Mounting update: A better way of securing the Dec drive cables:

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After further fiddling I came up with another way of running the motor cable. The sturdy, aluminium box, in which the stepper motor sits, has empty corners where the motor body is cut away. These radiused slots are obviously to provide direct driver access to the motor's fixing screws.

None of the plugs are easily removable from their cables. So gaining access to the corner channels required notches and the cable fed carefully through the box as the motor was gently slid back into place.

Once the cable and socket had reached the correct orientation I clamped the plug down with a simple metal  bridge and long screws fitted with Nyloc nuts. Again, I had to use countersunk head screws in internally countersunk holes to allow the motor to fit inside its nicely cosy, tubular box casing. Normal screw heads would have protruded and blocked the motor from entering.

[Note how I have used screws and oversized washers to capture the loose journal bearing in the Beacon Hill worm housing. At left in the image above. The bearing used to constantly work itself outwards during Dec slews but is now perfectly secure. I could have tapped more, radial, threaded holes for more grub screws but decided against this because they distort the bearing outer race and increase friction. As I discovered when I tightened the single [original] grub screw to try [unsuccessfully] to stop the bearing falling out all the time. The bearing simply locked up solid!]

The main Declination cable is provided with a loop and fixed to the PA with a zip tie for strain relief. A P-clip keeps the short, motor attachment cable from becoming untidy. Normally, the black plug and socket are all but invisible under the Dec motor support plate. The images show the progress so far.

The Polar Axis, motor housing does not move so needs no cable slack for long slews. I have P-clipped the plug and socket out of sight under the RA motor, support plate, for protection. The image [right] shows the much tidier drive cable arrangements. I'll be glad to see an end to the chain hoist appearing in every picture! I have to keep the hoist chain  taught just in case the mounting support collapses. As has occurred twice now! The mounting's own weight is prodigious even without a telescope and counterweights fitted.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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