What size EQ mount for a biggish newt?

[Pug]

Morning! Have just had a decent sized work contract come in, so will be looking at upgrading my scope in a couple of months. Will be going for a second hand dob (10" or12") but I was wondering if I wanted to upgrade the mount at a later date to an EQ what is the minimum size I would need?

Thanks, Pug

[John]

An HEQ5 might be OK for the 10" for visual. For imaging and doing anything with the 12" I think an EQ6 would be needed.

These tubes look quite large on a dob mount but seem to grow to huge when on an EQ mount !.

[Keiran]

I think safest bet would be EQ6... HEQ5 is good, but the 10" do is very big. If you start adding extras like imaging equipement, then the heq5 will not be suitable at all.

[Pug]

Thank you, I'm planning on going to my local astro society meeting tonight, never used a dob before so I'm hoping to find out what all this "nudging" is about!

[Bizibilder]

EQ6 for those scopes - an HEQ5 will JUST cope with a 200mm newt (plus bits and bobs).

[swamp thing]

Hi Pug

I would just ad. If the Dob you intend to get and convert to an Equatorial later has to be portable I would not even consider a 12".

Whilst a 12" Dob is easily portable a 12" on a GEM isn't.

As john said a 12" on a GEM is massive and IMO needs permanent mounting in an observatory.

Have fun picking your scope.

Regards Steve

[Pug]

Many thanks for the advice people. I'm thinking long term and plan to convert my shed to an obs later on. I'll be using the dob on its mount for a while. I'm just trying to work out what's feasible without wasting cash. Sadly the bills come before everything else so it's all on a shoestring!