iOptron SmartStar iEQ45 User manual

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iOptron Corporation, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
Step-by-Step Instructions for
iEQ45 R.A. Worm Installation/Replacing
September 2013
These instructions serve to explain how to
 Replace a R.A. worm;
 Adjust a RA worm/wheel meshing;
 Inspect and clean a RA worm.
The procedures are similar for the DEC.
Please read the instructions carefully before
working on the mount.
1. Remove iEQ45 main board cover.
2. Remove black R.A. gear box cover by
loosening the two screws.
3. Unscrew four screws on the RA motor drive
board.
4. Next, remove the belt and two pulleys. First,
you will need to turn the wheel so you can insert
a 1.5mm hex wrench and loosen the set screw
on each pulley. It only needs be loosened a little.
See next photo for direction on disengaging gear
to allow the pulleys to turn.
4a. In order to turn the pulleys, you need to
partially disengage the worm gear. Make sure
the power is turned off. While pushing down on
the edge of the RA gear box, turn the RA pulley
to access the set screws with a hex wrench.
If the pulleys are very difficult to turn, you can
connect the power and turn on the mount. Then
turn the pulleys slowly using the hand controller.
Release the set screw on the motor shaft first.
Then remove both wheels at the same time.
RA pulley on worm
gear shaft
Hex wrench
®

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iOptron Corporation, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
5. Carefully disconnect the 3 sets of cables that
are connected to the RA drive board.
6. Loosen the four screws that secure the motor
and remove the motor from the RA worm gear
house from the other end.
7. Remove the periodic error (PE) reference
encoder from the RA house.
8. Remove the four hex screws that hold the RA
house in place, which will expose the aluminum
RA wheel as shown in the picture below. You
may mark the hinges’ position before release the
screws. Be careful not to lose the spring.
9. Remove the hinges (different on each side)
from hinge shaft. Be careful not to lose the two
copper washes that go with the hinges. Remove
the PE encoder wheel from the RA worm shaft
by releasing a set screw on the wheel.
PE encoder To main board
RA motor
Aluminum
RA wheel
S
p
rin
g
Push down here with thumb.
Turn this PE encoder

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iOptron Corporation, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
10. Release RA worm end cap set screw.
11. Remove the RA worm end cap. Push the
end of the worm.
12. Pull the RA worm and 2 bearings out of the
house. Lightly tap the end if needed.
13. Clean the worm house and make sure there
is no debris.
14. Mount two new bearings onto the new worm
shaft. Insert the RA worm back into the house
and make sure each part is aligned well and
there is no lateral play while the worn gear is
rotating. Please do not reverse the pulley
installation side and PE encoder side when
inserting the worm into the house.
PE encoder wheel
No debris
Pulley side
PE encoder
side
Hin
g
e
Co
pp
er washe
r
Hin
g
e shaft

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iOptron Corporation, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
15. Install the end cap. When tightening the end
cap, make sure there is no gap between the
bearing race and shaft inner edge wall, as
indicated in the photo.
16. After the end cap is fully tightened, release
1/8 to 1/4 turns of the end cap. Turning the
worm gear to make sure it turns smoothly and
there is no plays introduced while pull the worm
end. A little stiffness is OK. Secure the set screw.
Apply some grease as needed while assembling.
17. Insert the hinge shaft into the RA house.
Place the copper washers and hinges back onto
the shaft.
18. Now comes the most important part:
installing the RA worm gear back into the mount.
In factory, there is a fixture to ensure a proper
gear mesh between the gear and worm. Since
we don’t have a fixture, the rule of thumb is that
after the RA house is installed, the mount can be
turned in RA direction smoothly using your
fingers easily while turning the RA shaft. We
also suggest checking the RA motor current
while it is slewing at the highest speed after the
motor and belt are installed. The mount should
run very smoothly without any “laboring sound”,
if it meshes well.
As indicated in Step 8, place the RA
house on top of the RA wheel and put the four
hex head screws back. Fasten them, but not
fully tightened, to secure the RA house. Make
sure the spring is properly sitting inside the hole.
Push the two hinges inward to eliminate
possible lateral play (1). Push the RA house
down and forward to make sure the brass worm
gear is sitting on top of the curved center of the
aluminum wheel (2). In most cases, we would
push the two hinge ends forward while
tightening the 4 screws (3). Use the marks that
you put on while dismount the RA house as an
initial reference.
No gap
2
1
3

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iOptron Corporation, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
Turn the RA worm gear shaft to rotate the mount
along RA axis. It should easily move in both
directions. If not, the cage position needs to be
adjusted.
19. Install the new PE encoder wheel and board.
Then reinstall the RA motor. Tighten the four
screws evenly. Install the RA board and connect
the cables.
20. Turn the flat surfaces of the motor and worm
gear shaft to face each other, so they can be
easily accessed with the hex wrench after the
wheels and belt are installed (see next step).
You may power the mount on to rotate the motor
shaft.
21. Remove the set screws from old RA shaft
pulley and install it onto the new one. Adjust the
set screw depth on the pulleys so that the wheel
can only slide onto the shaft in one position (see
arrow below). Place the belt over the two wheels
and arrange them according to the position of
two shafts (see flat surfaces on shafts above).
After the wheels are placed on the shaft they will
not be able to turn freely without turning the
motor or worm.
20. Place the pulleys onto the shafts. Push the
belt wheel half-way onto the worm gear shaft.
Check if the other wheel can freely slide onto the
motor shaft and mate to the flat surface. If not,
power the mount on, select a slower speed (like
4X or 16X), using the left or right key to turn the
motor shaft. Push the belt wheel all the way onto
the motor shaft. Then push the other wheel all
the way in. Tighten both set screw with a hex
wrench. There should be some space between
the wheels and the RA gear cage.
23. Turn the mount in RA direction in full speed
to see if the mount is running smooth and well. If
a multimeter is used to measure the slew current,
it should be less that 600mA while slewing at
MAX speed. The smaller the reading, the better
worm and wheel mesh. Secure the RA board
and replace the cover.
Flat surface
on the shaft
Set screw intrusion to match
flat surface on shaft
Half-wa
y
in