SkyView Deluxe mount troubles

I have a SkyView Deluxe 8" f/4 Newt, which I bought second hand a couple years ago. The mount is GEM. The DEC fine adjustment control has failed. I can turn the knob from now to doomsday and nothing happens. Once in a while it will catch and work for a bit but not often and not for long. Consequently, I have to nudge the beast by hand, which is not very accurate, is probably not great for the equipment, and is very annoying.

Is this something I can fix or have fixed, or am I hosed? If hosed, then what would you suggest for a replacement?

Thanks.

Have you checked to see if the allen screw that holds the knob in place is tight on the flat part of the worm shaft ? If the knob is tight on the shaft then the worm gear probably needs adjustment.

Joplin

Philip and Ted,
Your comments upset David a bit. I read both of the posts and got the impression that you weren't trying to make any waves. It seemed you were only lightening the mood but David didn't like your comments. Unfortunately it is hard to distinguish people's emotions on any forum. I deleted any reference to the comments. Please try and put yourself in others shoes and think of how they may feel before you post anything.

Thanks everyone,
Jay

David

Definitely try the suggestions for fixing the mount, as it probably is recoverable. But you did ask about a replacement if required.

For visual use only, I think the newer model Celestron ASGT Goto Mount (with the 2" SS legs) is one of the better values going at this time. I have one for a 5" F8 refractor (FS-128) and at times a 9.25" SCT OTA and it works great. It's stable enough for high power viewing, the Go-To function is nice, plus the size is easily portable. For a polar scope, the Orion version fits and is better quality.

But again, hopefully yours can be fixed.
Regards
Steven Jindra