Motor Issue - Star Adventurer 2i Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i - WiFi · Nicholas · ... · 10 · 283 · 2

alexei07 0.00
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Before reading, please note, I have been perfecting my polar alignment, and i’m proficient at the process. It is a mechanical fault.

Mornin! I have found tracking issues with my mount, and it seems to be every few photos, the stars would be stretched. no movement of the tripod or wind caused it. happened during three different sessions. took it apart today to inspect the clutch assembly and found 4 small metal shavings ranging 0.25-0.5mm wide on the worm drive gear, but no damage on the larger toothed gear. i’m unsure where it came from. i have not voided warranty by taking it apart. my question is, should i regrease and  reassemble it and wait for a clear night to test, or should i send it back to Sky-Watcher?

Thanks in advance,
Clear Skies
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Gondola 8.11
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May as well try it first…
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MVE_Astro 0.00
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Can you upload a cropped photo of your stars when they are normal and the next sub when they are stretched? I wonder if this is due to dithering because I have this same issue a lot, but I haven't checked for metal pieces like you did. I'll attach what my stars look like too if your stars look similar (1st image is normal, 2nd image is the next sub with weird stars).Screenshot 2025-01-01 170424.pngScreenshot 2025-01-01 170436.png
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alexei07 0.00
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Tony Gondola:
May as well try it first...

it’s incredibly rare i have clear skies in my region during the winter season. incase anyone knew how long it takes for Skywatcher to fix mounts under warranty, i asked about that in the original post
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Alien_Enthusiast 2.86
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Hi everyone 

I just wanted to say I love Star Adventurer 2i 

I use it with my 4" SCT at 1325mm 

It works on the moon 

But I use external red light for polar scope illumination 

and I usually spend 30 min polar aligning
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alexei07 0.00
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Hey guys, thanks for trying to help but I figured it out! I had to tighten the Backlash Adjustment Screw on the bottom of the mount to eliminate any backlash between the worm gear and final drive gear.

However in doing so, i found that it created tight spots when rotating the payload assembly* (with clutch disengaged). This is due to the inboard clutch plate being cast aluminum, not CNC manufactured aluminum, and therefor is not equal thickness all around, as it would be if it was CNC’d, as the outboard clutch plate was (also used as the final drive gear. 

this isn’t a massive issue. i’ve just gotta grind down the plate into the proper tolerance (not sure of proper terminology) so that no tight spots are noticeable anymore.

Clear Skies!

*id upload a photo of my findings but i cannot seem up upload above 1MB*
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Burger 0.00
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Hi, just as a thought, have you updated the firmware and how is your balance? I've found being slightly biased on the heel prevents "chatter" in the gears which can create issues with tracking.
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alexei07 0.00
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Burger Oosthuizen:
Hi, just as a thought, have you updated the firmware and how is your balance? I've found being slightly biased on the heel prevents "chatter" in the gears which can create issues with tracking.

Hi, I have not updated the firmware, that’s definitely something i should consider, thank you. Could you elaborate on your second point, I don’t fully understand what that means.
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Burger 0.00
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That it's ever so slightly heavier on the left side (here in the south, it would be the right in the north). This ensures the there is no play in the gears 
​This cancan cause slight oscillation of you rig as it rotates.
Let me know if you understand what I am saying.
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alexei07 0.00
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Yes I understand now. It’s just to keep some load on the gears no there’s no chance it’ll move in the opposite direction. thank you very much
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Burger 0.00
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That's correct 😁 So it's wanting to move in the direction of rotation ever so slightly. By the way, where do you live?
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