Stu1smartcookie

Hi everyone, I have just purchased an EQ 5 along with the SynScan upgrade . Fitted the motors on ( 2 hrs 💤) and it seems to work fine . The only thing that worries me a bit is that the mount is a bit “stiff” in both axis . Whereas the Heq5 that I had was very smooth . I seem to remember way back that my last EQ5 was a bit like this . Is it just because it’s new ? I’ve not tested it in anger yet as since I’ve bought my 72Ed it’s been cloudy ( 2 bloody weeks ) I did do a dry run indoors and it did seem to slew to it’s supposed targets ok , with no apparent stress . Surely these mounts come well greased ... I have reported the issue to Widescreen Centre where I bought it . Anyone else had a problem like this?

Interesting thread as I have just ordered a skymax 127 ( coming Monday ) I too was wondering about fitting a 2”diagonal to the scope , so thanks for the info . And thanks to the OP for starting the thread .

hi , lol last post from this thread was a year ago , but , hey , at least you have an answer from me . I have owned the WO Z61 and it was a brilliant little scope ... i was never very successful at imaging though , but that was due to my imperfections rather than the scope . You might want to consider the SW 72ED as mentioned on this thread ... i have just bought one of these and it looks like an absolute bargain , and a great intro into imaging . Of course the skies are cloudy ( my fault ) so i cant try the scope out yet . the thing about these small scopes is that they are still good for visual ( although the limitations will be there , but for wide field viewing and for the larger planets and the moon they are great ). I seem to remember the WO Z61 being a bit heavier than the SW 72ED but also a bit more compact . If you want to see a review , try Astro Backyard over on You Tube . The AZ-GTi is a great little mount ,and can be upgraded into equatorial mode . i have owned three in total , two were spot on , the other one had a problem with it "slipping" . I actually bought a steel 3/8" tripod for mine and it was rock solid although it did have an impact on portability , to a degree . I have now gone full circle and got an HEQ5 Pro mount which is too bulky to drag around .

hi oliver ... just looking on SGL with reference to the skywatcher 72ed ... which scope did you get ? Since ive been in this hobby ive had about 7 or 8 different scopes !!! Its a minefield lol

Hi Mark , i am getting this scope on Monday ( they are like gold dust at the moment ) .. done a lot of research regarding the field flattener . It seems that ovl do a flattener which is a lot cheaper than the dedicated flattener for the 72ed . you will need either an extension tube ( as mentioned earlier on here) or a flattener to gain focus when using a camera , apparently . If you are using the scope for visual then a diagonal and eyepiece will be sufficient for focus. I was a bit worried about the focus travel on this scope as it only extends around 38mm but , lets face it , so many have been sold and the scope gets a great review so it must be good . Anyway the SA is a great little mount for the scope . I hope you enjoy your purchase lol just noticed when this thread was posted origianally ... so you will already have had your scope for many months .

It’s a fine effort . The planets are not that high in the sky so there will be problems with atmosphere .

Yes it’s an achromat but apparently it’s quite good at hiding CA .. I am looking forward to viewing the moon and Jupiter and Saturn , when they are up at a reasonable time . For now I’m just getting used to using it with the mount .

Hope you have been able to use the scope since you posted this .. I was out last night with my new bresser 127/1200 , for its first officially light , M3 was my target .

Lovely scope that I have owned in The past and sorely regret getting rid of .. sigh , maybe just maybe ... no , must be strong 😂

Such a great feeling isn’t it ? Buying a new scope .. I’ve had that feeling twice this week .. don’t ask lol .. but tonight it’s quite clear in Hertfordshire so I’m getting everything set up .. the only thing i would say is .. buying in the summer is a bit of a double edged sword .. nice warm(ish) nights but it doesn’t get properly dark until after 11 !! Even later in the north ! .. can’t wait until late august into September and October .. dark at a reasonable time and hopefully clear skies .

Thanks guys for the replies.. I was beginning to think I was alone on here .. well here is an update , my bresser 127/1200 arrived two days after I got the 150 pro . That gave me more dilemmas lol as both these scopes are good for planets .. but , my head ruled and I took ( drove 140 miles to Rother valley optics ) my skymax back today . I did of course buy a couple of accessories for my frac ! But I’m happy , the bresser is a great looking scope and to be honest I had a sneak peak the other night , very nice crisp views . I know I will get some CA . It’s mounted on an heq5 pro . I am now setting my sights on a skywatcher 72ed , which I hope to buy ( stock willing) this coming week .. after that I’m scoped out !

Hi all , just wanted to announce my new arrival , I have , today , taken delivery of the skymax 150 pro. . Initially I wanted a large refractor and tried to purchase the bresser 127/1200 ( but the supplier still hasn’t delivered )so I changed tak and bought the skymax, mainly for the long focal length , to use as a planetary scope , which I know they excel at . So , the delivery came at 4pm ( Thanks Rother Valley Optics) and ever since it’s been cloudy and raining zzz . Whilst I’ve heard good things about this scope I am still a bit in two minds about it , mainly because there has been quite a bit of negativity regarding cool down times and dew . Also it obviously has limitations regarding FOV . So , I am hoping for a little bit of reassurance on here from other users of Maks . I have read interesting threads from a few years ago but , I want to know if anyone else has bought one recently ( last year or so) and their experiences with it . To be fair to the supplier they have said I can return it ( unused ) I like the scope from what I see , it feels like it’s well put together . Just need a bit of practical advice . I , probably like many people are finding that owning one scope is not enough . I plan to pair this scope with a very short widefoeld refractor wife permitting . Until then I really want this scope to be a “success” . It’s easy to store , a nice weight , and built to last . Thank you for reading this , I would value your constructive comments , for or against . After all if I can’t ask fellow astronomers then I can’t ask anyone . Stu

Hi , I acquired an HEQ5 Pro mount very recently , in great condition . One issue i have though is with the internal polar scope . When i turned the focusser it turned the whole barrel. Also the illuminator no longer works , which is annoying me no end . How easy is it to take the polar scope out of the mount and replace it .. or repair it ? I did think about getting the Polemaster or the ioptron equivalent , but thats for another day !

yes ,sorry , got off track there ...but thanks for the advice .

To be honest i really wanted a long refractor , so the 127 or 152 long tube would be excellent ( the skywatcher ones come with better accesories but i like the focusser on the bressers) , but the reason i listed the short tube versions was because they are a bit "wider "... ive never owned a long tube refractor so i am going on reviews . I would like to put a dslr on the end to take a few pics , so the short tube may be the way to go , but i really am impressed with the longer 127 & 152... any thoughts? i am not great at imaging ... i havent the patience to sit for hours in front of a screen teasing a galaxy out of a photo that i took where i could actually see nothing . Dont get me wrong , im really impressed with the photos i see on this site , but for me its mainly about observing .

yep , Can't argue with that ...a really nice shot ! .. hopefully the weather will pick up next week ... its been appalling today ! Im ready to buy (again) but i'm just weighing up whether this scope will be a luxury item for me . I was either going for a 127/1200 or 600 or the 152/1200 or 600 (bresser)... then this came into my view. And you have not made the choice any easier John lol An evening of planned expense ... nice

What Magnification did you have on those Moon pics ? Really impressed with those especially through a phone camera

yes , .. i am finding nothing is perfect in our hobby but at least you found a way round . More money eh? .. when will it ever end ? The build quality looks great ..i saw the japanese instruction manual ...lol... actually clearer than the bresser ones Cant wait to see more pics !

My basket in FLO is overflowing with various stuff lol .. this scope is in there now !!! I just think its so "different" and interesting.

wow .. i really like this ... im really in two( Make that 4) minds now ... i want a nice refractor but i was going for something with a bit more aperture .. now , having read your comments John its "clouded" my mind a bit . What targets would you be realistically looking at through this scope ?. obviously the moon is a given , glad to see there is no noticeable CA .

Just looked at this scope on FLO ( trying to get an answer to whether it actually is in stock ) .. mounted on an HEQ5 pro i reckon this will be a handsome sight ... more importantly , will CA still be an issue on a scope with such a long FL ?. I was just about to order a 127 bresser when i saw this little (long) beauty . Never owned anything like this before so i am a little in the dark about it , not too much info around either . really does look well made . Does anyone know if the focusser would be interchangeable ?

Some good points made in the above answer ... i have actually had a couple of the AZ-GTi mounts ... the first one was faulty but the replacement was spot on , i sold it on here just this week . I actually preferred using it in the Alt Az mode even though i upgraded the firmware . Its ultra portable. The only reason i sold it was to part fund a bigger mount . I agree that the star discovery looks a good bet though .. it seems a bit more "solid " . If you get the AZ-Gti , buy a good tripod . Sure you can use it on a camera tripod but i found mounting on a steel tripod it was rock solid .

That is quite brilliant. Well done.

Many thanks for the reply , i was considering a 120 but i thought it would be a bit on the heavy side , especially when i put a camera on it . I have made a purchase of the little Bresser , i have the option of returning it if i want , which takes all the pressure off . The jury is out whether this little scope has ED glass but i suppose the proof will be in the pudding on that one . Im a bit smitten on bresser stuff at the moment , apart from the attrocious finder and average lens they supply wth their scopes ( why do they do that ?) the actual OTA are built very well . From what i have read longer focal length scopes seem to cope better with CA . My tripod can carry 8kg although it looks like it could be blown over by someone sneezing , so i am mindful of keeping weight down . This scope will be used for wide field , and taking a few snaps , ive got the dob for planatary stuff (when they finally get visible at a reasonable time ... cant wait for the autumn ) , so im not too worried about the CA . Of course i will look at stuff like that , but i not expecting too much .