I am posting here after a few months of frustration with my Skywatcher EQM35 Pro mount. Despite my best efforts, I cannot get the Dec axis to track properly under guiding. I am using a rig comprising Nikon 200mm f2 lens + ASI 6200MM camera + ZWO 30f4/120MM mini camera. Total weight 7kg.
I have followed most of the internet videos out there about how to a) free up the Dec axis movement and b) adjust the Dec axis backlash. a) involves loosening the main nut behind the dec plate in the mount and b) requires removing the casings around the dec gears, loosening/tightening (carefully!) the Grubb screw and possibly one of the hex screws on the dec plate revealed by removing part of the Dec gear axis mechanism). I have experimented with both, and while the Dec axis now rotates more freely (so at least I can balance in Dec), all I have succeeded in doing in respect of backlash is to lose all the tiny screws that keep the plastic housings in place around the Dec gears. Note that these fixes were recommended to me by the astro-shop that sold me the mount. One fix I haven't done is down load the "new" firmware. I am not sure whether this is needed since a) the mount was purchased a few months after the firmware was released b) I don't use the hand controller to guide/track, but the ASIAir Pro. Besides the firmware requires a Windows machine and I am a Mac user (my Windows emulator no longer works under the most recent upgrade to MacOS)
When calibrating the guiding (using ASIAIR) it either fails when it moves from RA to the Dec axis calibration, saying no movement was detected in clearing backlash or it moves off in the North direction under calibration, but fails to come back under the South movement. This becomes manifest during guiding when the Dec axis takes it into its head to move >8arcsec off and can't be brought back.
So currently I have Dec axis guiding turned off, and limit myself to 180sec exposures. Even at a modest 200mm focal length, I still have to throw away 25% of the subs due to guiding errors. I know that options are very mixed on this mount, but I would really appreciate any help any AB users of this mount could provide. I really want to make this mount work.
To help guide feedback, here are some questions.
1) Have others experienced these problems?
2) Am I on the right track with the fixes, and have I simply given up too early or not made sufficiently fine (or gross?) adjustments?
3) Do I really need to load the new firmware?
4) Am I asking too much of this mount in either load capacity or ability to track over several minutes?
To a large extent, I am very disappointed by the product. I own and love my Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro and my Skywatcher Esprit 100 refractor, so this is not a complaint against Skywatcher as a whole. I also get that this is an enthusiast hobby, so some measure of fix-it-yourself is expected. Nevertheless, the EQM 35 Pro is marketed as an "entry-level" mount. In my view, entry-level mounts shouldn't required this level of intervention, or be so difficult to tune to be "fit for purpose". Unless, of course, that purpose doesn't include astrophotography.
Thanks in advance for any help/insight you can provide.
Brian
I have followed most of the internet videos out there about how to a) free up the Dec axis movement and b) adjust the Dec axis backlash. a) involves loosening the main nut behind the dec plate in the mount and b) requires removing the casings around the dec gears, loosening/tightening (carefully!) the Grubb screw and possibly one of the hex screws on the dec plate revealed by removing part of the Dec gear axis mechanism). I have experimented with both, and while the Dec axis now rotates more freely (so at least I can balance in Dec), all I have succeeded in doing in respect of backlash is to lose all the tiny screws that keep the plastic housings in place around the Dec gears. Note that these fixes were recommended to me by the astro-shop that sold me the mount. One fix I haven't done is down load the "new" firmware. I am not sure whether this is needed since a) the mount was purchased a few months after the firmware was released b) I don't use the hand controller to guide/track, but the ASIAir Pro. Besides the firmware requires a Windows machine and I am a Mac user (my Windows emulator no longer works under the most recent upgrade to MacOS)
When calibrating the guiding (using ASIAIR) it either fails when it moves from RA to the Dec axis calibration, saying no movement was detected in clearing backlash or it moves off in the North direction under calibration, but fails to come back under the South movement. This becomes manifest during guiding when the Dec axis takes it into its head to move >8arcsec off and can't be brought back.
So currently I have Dec axis guiding turned off, and limit myself to 180sec exposures. Even at a modest 200mm focal length, I still have to throw away 25% of the subs due to guiding errors. I know that options are very mixed on this mount, but I would really appreciate any help any AB users of this mount could provide. I really want to make this mount work.
To help guide feedback, here are some questions.
1) Have others experienced these problems?
2) Am I on the right track with the fixes, and have I simply given up too early or not made sufficiently fine (or gross?) adjustments?
3) Do I really need to load the new firmware?
4) Am I asking too much of this mount in either load capacity or ability to track over several minutes?
To a large extent, I am very disappointed by the product. I own and love my Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro and my Skywatcher Esprit 100 refractor, so this is not a complaint against Skywatcher as a whole. I also get that this is an enthusiast hobby, so some measure of fix-it-yourself is expected. Nevertheless, the EQM 35 Pro is marketed as an "entry-level" mount. In my view, entry-level mounts shouldn't required this level of intervention, or be so difficult to tune to be "fit for purpose". Unless, of course, that purpose doesn't include astrophotography.
Thanks in advance for any help/insight you can provide.
Brian
