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TROUBLESHOOTING
The Keypad displayed the message “motor stall.”
This error message indicates that the Keypad and servo box are unable to communicate with each other and the LED
on the control box will also turn yellow indicating that the overload protection feature has been activated. Here are some
possible causes to check:
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Your telescope is not balanced properly. Refer to your mount manual for guidance.
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The motors are not connected to the servo box. Be sure all connectors are locked in place.
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A wire connection in one of the mount cables is broken.
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One of the motors is not functioning.
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The mesh of the worm gear and worm wheel is too tight. This will cause the motors to overload, which will cause the
overload protection feature of the control box to activate and shut down the signal to the motors.
●
The microprocessor chip, which contains the program logic, is missing from the servo box.
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All mounts except the Mach2GTO: One of the small gears in the motor box is jammed.
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Foreign material got into the motor gearbox.
Solution:
Check all possibilities above and correct, if possible. To initiate tracking again, press the N-S-E-W buttons, initiate a slew
or go to Main Menu and press “0” Status (if you still get an error message, press the button a second time, just to be sure
that the buffer cleared). If you have not moved the telescope while diagnosing the problem, the position will still be in
memory and you can continue as if nothing ever happened.
If the “motor stall” message appears again, you have not corrected the cause of the problem. If you are unable to resolve
it, check the technical support section of our website before contacting Astro-Physics. Additional troubleshooting and
adjustment information will be posted there in the future.
The Keypad display says “low battery.”
Your battery output has dropped below 11 volts. If you plug in your Kendrick heater, CCD camera or other power-hungry
device into the same battery that operates your mount, your battery voltage will drop momentarily. We recommend
that you power your mount from a separate battery. You might consider a large marine battery. If 110V is available, we
recommend that you use a power supply (filtered and regulated) with a minimum output of 5 amps at 12V DC. DO NOT
use a wall-transformer.
The Keypad locks up on the “Astro-Physics” window and will not advance to the next window.
There are several conditions that may cause this to occur.
●
Battery power has dropped. If you measure the output of your battery to be above 11.5V, but the Keypad is locking
up, please contact Astro-Physics. If your battery measures below 11.5V, recharge or replace your battery.
●
Recent lightning strike or power surge damaged components in the control box. The control box will have to be
returned to Astro-Physics. Please call ahead for a return authorization number.
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Other unknown chip failure in the control box. Contact Astro-Physics.
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Keypad locks up in cold weather but works fine when used in warmer temperatures. This is a rare problem caused by
a defective real-time clock in the Keypad. Contact Astro-Physics.
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Corroded circuit board in the Keypad.
The Keypad display text blinks on and off, but there is no clicking sound.
●
Battery power has dropped below the required threshold. If you measure the output of your battery to be above
11.5V, but the Keypad is still blinking on and off, please contact Astro-Physics. If your battery measures below 11.5V,
recharge or replace your battery.