Thalestris24

Hi again Knobby You shouldn't have any backlash with a belt mod - unless the belt tension is maladjusted, or you are out of balance, or have cable drag or similar. Double check that the mount still balances ok vertically. In my experience, even with a small scope the belt mod is sensitive to small amounts of imbalance. You mentioned somewhere above that you keep losing the guide star - is that because the mount is drifting away from it rather than, say, poor sky transparency? The Guiding Assistant should show how your mount+scope is behaving independent of guiding and sky conditions. What figures does it return in respect of RA and DEC behaviour? Are you sure your PA is spot on - you need good PA to get a good calibration, and sometimes you need to do several iterations. If everything checks out otherwise then the simplest explanation will be the belt tension being off. I did my own belt mod (a few years ago now) and had to make several adjustments before I got it right. It's been excellent since 🙂 Hope you can sort it - it's so good when it's up and running! Louise

Hi Knobby Remember that with a belt mod you want very good balancing, no East heavy! Louise

Even more annoying, perhaps, is that you have to remember to copy any custom threads. As it happens I've not needed to print any T2 threads in a long time so haven't bothered to add any custom threads. But who knows what the future holds? 😄 Louise

I think you have to reinstall it every time Autocad does an update... Louise

I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage mine. I'll have to dig the original tripod out of the attic. If it's still too heavy for me then my astro days will be numbered and I'll just have to find a new hobby. Maybe just terrestrial photography - I'd like to do some macro photography. Also more photomicrography - I've not done any in ages. I could do with a better microscope, or at least, better objectives. Good ones are very expensive but at least I wouldn't be limited by my location or the weather! 🙂 Louise

But then it wouldn't be ideal... 😄

My ideal tripod has a 50kg payload, weighs 500g, and costs £20...

Those tripods look quite good but nobody seems to have them and they're rather expensive. I'll try the supplied Al one - maybe it will do... Thanks

Still quite heavy then...

Tripod weight?

Thanks, though I can't really mess about with building materials in the flat... Louise

I don't see how a eq3 pro would fit to one? How much does the tripod weigh (on their own)? £200 is an awful lot to pay just for a tripod... Thanks Louise

They look the same as the heq5 tripod, which I already have. Thanks Louise

Wooden tripods seem very expensive and I can't find the one you mention? Thanks Louise

Hmm… Maybe I'll unpack it and actually try it out. It always just seemed like it's too flimsy. Thanks Alan Louise

I currently have my EQ3 Synscan mounted on a HEQ5 tripod and it's very happy on there. The only trouble is it's a bit heavy for me. OTOH the supplied aluminium tripod, though light, seems too flimsy. Anyone know if there's something in between? I had been looking at the iOptron SmartEQ but decided it's probably not good enough for reliable imaging. However, the 1.25" steel tripod is lighter than the 1.75" one but might still be ok. iOptron also do 1.5" tripods but don't know if they can be adapted for SW mounts or how much they weigh. Now if only I could get a similar tripod for the EQ3 - any ideas anyone? Thanks Louise

I wish I had a balcony!

Hiya Oh ok. It's anyway always difficult to part with cash for something that doesn't have lots of positive reviews. I actually discarded the flimsy aluminium eq3 mount and put the head on an heq5 mount - much sturdier but quite a bit heavier. The eq3 head on its own weighs 4.6kg, the heq5 tripod is 5.6kg. Plus, say 2kg for a scope plus 2kg cw. So it's around 15kg overall and it's just too heavy for little me! The Smart EQ is only 2.8kg + 2.7kg for tripod plus the other 4kg < 10kg which I can probably manage without breaking my neck going down the stairs... Laptop can go in a backpack. Obviously, one only gets what one pays for, though the smart EQ Pro is a similar price to the eq3 synscan. My flat is getting cluttered with too many mounts here and there! However, I've been stuck using them from indoors and I've had enough of that now. So one more might be the answer... I do wish there was an astro showroom nearby but there isn't. I sometimes wish I had a car but I don't. If only I had more muscles but I think it's a bit late in the day to contemplate bodybuilding, lol. Thanks Louise

Hi Tommo I realise this is a slightly old thread... Was just wondering if you ever got a Smart EQ Pro? I'm currently looking at this too as I want something lightweight that I can easily carry up and down stairs (I've been trying to find some way of doing this for the last 5 years!). I've already got the SW EQ£ Synscan Pro and it's quite good value. However, it's still a bit too heavy for me - I need to get down two flights of stairs in one go... If anyone else has anything to say about this mount, that would be useful! Thanks Louise

Do you have one? How is it for you? No, I want something small and light - but slightly better than a Star Adventurer (which I have but it's never worked properly for me and, in some respects, is hard to use anyway). Flo sell these iOptron's and I'd get a new one. Thanks Louise

Thanks for the comment but I really want to hear from someone who has/used one. Louise

This ioptron : https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ioptron-mounts/ioptron-smarteq-pro-goto-equatorial-mount.html#specifications Any pros/cons re imaging with it (small frac)? Thanks 🙂 Louise

Thanks, though my images aren't very good. I've built a Lowspec 2 spectrometer and, if I can get it working, I'll probably just do some spectroscopy instead. Failing that, I'll abandon this hobby altogether. Regards Louise

A few stars more from 16th April: NGC6743 8x120s NGC6823 4x180s crop NGC6834 5x120s crop NGC6885 3x120s NGC6940 3 x 120s Louise

Hi Paul, if you don't need much current (<=100mA) then the little 78L05 will do There may be other alternatives if you need higher current. https://components101.com/78l05-pinout-equivalent-datasheet Louise