Replacing the motor on SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro - Equatorial GoTo mount for telescopes

Product Description

Problem: Drive axle broken

Solution: Replacing the motor

Time required: 30 minutes

Tools required: Screwdriver, Allen key

Experience: 3/5

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Replacing a motor on the EQ6-R Pro isn't really a big deal. The last step is adjusting the drive pressure. We'll get to that in a moment.

The first step is to open the motor cover (Image 1 in the "More Images" section).

In this case, you can already remove the defective axle by hand.

In Image 2, you can see that the defective axle has come loose in its plug connection, and a permanent repair, e.g., by gluing, is no longer viable.

So we have to replace the motor. To do this, we also need to open the front panel.

It's best to take a photo of the connections with your cell phone – it's safe to do so with a smiley face (Image 3).

Replace the motor, i.e., install the new motor and pay attention to the plug connections.

And - last but not least - adjust the appropriate contact pressure of the drive on the rubber belt. The Allen screw below helps with this. This adjusts the distance between the motor spindle and the belt. If the tension is too high, the belt will sound like a "high" guitar string when tapped. If the tension is too low, the belt will sound "muffled." For comparison, you can open the cover of the intact motor and "feel" the tension with your fingers. Figure 5 shows the screw just before it is screwed in.

And in Figure 6, you can see that in our case, the Allen screw has to be screwed in several turns to achieve the correct contact pressure.

Thanks for your attention and always CLEAR SKIES!