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Skywatcher HEQ5 PRO / NEQ6 PRO or Celestron Advanced VX Mount

danccat

By danccat
in Discussions - Mounts

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danccat

danccat

Posted
Posted

Which of the above, in the majority of the members of this site believe is the best? I'll be looking for AP on this one... I'm sure some of you may already be aware but I currently have a Nexstar 8SE but the mount is standard and so wont allow me to polar align, rendering the scope useless on most DSOs.  The mount will be a longer term investment with the idea of obtaining an additional scope later on, one that is better to capture DSOs, but until then, its just got to be the mount.

Now i'm not 100% on this, i'm hoping the A-VX will be compatible for me to attach my nexstar to it? but will either of the Skywatcher mounts also?

Feedback appreciated as this will be a mount to be used long term and clear skys.

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patohalmo

patohalmo

Posted
Posted

I guess the 8SE has the same vixen style dovetail bar as 6SE I have. Most of the mounts come with dual combo vixen/losmandy saddle plates, so you should be fine. I'm using HEQ5 with Altair saddle plate.

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patohalmo

patohalmo

Posted
Posted

Looking forward to the replies as every time I settle on a mount some1 points me to another....lol.

;-)

:D same here. I did my homework best I could

and couldn't decide. 3 similar priced / equally good mounts, each with some extra special bits.

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iksose7

iksose7

Posted
Posted

I too would go with the NEQ6, if you can attach your scope to one mount, i dont see why you couldnt attach it to any other mount. The pates scopes sit on are pretty universal, either vixen or losmandy, and every mount i know of caters to both.

Callum

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swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

I guess that the chances are you are going to get only one side of the story ...... either those who have used Skywatcher mounts or those that have used Celestron. I would imagine that the numbers of folks that have used both to be able to compare is going to be fairly small.

For what it's worth, I started off with a Skywatcher HEQ5 and it was a great mount. But if I was in the market for starters again, I'd go for an NEQ6 or one of those varieties....... The AzEQ6 seems to get favourable reviews. 

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red dwalf

red dwalf

Posted
Posted

Yes a 8se will fit the mount, I have a Celestron 8se , sold the mount and kept the score, the neq 6 comes with vixen and losmandy fittings, newer versions do anyway, they work with eqmod and you'll by need another mount for years, the most important thing in astro photograph is the mount, the new az gt 6 is a lovely mount if you can afford one, if not a neq 6 or a heq 5 as a minimum.

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patohalmo

patohalmo

Posted
Posted

Just a point I found myself - there's nothing wrong with the original saddle. However, if you get a shorter refractor with a short mount bar, you may have troubles to balance it properly when loaded with some photo/ observation gear.

I would recommend a longer saddle plate for this purpose. Also the locking on these is via longer push bar, not a single/dual bolt against the scope bar, so it won't leave marks on it ;)

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Carina Lass

Carina Lass

Posted
Posted

I've used the 5 and the 6 - to me the six is far better. The only thing going for the 5 is the carry weight. The six is a bit heavy for an old granny....which is why I have an observatory and only move it now and then.

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  • 9 months later...
  • 4 months later...
Droogie 2001

Droogie 2001

Posted
Posted

Hope no one minds me jumping onto this thread.

Having owned a Celestron AVX for nearly 2 years I have come to a point where I don’t think it is able to offer my new setup the performance it requires. having gone from visual and basic AP with a Celestron 8SE tube to a CCD setup has introduced a number of changes, namely the increase in payload.

This mainly consisted purchasing a wide field refractor and CCD which  has increased the weight up to 7Kg. This is causing significant guiding issues (I have a Polemaster) which I am unable to resolve.
I believe the AVX is rated at 30Lbs (US) which equates to 13Kg. This is for visual so say half for imaging which is 6.8Kg so I am at the maximum for imaging.
Before purchasing the AVX I had decided that the HEQ5 Pro was the mount to purchase but I changed at the last minute to the AVX… This I feel was the wrong choice though having not used a Skywatcher mount I guess it is just my own opinion. To be fair I have made a number of changes since purchasing it but I that said I have never really got on with the AVX.

So with budget requirements taken into account I see the NEQ 6 or the NEQ 5 Pro are likely candidates.
The NEQ6 is rated at 18Kg for imaging and the HEQ5 Pro is 11Kg. (I see the original poster has gone with a AZ EQ6 - bit out of my budget...)
Cleary with the NEQ6 it would probably be over kill however for the cost difference (approx. £200) I do not want to be in the same position a few years from now.
The main issue I guess is the significant increase in weight.
I have to set up each time I want to image and whilst most of the time this is from my back garden but there are times when I want to target Southern objects.
With my AVX I was able to walk to my Southern view site but that would not be possible with the NEQ 6, so a short car journey may be the solution.
The NEQ5 Pro looks ideal as it is not as heavy and would still be under my maximum imaging rate but again it’s a choice of accepting a mount which may not meet my requirements in a few years’ time. The lighter weight may mean I can still walk to my other site.

I guess what I am asking is whether the NEQ6 mount is not a suitable option for setting up each night?
I am fairly able bodied but I don’t want to end up with a mount I don’t want to setup or use…

Thanks 

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