Telescope Reviews: A few iEQ45 mods

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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

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Phillip Easton
super member

Reged: 12/24/10

Loc: DFW

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Wembley2000]
#5496435 - 10/30/12 04:12 PM

Dan,

Wish I had thought of removing the base, LOL

Wem,

Certainly want to hear how this works out!

Cheers!
Phillip

Post Extras:

Astronewb
sage

Reged: 09/19/11

Loc: Connecticut

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Wembley2000]
#5496474 - 10/30/12 04:42 PM

Quote:

I sent Aeroquest Machining my ieq45 worm and Jim made me a new one. When the skies clear, I will let you all know how it goes with pempro graphs.

Wem

Jim at Aeroquest makes a nice worm. I installed one about a week ago and compared the stock worm to the Aeroquest worm using the TE Recorder software on my TEM. Here are screenshots of the results. Good luck with yours.

Stock worm: [img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8139537570_291645...
No TDM Stock Worm by Astronewb2011, on Flickr

Aeroquest worm: [img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8139506881_f78c30...
No TDM Aeroquest Worm by Astronewb2011, on Flickr

Just a simple bolt on reduced the PE from 32 arc-seconds to 19 arc-seconds. A very cost effective modification.

Cheers,

Paul

Post Extras:

Wembley2000
super member

Reged: 01/07/12

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Astronewb]
#5496515 - 10/30/12 05:04 PM

Ditto the above...! Also, you can try some of these mods:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/astronewb2011/sets/721576296...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/astronewb2011/sets/721576310...

Thanks for the informative thread.

Cheers,

Paul

Paul's tensioners are also a very worthwhile upgrade, really helps to smooth out the frequency spectrum. Lowered my pe by roughly 20%, smoothed out a 20 second error due to the belt to nothing.

Wem

Post Extras:

Phillip Easton
super member

Reged: 12/24/10

Loc: DFW

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Astronewb]
#5496525 - 10/30/12 05:11 PM

Paul or Wem,

How much did the worm cost? I have gotten my PE down from 40 (replacement worm from iOptron) to 20 arc-secs by adjusting mesh and using a stiffer spring. Wonder if the Areoquest worm would help to bring it down further of is the low 20's about the best we can hope for without PEC or the TDM?

Cheers!

Post Extras:

Wembley2000
super member

Reged: 01/07/12

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Phillip Easton]
#5496553 - 10/30/12 05:28 PM

Phillip,

The worm was 105 plus shipping. I will let you know if it will help you out when I get a chance to give it a try. If you are already at 20 and I get results close to Paul's, it would not be worth while for you. I need to wait until probably thursday or friday for Sandy to clear out of my neck of the woods.

Wem

Post Extras:

orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/10/09

Loc: Singapore

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Wembley2000]
#5496847 - 10/30/12 08:38 PM

I put an Aeroquest worm on my CGEM. It reduced the fundamental periodic error from 29" to 15"

However - the CGEM has a huge non-integral 2.6667X periodic error due to the gearbox - and on my CGEM the amplitude of this harmonic is 20"

Hence the Aeroquest didn't really reduce the overall PE very much (net-net PE went down by about 3").

Post Extras:

chboss
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/24/08

Loc: Tokyo Japan

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: orlyandico]
#5497227 - 10/31/12 02:17 AM

Nice information regarding optimizing the periodic error.
I need to measure mine and see how big the error is.
The tip with the stronger springs makes sense to me, I always felt the pre tension on the RA block was too low.

best regards
Chris

Post Extras:

Astronewb
sage

Reged: 09/19/11

Loc: Connecticut

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: chboss]
#5497416 - 10/31/12 08:32 AM

Quote:

Nice information regarding optimizing the periodic error.
I need to measure mine and see how big the error is.
The tip with the stronger springs makes sense to me, I always felt the pre tension on the RA block was too low.

best regards
Chris

Just a note, be careful with the spring, too much tension will result in increased motor loading and greatly increased gear noise when slewing. Proper mesh is the key ingredient to lowering PE. As is reducing all play in the housing/worm to minimum, ie; zero play.

Clear skies,

Paul

Post Extras:

Astronewb
sage

Reged: 09/19/11

Loc: Connecticut

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Astronewb]
#5499214 - 11/01/12 11:08 AM

I forgot to mention an important mod while reading the thread. Just remembered...you all must have experienced the shift in the FOV if you accidentaly touch the polar scope focuser while doing a polar align?

This shift of FOV occurs when you turn the focuser element also.

Run down to your toolbox, or hardware store and grab a roll of Tefon Pipe Thread tape. Unscrew the focuser from the polar scope...wrap a turn of Teflon pipe tape around the threads and then screw it back in. Voila! The focuser is now significantly tighter in the housing, and will not shift FOV when you touch it.

This works on the SmartEQ polar scope as well, and probably any polar scope with a threaded focuser element.

Cheers,

Paul

Post Extras:

dvb
different Syndrome.

Reged: 06/18/05

Loc: Vancouver, Canada

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Astronewb]
#5500339 - 11/02/12 02:03 AM

Thanks Paul!

Post Extras:

Wembley2000
super member

Reged: 01/07/12

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: dvb]
#5500522 - 11/02/12 08:19 AM

Also anyone looking for a hand controller extension cable, the one for the cgem scopestuff sells will work. I had one left over from my cgem experience and it works fine.

Brian

Post Extras:

Wembley2000
super member

Reged: 01/07/12

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Wembley2000]
#5506393 - 11/06/12 07:11 AM

Quote:

I sent Aeroquest Machining my ieq45 worm and Jim made me a new one. When the skies clear, I will let you all know how it goes with pempro graphs.

Wem

Finally a clear night lastnight. My results with the Aeroquest worm were very similiar to Paul's, 19 p-p error. These results were much better than my original stock worm, 51 p-p, but about the same as my replacement worm iOptron sent me. I can post graphs later today.

I am going to be putting the replacement worm back in the mount tonight as its native PE is a little smoother than the aeroquest worm.

Brian

Post Extras:

Phillip Easton
super member

Reged: 12/24/10

Loc: DFW

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Wembley2000]
#5506463 - 11/06/12 08:21 AM

Brian,

Thanks for the update. I went from 60 to 30 with a worm I also got from iOptron. Finally got into the 20's when I changed the spring and took more time to align. Going to put on Paul's tensioner tonight and see how it rolls

Post Extras:

Phillip Easton
super member

Reged: 12/24/10

Loc: DFW

Re: A few iEQ45 mods new

[Re: Astronewb]
#5535890 - 11/23/12 05:17 PM

Quote:

I forgot to mention an important mod while reading the thread. Just remembered...you all must have experienced the shift in the FOV if you accidentaly touch the polar scope focuser while doing a polar align?

This shift of FOV occurs when you turn the focuser element also.

Run down to your toolbox, or hardware store and grab a roll of Tefon Pipe Thread tape. Unscrew the focuser from the polar scope...wrap a turn of Teflon pipe tape around the threads and then screw it back in. Voila! The focuser is now significantly tighter in the housing, and will not shift FOV when you touch it.

This works on the SmartEQ polar scope as well, and probably any polar scope with a threaded focuser element.

Cheers,

Paul

Paul,

Thanks for the tip. Just did it to mine and it makes a huge difference when trying to focus. Also expect it to stay in focus better now as well.

Cheers!
Phillip

Post Extras:

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