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ZEQ25 Replacement Motor

Started by DAZ808, 04/30/2022 09:33AM
Posted 04/30/2022 09:33AM Opening Post
I had the dead motor problem with a ZEQ25 I bought used, after 6 months of light use. Ioptron no longer supports the mount, no spare/replacement motors available.

I tried taking the motor apart and cleaning the spaces between the contacts on the shaft, without success.
I spent several hours looking at small electric motors on eBay, Amazon, and various electrical suppliers, with no luck.
I finally found AliExpress, and the loads of small motors they sell. After buying a likely replacement and waiting several weeks for delivery, twice, I finally found a motor that seemed to be an almost exact replacement.

Model Number FK-180SH-15190

This is a 3-12vDC motor with an attached gearbox and a bare shaft on the opposite end. 

In order to replace the old motor with the new, you will need to remove the motor from the mount and then:

!. remove the gearbox and mount plate from the new motor;
2. remove the spur gear from the new motor shaft (light heat and careful prying with a cut-off nipper worked for me);
3. remove the gearbox, mount plate and spur gear from the old motor (same method) and fit to new motor (spur gear is a light press fit);
4. carefully remove the black cover over the optical sensor unit, and remove the sensor disc from the shaft (small hex screw);
5. carefully de-solder the two motor connections from the circuit board and separate the board from the motor (desoldering kit with low temp solder and paste flux, and copper desoldering wick worked for me); you may need to use additional flux and wick to get all the old solder out of the two circuit board pads;
7. solder the circuit board onto the new motor, being careful to match the + pad on the board with the red dot connector on the motor (otherwise the motor will run in reverse of the signal from the mount);
8. Replace the optical sensor disc, tighten the hex screw, replace the black cap.

Replace the new motor unit in the mount, connect the wires, and you should be good to go.

I have used my ZEQ25 with the new motor only a few times (I bought a CEM26 before I finally found the replacement motor). It ran as well as before the motor expired, and actually sounds quieter than the old RA motor (I only replaced DEC motor). Slew and guiding worked fine.

I got 4 motors (spares, just in case) for $18.54, including shipping.
Order Details

Micro 20mm FK-180SH-15190 Full Metal Gearbox Gear Reduction Motor D-shaft Dual Shaft DC 3V-12V 75RPM Slow Speed High Torque  x4

Hope this helps anyone who is facing a non-op ZEQ25.