SteadiHub
2004Follow Focus forum

Motor spinning uncontrollably on lens under load despite working in isolation

22 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

What the thread found

  • A motor that spins uncontrollably when calibrated under load but works fine when removed from the lens may have a loose gear between the potentiometer and output gear
  • Under load from the lens gear, pressure increases on the potentiometer shaft, causing the friction-fit gear to slip and lose position tracking
  • Testing whether the potentiometer shaft rotates when the output gear turns can confirm whether the potentiometer gear has slipped
  • The potentiometer gear in this motor type cannot be tightened as it uses a friction fit and requires replacement if loose

Depends on

  • This diagnosis applies specifically to motorized follow focus systems with potentiometer-based position feedback
  • The solution requires identifying that the problem persists with the same motor across different control units, ruling out transmitter or receiver faults
  • Potentiometer gear replacement requires service-level access to the motor

Gear in this thread

BFD

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