Hi!
I really need help here... The situation is getting desperate already.
I have the iOptron SmartEQ Pro mount and it is not tracking at all although Stellarmate says it is tracking.
I have all the coordinates set, polar aligned through the polar finder, plate solved.
However, I get the following errors:
1. The Polar align through Stellarmate gives an error when moving for the second picture. It aborts the action and I have to restart the mount. It starts rotating and I have to stop it with the HC, and then restart the mount so it works again.
2. Even when the mount is balanced, polar aligned through the polar finder and plate solved, it won't track for even 10sec with 135mm. Stellarmate says "Tracking", but it actually doesn't at all. But I can hear the motors working.
3. When trying the guiding, I get the following error: GUIDE_RA: Scope cannot reach the start point after 21 iterations. I tried reducing the Pulse as suggested, but still the same...
4. Multi star alignment through the HC still won't track...

Please help me with any ideas where the issues might be as I have tried everything I could think of.
Thank you!

If you can hear the RA motor running, have you checked the clutches? or is the mount overloaded? There seems to be an issue with the clutches on that mount. See this thread www.cloudynights.com/topic/714865-any-us...q-pro-eq-goto-mount/ on Cloudy Nights, you may find hints there.

Cheers

Alan

Yes, I can hear the motors working. As for the weight, I believe it is way underweighted as I am using a Pentax k5 with 135mm lenses, and a small guidescope 120mm with SV105 guidecam. Other than that, I have attached a small battery pack with RPI4 on the mount. Everything in total is less than 3kg. So it should be good.
What is the thing about the clutches?
I also heard that since to bearings inside are sort of plastic, the cold weather shrinks them and this might cause the wrong tracking. Is it possible?

The thread on Cloudy Nights has a user was reporting that he had to resort to using pliers to get the clutches tightened to an acceptable level. Can you move the mount by hand without any undue force when there's no power applied, if so the clutches are slipping. Also have you the mount reasonably well balanced.

Thanks

Alan

These are pretty tight. I can't move it to any directions once tightened. I could say the balance is pretty good too. Since I don't believe my phone leveler at 100%, I boght one of those small bubble levelers, so it is perfectly leveled too.

Well I think you'll need to do some indoor tests.

This should give you some idea of where to look to narrow down the problem.

1) Set it up indoors.
2) Remove all the weight from the mount ( camera, scope, counterweight etc.)
3) Connect just the mount to your Stellarmate unit.
4) Create a new profile with just the mount & a camera simulator.
5) Slew to a suitable object in KSTARS and set the mount tracking that object.
6) Put a couple of pencil marks across the RA axis joint on the casing. So you can see any movement.
7) Leave the mount tracking for 1 Hour. Check intermittently throughout the hour to make sure you can hear the RA motor running.
Check the movement, it should have moved the pencil mark about 15 degrees. If it hasn't moved the 15 degrees or hasn't moved at all, something is either binding or slipping somewhere, especially if you can hear the RA motor running throughout the tracking period.

If it does track well in indoors, it could possibly be binding caused by the plastic bearing contracting in the cold weather or it could be the weight on the mount causing an issue.

Thanks

Alan

I tried your suggestion. Without any weights on it, the mount is way underbalanced. So it was a couple degrees off. Once I put all the gear and balanced it perfectly well, it came to exactly 15 degrees angle for 1h. So I guess it is all good while indoors in a room temp.
Next, i will disassemble it and try to isolate it a bit from the colder weather with some isolating aluminium tape. I was also adviced to buy lithium grease and put some so it would compensate for the gearing contraction a bit. Wednesday might be the next clear night, so wish me luck!

Good, I'm pleased you've found the issue, I have an old EQ5 mount and the DEC axis on that has a plain Aluminium to Aluminium bearing and it can be a real pain when doing small corrections when guiding. I've tried various greases over the years and the best lubricant I've found so far, is good old car engine oil, works a treat in all conditions. The only downside is you have to reapply it every few months.

Thanks

Good Luck


Alan

There is a guy on YouTube that shows how to tune the mount through the small screws on the sides for the RA and DEC axis. As per the video, both sides have to be equallty screwed (if I understood correctly), but mine are not. That is how I got the mount, but will try to tune it a bit so both sides are equal. He also mentioned whirling sound, withi is due to overtightening, which I hear...
So, after the disassemble, grease and re-assemble, now is the tune time. Wish me luck!

You know what I just noticed? All the time I was focusing on the RA axis and it seems to be moving at exactly 15 degrees (I also greased it). But never tought of the DEC and noticed that just once out of 5 tries it moved. All other times it was static. Is it something normal? Does it have to have any movement on that axis everytime? Maybe the simulator thinks it is perfectly polar aligned?