[bs30017]

Hi,

I have a DS2130LNT ATS. I've had it about 3 years. Lately I have problems getting the scope to slew up/down/left/right. It works fine when I am in the house, but when I take it out the movement is difficult. I am assuming whatever is used to grease the gears has broken down and gets sticky when it is cold. Is it possible to re-grease the gears? If so what is the process and what type of lubricant should I use?

Thanks
PJ

[MistrBadgr]

A couple years ago, I wrote some long posts on getting into the AT Mounts and checking a lot of things.  My mounts were AT-TC mounts.  But, by the age of yours, all the mechanical parts should be the same.  If you can find those posts, you should get a pretty good description.

Probably, the bushing surfaces need to be wiped clean and then regreased with a general purpose grease.  I have also used a teflon spray that worked well.  I once tried a spray that had teflon and several other ingredients in it, thinking it would be better.  Somehow, it bound up the whole drive unit.  That is when I went to a general purpose grease I found at the hardware store in a tube that looked like a toothpaste tube.

You may want to check out the plastic bushing that is under the place where your batteries go.  There is the top of a bolt that you can see there.  Take the bolt out, a steel washer, and maybe some brass shims.  Make sure the edge of the washer that touches the brown plastic underneath does not have an edge or any "teeth" on it that can cut into the brown plastic.  File that edge smooth.  The brown plastic is the top of a piece of plastic that contains the whole top of the vertical shaft. 

With the bolt out, you can slowly work the bottom bell off.

Clean out the central column and check the shaft on the upper section for rough spots.  A very careful sanding of any rough spots might be in order if you are brave.  Clean it all up and put on a little of the grease.  You can grease all the gears you see with grease on a que-tip or small paint brush.  I would just spot grease on the gears in three or four places around each one.  The grease can go a long way and will spray around at high speed if you put on too much.

You have to be careful when putting the thing back together.  I usually rig a piece of string around the drive section and pull it back on its spring as I lower the top section into the bell.  Work things back together and pull out the string before you push the two parts completely together.  Put, washer, etc. back into the same places they came from.  Do not tighten the denter bolt very tight.  It just neeeds to hold things together.  They normally come from the factory a little too tight in my opinion.

Try to find my posts.  If you cannot, I can tell you how to get into the top later.  I am running out of brain power for now.

Hope this helps,

Bill Steen

[bs30017]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the information. I will try to find your other posts. It will be a couple of weeks until I can get to the scope (I keep it at our vacation home). I will pick up some grease and try my hand at taking it apart. Luckily I have a new scope so I am not afraid to open this one up.

Thanks again
PJ