I’ve been troubleshooting polar alignment drift on my iOptron HAE43B‑EC and may have found the culprit. The altitude axis clamp requires very high torque to hold alignment — I have to use the included wrench to really crank it down, otherwise there’s noticeable and significant play that throws off guiding.
Has anyone else run into this?
- Do you also need to tighten the knob to an extreme degree?
- Any tips for securing the altitude axis without risking thread wear?
- Have aftermarket knobs or other modifications helped?
Im'm a mobile observer and I'm concerned about frequent loosening and extreme tightening and potential wear ramifications. I’d like to learn if this is a common experience among HAE43B‑EC users, or if my unit might have a tolerance issue. Thanks in advance for sharing your observations!