Rowan Astronomy Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro & Orion Sirius EQ-G Belt Mod Kit
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Rowan Astronomy Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro & Orion Sirius EQ-G Belt Mod Kit

£129.00
  (19 Reviews)
✓ 2 year warranty

:  

9x in stock shipped 1-2 working days

About this product

Model:  rowan_heq5_belt_mod_kit
Part Number:  10000012a

This kit replaces the HEQ5 Pro's spur gear drive train with timing belts. 

Reduces spur gear errors, which reduces tracking errors.

Slewing is much quieter - the 'grinding' noise that regular spur gears produce is significantly reduced. 

The pulley ratio is the same as the factory gears, so Sky-Watcher SynScan hand controller functions are unaffected. All gain and no loss :-) 

HEQ5 Belt Kit comprises of: 

2 x 47 tooth pulleys. 2 x 9 tooth pulleys. 
2 x timing belts. 
2 x intermediate rollers. 2 x 5mm mounting shafts. 
1x 8mm white acrylic cover spacer + 6 stainless fixings. 

Rowan HEQ5 Belt Kit Fitting Instructions

An optional extractor tool is available to easily remove the pinion gear from the motor. 

Note 1: Some older HEQ5 Pro mounts (around 6+ years) require an additional step when installing this upgrade kit. 

Note 2: We recommend the RA and Dec connectors stay connected when removing the motors, as the connectors can be delicate. (You only need free the cables beforehand). 

Customer reviews

Average Rating (19 Reviews):  
Write a Review and share your opinions!

Rating (max 5):  
A 100% MUST Have!
19 October 2022  | 

This mod made my tracking a lot more accurate and reduced the grinding sounds from the original gears. For such a low price, it makes a world of difference. Be sure to get the pinion extractor as it will be almost impossible without this! I ended up buying the 3MM version for the HEQ5 Pro.


Rating (max 5):  
Great upgrade
13 June 2022  | 

If Dave from Dark Frame Optics says doing the Rowan upgrade to the HEQ5 is one of the best things you can do for the mount, I think that says it all.

It removes another source of backlash and the upgrade is particularly useful for older noiser gears.


Rating (max 5):  
Great Service Again
11 May 2022  | 

Rowan Belt Mod completed today on my HEQ5pro. Took about 1hr 45mins. Pretty straightforward but the somewhat expensive pinion extractor tool was a godsend. Couldn’t have managed without it. Great service as always from the people at FLO. Ordered it yesterday afternoon & it arrived this morning. Decided to do it without unplugging the motors from the motherboard as I’ve heard some recent horror stories from people who have fatally damaged the motherboard trying to remove the connectors. Didn’t have any problems doing it this way. Doesn’t seem any quieter really but my HEQ5 was only 6 months old so didn’t have the grinding gear noises that some of the older models have. Will give it a try tonight as the forecast later is for clear skies.


Rating (max 5):  
Significantly improved my guiding
01 April 2022  | 

I would really recommend this mod for anyone with a HEQ-5 Pro mount as it really improved my guiding stability as there are no more backlash problems.
My guiding total error dropped from over 1" down to around 0.5"

Fitting the upgrade was relatively straight-forward, but I recommend watching some of the videos on YouTube on how to do it before you start if you are not used to this kind of challenges.
The main thing is to be patient and not try to hurry. I also used my phone camera to picture everything in the mount before I removed it, and this made it really easy to reassemble with the Rowan gear, e.g. showing how the motors for DEC and RA should be placed to be in their original orientation.

I would strongly recommend adding the pinion extractor if you purchase this belt mod kit! I also included an extra belt just to be safe, but as the mod went well for me, I did not need it.


Rating (max 5):  
Great customer service
28 November 2021  | 

I didn't expect my first shopping experience with FLO could be so nice. Chris has been really quick in every response to my questions. I felt supported before and after the purchase. FLO has the friendliest staff!

The belt mod kit has been easy to install. I didn't unplug the motors from the circuit board as instructed, and didn't encounter any troubles because of it. I used the pinion extractor, which was straight and easy to use. I wanted to compare using it against without it, but I wasn't ready to take any risk of damaging my gears.


Rating (max 5):  
Rowan belt mod
05 June 2021  | 

Speedy delivery from FLO, fitted the belt mod to my heq5 pro mount, sounds like a totally different mount, haven’t tried it outside yet due to the weather, also purchased the pinion extractor tool which is a must, a great upgrade well worth the money.


Rating (max 5):  
Straight forward install
24 May 2021  | 

Straight forward to install (get the additional pinion extractor), instructions a easy to follow. My mount is a lot quieter after fitting , not had chance to see if my guiding has improved due to bad weather


Rating (max 5):  
Rowan belt kit
17 May 2021  | 

Great kit,Very easy to fit haven’t had a chance to use it outside but I did try it out inside, there seems to be no backlash whatsoever can’t wait to get outside for some clear skies,Great service from FLO as always, thanks guys keep up the good work


Rating (max 5):  
Great product and service
03 May 2021  | 

The package arrived within 5 working days in SW France, no charges from La Poste (yet?). The upgrade is well made and the instructions very good...especially when you have watched several videos on the subject! Fitting would have been very easy but for some poor quality control on the mount's motors (holes not round) but easily sorted. The distances suggested were also out due to said Skywatcher inconsistencies but again I just made sure everything was level and running smoothly. Oh the lack of grinding noises and backlash. My guiding has also improved considerably. Value..seems expensive but I would prefer to upgrade this mount than spend 10x to 20x (or more) on a new mount. Add this upgrade to the ADM dual saddle (also from FLO), improved azimuth bolts and mounting on a pier and I should be OK. One other thing...buy the pinion extractor (4mm in my case)


Rating (max 5):  
Order and receiving items
23 March 2021  | 

Once again, super quick delivery and quality products. The belt mod especially is a quality product that has really improved the mount accuracy. Very happy


Read all 19 customer reviews...

FAQ

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Q1. Do you have advice for tensioning the belts?

As a guide, when fitted you should just be able to twist the belt through 90 degrees. If you can twist it more or less then the tension needs to be adjusted.