My tracking mount just died right as the Milky Way was coming up

I was out at the dark sky site near Flagstaff last night, everything was set up perfect. Right when I started my 3-minute exposure sequence, the mount's motor made a grinding noise and stopped. I spent the next hour trying to reset it, but it just kept giving me a 'DEC error' on the hand controller. Had to pack up and drive home with zero photos. Anyone know a good repair place in Arizona, or should I just cut my losses and buy a new one?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar_gonzalez4528d ago

My old Sky-Watcher mount had that same DEC error twice. I used to just send it back for warranty, but after the second time I learned to fix it myself with a $30 gear kit from Agena Astro.

wade_anderson27d ago

I always figured sending a mount back was the only real fix. Seeing that a thirty dollar part from Agena solved it for you is pretty eye opening. I guess the companies don't want us to know how simple some of these repairs can be. That kind of changes my whole view on dealing with gear issues.

drew_walker27d ago

You said it changes your whole view on gear issues, but I'm not so sure. A thirty dollar fix is great when it works, but what if the real problem is deeper? Sometimes a bad gear is just a symptom. I've seen people replace a part only to have the main board fail a month later. It feels good to fix it yourself, but it might not always be the smart move if you don't know the root cause.