Suggestions of a mount handling 10kg OTAs, not having meridian flip?

[larsmn]

Have "outgrown" my Skywatcher AltAz GOTO after 3 years intense usage (+50 obs nights/year). Unfortunately, my primary line of sight is directly across the south meridian, if going for a GEM 80% of my photo series would be afflicted by the meridian flip. Another reason avoiding a flip is the slewing noise, since my obs site is a balcony with close-by neighbors, don't want to be evicted due to making to much nightly commotion 8-) , the SW is only disturbing when parking. I also, due to practical reasons, need to have a max OTA wight of 10 kg, looking for a more powerful OTA than my current Evostar 80ED.

Question is what mount options?  A new AltAz, EQ-capable to run on a wedge, OR others there is around €1000, handling 10kg and not having a flip. Initially the old Celestron 6/8 (8.5 kg max) was my intention, but it seems to been replaced with a new version lacking EQ and, worse, with only 6 kg load. 

Cheers

[DaveS]

The only one that comes readily to mind is the Avalon M-Uno, but that's in another league from your budget, here they're £4000 now, give or take a quid.

Incidentally I can go an hour or so past the meridian with my rig depending on dec.

[swag72]

As above, the Avalon Uno is the only mount I know of that will avoid the flip - But it's significantly more expensive than your budget. Have you considered using software to automate the flip, such as SGPro? Works really well and will do it all for you so that you don't have to worry about it all.

[Scott]

if its just the noise thats the issue, a belt mod will be a darn sight cheaper than an avalon

[larsmn]

:-) Looked earlier today at the Avalon. Much like I'm looking for, but as said, far beyond my budget :-( 

Regarding the noise, no :-) , it's not the primary issue. The primary issue is, that I would have a meridian flip during 80% of my series, due to my viewfield.  

It is a bit strange, with today's massive Arduino market, no-one making a sturdy "OpenSource" after the iQube design. An underside made of a stiff steel plate, bent to a "square" U with an axle in two roller bearings, going through the two flanks, driven by Arduino controlled modern constant motors, all resting on a proper dimensioned ball bearing onto a plate that has a wedge for EQ and a plastic weather cover in the same fashion as the steel plate, turned 90 degr on top, forming the "cube".

There is guys building GEMs with  plastic tubing and Arduino. A iQube-like construction should be much easier to do and if in proper size, it would be possible to include the guide system in the mount, all runned via Bluetooth or wifi. The robot makers and drone people is already doing this "an masse". With right bearings and motors, it should rival any good mount. Key is to handle side loads.

Cheers     

[Scott]

I used to dread the idea of a merridian flip mid immage,so much so that I'd choose targets to avoid. now I just do it as a matter of course. it's not really that much of an issue any more. no plate solving or the likes, just spend a couple of minutes lining things up using the framing option in artemis capture

[larsmn]

Thanks auspom,

Forgot to say, I am doing DSLR exclusively, because half of my obs season, it is to cold to have the balcony door open. Using camera apps to control the photographing remotely and experimenting with controlling the current mount via wifi.