not really cause backlash, while movement of the worm gear bearings has a direct influence on rotation of the main brass gear. The 4 small worm gear bearings are fairly inexpensive while the 8 large main axis bearings are quite a significant cost. AstroBaby in her EQ6 Supertune as suggests only the worm gear bearings are worth replacing. Martin in his video repacks the large bearings with new grease, which might be helpful.

[@Astrobloke]

If your mount is nice and smooth and the bearings are good then sure there is no need to replace them. I went down this route because my mount had stiction in the DEC axis and grease had leaked from one of the bearings. (Cheap unbranded bearings with poor seals) the main bearings won’t stop back lash as you say but a smooth mount with no stiction is easier to balance.

[@douglassmith1215]

@@Astrobloke Good point about the leaking bearings. I notice on the bearings-online website for the 6006 2RS1 SKF deep groove ball bearing (the large replacement) it says they are sealed for life with an NBR seal on both sides. That makes me think that Martin's approach of breaking the seals and re-greasing might be asking for trouble since it will probably encourage leaking (particularly under hot conditions).

[@douglassmith1215]

@@Astrobloke I think the small worm gear bearings are under a high amount of radial load and probably get mistreated by overtightening during the final adjustment process. In a sense, they are being asked to act like springs to keep the worm gear engaged, which is probably not what they are designed for. I notice Rowan Astro has an EQ6 worm gear replacement which has built-in springs to keep a constant pressure. Would be nice if they had one for the HEQ5 too or if someone figured out how to implement spring loading of the worm gear for the HEQ5. There's your next challenge!

[@davidaylsworth8964]

Did you need to use a degreaser to clean up the brass? Interesting video. Just waiting on parts to hypertune my Celestron mount. This serves as a bit of a primer for my anticipated service.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi David. I did not as upon inspection all it really needed in my opinion was a good wipe down. Some of the older models have a very sticky grease which I think would have made me use a degreaser. Its not wrong to degrease and is a lot more thorough but I chose not to and it didn't seem to be an issue for me.

[@greenmjg7]

great video, one tip use magnetic screw drivers :)

[@Astrobloke]

Thanks….they used to be. I need to re energise them but that just another job for the list lol

[@Calipso232]

Great video, but I think you made one mistake which may have been the cause of the difficulty setting the play on the RA axis worm gear. Well, it seems to me that you should first set the slack on the worm gear and only then put on and set the tension of the axle drive belt. When you did it like in the video, after adjusting the belt tension, while adjusting the slack on the worm gear, you were changing the position of the worm pulley in relation to the motor pulley and consequently changing the belt tension.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi and thanks for the comment. I think you are completely right and if I was to do it again would do it that way. I was still able to adjust everything but maybe not as easily. KZbin do not allow any edits to videos on e published which is a real shame, i would have to delete and make it again which would be difficult as I sold my HEQ5. Clear skies

[@Wolfie6020]

Excellent thank you.

[@Astrobloke]

You are welcome!

[@Wolfie6020]

@@Astrobloke Do the new bearings give the main gear alignment more consistency? I have an AZ-EQ 6 which I have owned for years and recently bought the HEQ5 Pro. I understand how to adjust the worm to remove backlash and the problem of binding if too tight. I spent a long time with my AZ-EQ 6 and have it as close to perfect as possible. However the mesh is not consistent during a full 360 rotation. RA and DEC. What I mean is that if I remove all slop it will rotate ok for most of the 360 degrees but will bind at one point. If I loosen it to avoid that binding it has a little slop when in other positions. The HEQ5 seems much better. I have the RA perfect. No slop and no binding at all through 360 degrees. The DEC is close but I still have a bit of slop in the home position. A tiny amount but easily felt when you test for it. Rotating 20 degrees either side of home the slop disappears and it is good. If I try to remove the slop in the home position it will bind during rotating. Just wondering if the new bearings change this in your experience?

[@Astrobloke]

@@Wolfie6020 No unfortunately. These are machined to a standard but are not perfect by any means. The system used by ioptron in their CEM mounts seems a good solution as the worm drive is held in place via tension (magnets I believe) and so prevent the binding a fixed drive could give. I think the best you can do is adjust as close as possible with no binding. I know you can get replacement worm drives and gears but you are starting to look at serious money then and you would be better off buying a new mount.

[@Wolfie6020]

@@Astrobloke Thanks for the detailed answer. I totally understand. Ioptron make nice mounts but they are hard to get in Australia. The Celestron CGX has a spring loaded worm as does the AZ-GTi and star discovery pro. I really like those mounts for that reason (I don't have the CGX but do have the other two which have zero slop always) I can live with a bit of slop in the Skywatcher gear. Overall they still work very nicely. Very happy that I have zero slop or binding in the RA on the HEQ 5. I could never get that in the larger AZ-EQ 6 Keep up the great work, I am enjoying your videos. You explain things very well.

[@Wolfie6020]

@@Astrobloke I did the belt upgrade today. It went well except I broke a wire on the RA motor connector. Tt was an easy fix with a soldering iron and all good now. The mount is so smooth now. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqvLaZKqrJenhJo

[@JoesAstrophoto]

Fantastic job Glenn, can I get you to come and do my EQ6 now? What a great tutorial, makes me want to tear into my mount and then call you to help me half way through hahaha

[@Astrobloke]

Will look at the EQ6 R Pro Joe, we can do them together.

[@WalidFeghali]

At 14:27 you have a very smooth and nice brass worm gear sliding against the aluminum body in an effortless way, but mine has a lot of drag. My bearings are great, rotating nicely, but I think the brass cylinder is just super tight with the tolerance up against the housing, so it causes drag and stiffness in the turning of the DEC axis. Do you have any tips here? Maybe remove grease from the brass cylinder gear and housing (apart from on the actual teeth), and (possibly) turn it in a lathe with some emery tape and take it ever so slightly to reduce the drag. What do you think? W.

[@Astrobloke]

The clearance is very fine between the brass cylinder and mount housing. There should not be any grease on the cylinder at all as the friction clutch uses this surface to lock the axis. Clear all grease and take the clutch lever and bolt out. There should be no rubbing at all. If there is thats a manufacturing fault. If you can’t get it returned then a lathe and emery tape may get you the clearance you need. I wish you luck. Let me know what you do and the results

[@WalidFeghali]

@@Astrobloke sounds perfectly reasonable. I'll let ya know what happened. Thanks again for your input. W.

[@4auswanderer]

Very nice video. Thank you very much for this. I think I am to nervous to do it on my own. Even with your nice description how to do it. I think I need to find somebody he/she can do it for me and I have to pay for it 🙂

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you very much, appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment so kindly. There are companies that provide this service but it can be quite expensive. Maybe you will change your mind and have a go. Its not too difficult at all. Good luck and clear skies

[@4auswanderer]

@@Astrobloke , thank you very much for your nice reply. I did it half way now and you are right it was not so difficult after watching your video :-) :-)

[@astrophotonics9470]

Well done.

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you

[@siegfriednoet]

Great informative work, well done and very good explained 👍👍 Could you show us how to remove the backlash on an EQ-6R-PRO also ?

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you Siegfried. I do believe it is the same process on the EQ6 R Pro. I will now be having a proper look soon and am considering doing the same job on that mount also

[@billblanshan3021]

Siegfried, it's nearly identical, just follow Glens video on the rebuild, and for fine adjustments on the worm drive placement, you can also watch Cuiv of Lazy Geek on you tube as he shows the back and forth work involved. When I bought my eq6r brand new, stock the rms was around 1 arc sec. After adjusting I got it down to 0.5 arc sec rms. I am now replacing my bearimgs to higher quality and should get the rms down more. Also, you will need a tool like this to remove the lock nut on the taper bearing. Hope this helps! www.amazon.com/dp/B07RDPJF7N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_VTT0D9KPHNET2X48KB21?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[@siegfriednoet]

@@billblanshan3021 Thanks for the info and the link ! What size should I need, 3, 4 or 5 mm ?

[@billblanshan3021]

@@siegfriednoet I have a 3mm and worked but the holes are 4mm so I would get that one

[@siegfriednoet]

@@billblanshan3021 thanks !

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

If any of your axis feel notchy, then suspect the taper roller bearing and/or over tight adjustment of the bearings

[@Astrobloke]

Quite a common issue with these mounts out of the factory

[@frosthastrophotography]

Great video Glenn! I'm going to try this on my mount any day now. Any tips not in the video?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi there. Best of luck. I pretty much covered everything but if you have any problems or questions please just let me know

[@danield4573]

Great video! Is the 6006-2rs different from the 6006-2rsr bearing?

[@Astrobloke]

6006 is the bearing size. I believe the following suffix letters refer to types of seal used etc. I would check with the supplier for proper clarification though

[@mrtambourineman6107]

I don't even own this mount but I enjoyed watching the whole video! I love this side of the hobby. I am hopefully going to invest in an HEQ5 mount asap actually. I already own the little Skywatcher Staradventurer pro 2(wifi) - can you do a video on pimping that up? Or is it a waste of time? I was thinking using the Staradventurer as my travel mount, and wondered if there was anything I could effectively do to improve it 👍

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you for the comments. I have not owned o e of those but have a video on servicing the sky watcher AZGTI which is similar. It would be a case of taking apart, cleaning and regreasing. Possibly new bearings if you can source the ones in that mount. The AZGTI benefitted but the staradventurer pro2 is a lot newer so may well be better assembled.

[@Boekoe12]

Really cool! Now I want do this hahaha

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you.

[@TeodorAngelov]

Fascinating tutorial. I can't decide on a mount though.. Do you think HEQ5 is worth the 400EUR difference in price compared to EQM35?

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. It does depend on the size of your imaging rig really. The HEQ5 will give you more future proofing if you move to larger scopes. I personally would get the HEQ5 if you can

[@poruatokin]

Based on how easy it was to slide the bearings into place, I think I would have used some Loctite Bearing Fit to ensure that they locate properly without any risk of spinning.

[@Astrobloke]

This was something I considered and if they were in a fast moving situation would have definitely locked them in. But with the extremely slow movements of mounts really didn't think this was essential.

[@ChrisBrown-yz7ll]

Your very clear and concise video has given me the confidence to have a go on my HEQ5 PRO. When I have the HEQ5 PRO. working I am hoping to do the same with my recently bought 12 year old NEQ6 PRO which is quite resistant in movement. Can I assume it is the same principle , and where can i find the bearing details? Thanks again.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Chris thank you for your very kind comment, very pleased the video was helpful to you. The Same principle will apply to the NEQ6 although it is a little different. I have a video on the EQ6 R Pro which will help kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6bNpGqBqcRplcU There is also some useful online details on Astrobaby site and I think here they list NEQ6 Bearing sizes www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/rebuilding-the-skywatcher-eq6orion-atlas-mount/

[@ChrisBrown-yz7ll]

@Astrobloke Thanks so much for the information, and the prompt reply.

[@astroventure2221]

Not all of the bearings listed are available anymore through your link. 4 x 689 2RS (Available) 6 x 6006 2RSR (NOT available) 2 x 30205 Timken roller bearings (Part# is a 30205M - not sure if that is the same)

[@Astrobloke]

The bearings do seem to change but mainly in the lettering which denotes types of seals etc. the numbers are the important bit as that’s the size.

[@tempusfugit6820]

Great video and tremendously useful. Did you apply grease to the outside of the brass drum where the clutch makes contact? Logic would suggest not but there seem there was some when you opened up the mount.

[@Astrobloke]

There was quite a lot of grease on that brass area and there should be none. One of the bearing seals was leaking so that could have been the source although it could have been done during assembly.

[@JohnMcGFrance]

Great tutorial. Thank you. I’m in France but if I can get the bearings I think I’ll give this a try as mine is a bit sticky. What did you get your guiding error down to?

[@Astrobloke]

Hi John its been sitting between 0.3 - 0.6 depending on the seeing. Since running pec training it mainly sits at 0.4. If you click the link in the description that company ships internationally

[@fellpower]

The BEST mod for the HEQ5 is the BELT MOD ^^

[@Astrobloke]

Totally agree. That had already been done by the previous owner or that would have been my video

[@ShevillMathers]

Re cleaning the worm gear sets with solvent in a saucer, you will be surprised at the amount of fine metal particles that settles out. I tried shouting through the Internet-net but you had the volume turned down-ha ha. Lesson for others I hope who will benefit their mounts with a strip down, solvent clean all the old grease off, and a fine regressed with white Lithium etc. without changing bearings if they feel OK, a lower cost approach for those who don’t want to go to the extra expense. Generally I have found the original greases used of poor quality. Greetings from Tasmania Australia-Southern Cross Observatory-42 South.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Sheville and I hope you are well. I was not as thorough with the cleaning as I should have been but was lucky as the mount is still guiding below 0.7 total rms. If however that changes and it needs a service I have a degreasant ready and waiting to make sure its sparkling before a re grease and rebuild. Clear skies to you sir.

[@cliveroberts415]

Great stuff been waiting for this. One question, when I checked the website there doesn't seem to be any 6006 2RSR. There is 6006 2RS1 SKF Deep Groove Ball and 6006 2RS C3 - FAG Deep Groove Ball plus a ceramic one and a hybrid ceramic. I know zero about bearings so please forgive if this is a stupid question

[@Astrobloke]

2RS1 are fine. I have used the larger version of these in my eq6 r pro. The final letter and numbers is about the type and if its sealed or open. If you are not sure the bearing companies are very helpful and can confirm if they are suitable.

[@Sien11]

Hi Astrobloke, thanks a lot of making this video it was really helpful in tuning up and improving my mount. Just a quick question if you don't mind! Below you mentioned guiding in the 0.3-0.5 range of total rms, I was wondering if that isconsistent or only when pointing high above the horizon, good seeing etc? I've only really been able to use the mount over the last couple of nights and hammer out some other things I'm dealing with but my guiding seemed to average around the 0.6 mark.. sometimes 0.5ish and on the rare occasion I've seen it touch 0.4. My polar alignment was in the region of 4 arc seconds, not sure how much if any that would affect guide stats. Cheers again!

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Sien and thank you for your kind comments, I am glad you found the video helpful. The guiding I quote is with excellent seeing and the scope up high . Guiding is very seeing dependent. I would say on average it guides 0.5 rms. On poor seeing or a low target its normally at 0.7. What you are getting is very good and would say you have that tuned in very well. Have you done any PEC training? If you haven't seen my video, it may be worth a look as could bring your guiding rms error down a little bit more. On the HEQ6 it is a little different to the EQ^ R PRO I show it on as you cannot save the PPEC to the mounts motors, you save it in EQMOD and just switch on autopec.

[@Sien11]

@@Astrobloke Great to hear! Thanks for clueing me in. I believe I brushed over your video but I'm currently using kstars/ekos with an astroberry and I don't think it's currently supported. Did you have much success? I thought PEC training was only useful if your mount was stationary in an observatory but I may very well be wrong in that.

[@Astrobloke]

@@Sien11 PEC training is beneficial for any mount that has the ability whether on a pier or tripod. It removes the small periodic errors that are in the worm drive and gears that are built in from the manufacturing of the mount. These mounts are produced to a standard due to price and can sometimes have errors that will effect performance. I have found with the 3 mounts I have recorded PEC the RA guiding has improved slightly. If you record and then remove the periodic errors the guiding doesn’t have to work so hard.

[@Sien11]

@@Astrobloke Makes sense. I was just looking into it there briefly before I run out the door, it seems I could use predictive PEC via phd2 or create a pec profile via ascom and load this data into ekos, providing my mounts home position stays the same between sessions.

[@TheHeldere]

​@@Astrobloke Now I see why I can't save the PPEC in the HEQ5... I was folowing this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpfZiJuubNStn5I but it´s for the EQ6-R. Last night I was doing the PPEC training on my HEQ5 but I have to abort it because I forgot to turn of dithering off, and the PEC graphic drops a lot. I don't have yet the belt mod, my RMS it´s bellow 1, I'm still doubt if i will get any improvement with him. Thanks for your videos. Greeting from Portugal.

[@kamilkp]

Wow when you showed the „after” at 56:11 my jaw dropped. It turns incredibly smoothly. I’m gonna do a grease job on my new EQM-35 which is so stiff that I don’t know how tracking even works (i get 3” RMS). Do you think I can get it up to this level? The EQM-35 doesn’t have bearings - just grease

[@Astrobloke]

Thank you. You might find just loosening the main nuts that hold the RA and DEC together may be enough. They are often way too tight from the factory

[@kamilkp]

@@Astrobloke oh man you’re a genius. Today I felt ready to do this and loosening the silver ring for the Ra that holds it together totally did the trick. Same with the Dec bolt. They don’t spin like yours but for bushings only it works very very smoothly. Can’t wait to compare the guiding RMS as soon as it clears up! Thanks man, you’re a mount saver 😃

[@Astrobloke]

@@kamilkp you are welcome. I bet you will see an improvement in your guiding. You should be able to get at least 1 arc sec and possibly lower. I have not used that mount so can’t be sure of the figures you can teach

[@kamilkp]

@@Astrobloke yeah I recorded footage of me disassebling and loosening what needed to be loosened so once I test it out and see how guiding goes I will put together a video (might be a while cuz the weather is crap these days in southern Poland)

[@Astrobloke]

@@kamilkp same here. Will like to see the results. Wish you luck

[@RK-ed7cc]

Great video. As usual though it didn't work for me. I followed you video step by step. Same bearings and grease. My HEQ5 is still very tight. I even backed off the end nuts and it is still tight. Can't really tell if it's balanced right. Just my luck I guess. Thanks for good videos though.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi and thanks for commenting. I I can help you further please contact me via email. [e-mail] Seems strange that its still stiff and I would like to try and help you sort that out

[@neudan7788]

Wonderful video! It seems as though it is not as complicated as I thought to hypertune an HEQ5- thanks to your explanation. I will give it a shot. Before I purchase the bearings. Would you recommend fully ceramic bearings or stick with the hybrid ones you use in this video? Would there be any benefits? Cheers! Daniel

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Dan and thank you for your kind comments. Because the mounts move very slowly I don’t think going fully ceramic will make a difference and they are more expensive. This is just an opinion however and not something I have tested. Good luck with the project and I am sure will give great results. Clear skies

[@Capitaine.Albator]

Would like to know the difference in the rms after the adjust. 👍🏻✌🏻🇨🇦

[@Astrobloke]

I will do a full video on guiding and PEC training with this mount but just ran guide assist and calibrated and it is sitting between 0.3 - 0.5 so I am very happy.

[@WalidFeghali]

Hey Astrobloke! Do you need to buy these new bearings even if the mount has been bought new and used only a couple times? Seems unnecessary? Thanks! W.

[@Astrobloke]

Not at all. My mount had issues and was a few years old when I got it and didn’t know the history. I found a couple of the bearings were leaking and it was quite stiff especially in the DEC axis. It was a big improvement to my mount but not every mount is the same

[@WalidFeghali]

@@Astrobloke Makes sense! I'll just give it what it needs. Great, mint condition on this mount I bought. It does have a few years on its neck and it's a bit stiff in the RA / DEC but it's been used almost nothing so should be good after a little stripdown, cleanup and reassembly without having to buy new bearings.

[@JoeBob79569]

I don't have the Rowan mod done to mine yet, but I was recently trying to remove 3400ms of DEC backlash that PHD2 was insisting I had (but I couldn't feel any play in the mount). I loosened the hex bolts and tried to adjust the backlash, like you did here, but the screw for closing the gap in the worm gear was very tight, even after loosening the other worm gear screw. And it was strange because I wasn't getting any binding either. But after watching this video I'm wondering if I couldn't move it because the other gears had no play in them either, and perhaps I should have some slack in the "side-box gears" so that the worm gear housing has room to move?

[@Astrobloke]

hi. The Rowan belt mod will definitely help with back lash and I would say a must upgrade for your HEQ5. it improves so many things its well worth doing. Fine binding is so hard to detect and can be there even if the mount is slewing and not making any noises or stopping. The biggest problem is if you use guide assistant it will appear on the graph as backlash. Problem with it is it cannot be compensated for but backlash can and so yes a minute amount of play is better than none. Can I ask what your typical rms error is on RA and DEC axis and total please?

[@JoeBob79569]

@@Astrobloke Thanks, that's quite helpful, I didn't know that binding could show up as backlash!. My RMS is generally a little less than 1" on RA and about 0.64" on DEC (Total: ~1.25") on a good night, but on a bad night it can be x2 or x3 times worse, even with no wind or clouds. But I've been messing with it last night (the info in the previous comment) so I don't know if it's worse or better now. But I might mess with again later. I did have a strange occurrence alright a few nights ago, I was randomly having poor guiding (about 2" on both axes) so I adjusted the counterweight to see if it would improve things, but it improved my DEC by about 70% and did nothing for RA, and I was quite confused about it!

[@Astrobloke]

@@JoeBob79569 what scope are you using and have you checked the 3rd axis balance as this can have quite an effect. The DEC numbers are not too bad but the RA needs to be around the same. Try backing the RA axis off a little and see if that makes a difference. Have you tried any PEC training?

[@JoeBob79569]

@@Astrobloke I've never come across the term "3rd axis" before, but after a quick google I've got it now. It's something I was thinking about before, but I just didn't have a name for it. I do have my focuser on one side and mini PC on the other side for balance, and it's close but not perfectly balanced. It generally doesn't drop by itself, but I can feel that it does favour one side slightly. But I should also probably move the mini PC to the mount because it has a fan in it. The scope itself is a Bresser AR102s (600mm). I'm not sure what the deal is with PEC training through, I'm pretty sure the mount supports it, but the Synscan app says it's not supported (I have the wifi model), but I do use the PEC algorithm for guiding in PHD2.

[@Astrobloke]

@@JoeBob79569 The 3rd axis balance can cause issues to the RA balance and why I mention it as your RA had a higher error. PEC training can be done with the HEQ5 with EQMOD but the fact you are using the PEC algorithm is good enough. If you have like the slightest of play and I mean 1mm in both axis and no improvement in your guiding after running guide assistant (always run a fresh calibration after making the changes) then I would suggest that the belt mod is your next major step. Everyone I know that have done it have noticed huge improvements

[@kenobi1873]

Great video tutorial! I'm a little stuck on the worm gear carrier though. The two washers with the two slots won't budge. How else can I remove one? I presume there is a specific tool?

[@Astrobloke]

I am surprised they are that tightly done up. Circlip pliers might be better but a lot of them (mine included) are not long enough that why i used long nosed needle pliers. You could get a small flat bladed screwdriver into one of the slots and give it a few light taps. It may be enough to loosen it off

[@gronki1]

I have a question, how do you know how tight the DEC axis should be? And by that I mean the thing you screw on around 25:55. Thank you for a great guide!

[@Astrobloke]

I tighten it only to the point where there is no movement in the axis if pulling or pushing. These are often over tightened and can cause stiffness if done up too tight. But there must be no in/out play

[@gronki1]

@@Astrobloke thank you!!! i loosened mine a bit, will try tonight :)

[@04Stefan07]

Wouldn't mind doing this to mine. How did you find the entire process and room for error?

[@Astrobloke]

The video was filmed during the whole procedure so it was as live as possible. Its quite straightforward as long as you have good space and the right tools. Actually really enjoyed doing it and the results were much better than expected

[@blockhead9746]

Excellent video. Can I ask if it's necessary to grease the actual bearing? I've read another set of instructions which is actually quite a bit older but they push white grease into the bearing.

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Steve. New bearings come pre greased so no need. The other video may have just been servicing the bearings to replace back in. Only the tapered bearings come without grease as they are open and so you need to grease these.

[@aviewfarfaraway8560]

I have a further question to this. My issue is with grease thickening in -25C and lower temps. It causes some tracking issues and particular, the mount resets when slewing on both axis due to current draw even with a 5A power supply. Obviously those temps are extreme for most people and not an issue. With the Rowan belt mod alone my tracking went from 1.2-1.4 down to .7-.9 typically, and I’ve bought aircraft grade grease (AeroShell 64) to replace the cheaper factory stuff but now I’m wondering whether it might still be a thickening issue with the sealed bearings too - your best guess? I just came across your video today and haven’t yet taken apart my HEQ5 Pro mount which is still quite new, or I’d have already ordered the better bearings in hindsight. But I’ll likely go ahead and do the grease change and checks you’ve outlined in this video with the existing bearings while I wait for better bearings to arrive so that hopefully it makes the mount more usable in our current cold snap here (-22 to -35C without windchills - I know windchill only affects me, not the mount). I’ll probably have my answer before you make it here to reply, but possibly not, and the answer might be relevant to other crazy Canadians or other nationalities who venture out into extremes!

[@dk3810]

Dziękuję 🙂

[@Astrobloke]

Zapraszamy

[@dlindsay1797]

The 689 2RS is not a Timken bearing. What brand did you wind up with? Not looking to put a cheap bearing back in when that is what I'm trying to get rid of. I did find the other bearings in Timken.

[@Astrobloke]

The roller bearings were Timken but the sealed bearings were all SKF brand.

[@pederp5749]

I did notice a strange thing on my mount while adjusting the backlash on the RA axis. If I set the slew rate to "1" on the hand controller, the motor moves only in one direction (the button right on the controller) while there is no reaction if I push the left button. If the slew rate is set to "2" - it moves in both directions with no problem. I was wondering if that is an error on my mount, or if it is because that direction at slow speed is the same as a "hold" command while tracking? (Did the test with no belt not to have stiction affecting the outcome.) Thx in advance

[@Astrobloke]

That is strange. The only way you could confirm that is if you make sure its not tracking and then try moving it with slew rate 1. Its not something I have ever done so not sure of the correct answer.

[@pederp5749]

@@Astrobloke Thanks for your answer. I got a friend with a mount set up for observing. Got him to try it on a daytime stationary target. Sure enough at rate 1 it only works in one direction. (And rate 0 both arrows turns it in the same direction, but one at half speed).

[@PetterAstrom]

Hi. Thanks for the instructions. But what was the guiding like? Was it worth it? I hypertuned my EQ3 Pro to guide at 0.5 to 0.8 so I’m curious about the result.

[@Astrobloke]

I do cover the guiding details in the video. Before I tuned the mount it was guiding around 0.8 total rms and after all the way down to 0.3 at its best on great seeing. I would say it averages 0.5 total rms most nights so absolutely worth it.

[@PetterAstrom]

@@Astrobloke oh, I must have missed that. Was that in the beginning? Thanks for the answer! Sounds great!

[@philippeleca8239]

Thank you for your very detailed video. I have purchased a 2nd hand HEQ5 and I think that the red washer is missing in the Dec axis. Do you know where I can purchase a set of such washers ? If I have to manufacture it, do you know the thickness of these red washers ? Best regards Philippe

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Phillipe. I would think you could source that part from any company that services the mounts. In the UK there is Darkframe or firstlightoptics or rothervalleyoptics. You could email Sky Watcher also as they may be able to help. I don’t know if its a set size or if they vary depending on the mount tolerances. I hope you are able to source one and get your mount all working well. Excellent piece of kit

[@philippeleca8239]

Thanks for your prompt reply. I made a trial with a 1 mm thick steel washer, and the gears were not correctly adjusted. Finally, I 3D-printed a 0.5mm thick washer (made of PLA) and it works perfectly. The mount has been belt-modified and main bearings have been changed (both RA and DEC). The original mainboard have been replaced by a Rev C mainboard, able to manage micro-steps (must-have add-on to the "Hyper-tune"). Finally, both RA and DEC axis have now very smooth accelerations and movements. During the night, I made some guiding error measurements (through Stellarmate guiding function) and obtained rms values between 1.2 and 0.76 arcsec, depending on the dec position of the target. Thank you again for your tutorial movie.