Mount question

[austen4]

Hello all,

Im thinking of buying a eq5 mount for a SW explorer 200p. I will be doing some imaging as well. But is the eq5 really a bad idea for imaging? And is there anyway to effectively upgrade a eq5 mount to perform as good as a heq5 or even a eq6?

Thanks in advance

[Parus major]

Afraid not, they're of totally different construction. If it's Astrophotography then it's no less than an HEQ5 you want, and with the synstrek version being discontinued the synscan is only £150 shy of the NEQ6 Syntrek. Food for thought.

[damnut]

HI Austen4,

Can only echo good advice from Parus Major, the least you require is a HEQ5. Keep an eye on the buy & sell section. They infrequently come up for sale.

Cheers

[spaceboy]

And is there anyway to effectively upgrade a eq5 mount to perform as good as a heq5 or even a eq6?

I have seen this question asked a couple of times on the lounge before and I can understand people thinking there is a kit that can be added to the EQ5 to give it a bit more grunt but unfortunately it's the size of the mount that restricts it's capabilities not so much the gears and worms. The HEQ5 is a slightly bigger/ heavier mount than the EQ5 allowing for better internal workings to be fitted. Sadly the HEQ5 although an improvement over the EQ5 still sits on the same 1.75" SS tripod as the EQ5 dose. For this reason you may want to look into getting the EQ6 if you plan to go down the imaging route as it will end up cheaper and less hassle in the long run.

[Parus major]

That was my thinking. I'm using a 150PL with an EQ6, the thinking is that I wanted something motorised and beefier than the EQ3-2 for the same reasons as Austen4 and was looking at the HEQ5 syntrek but the narrow price difference and the comparative cheapness of the next up Newtonian made me think of the long game. It's a hobby for life so I will one day use the EQ6 to it's max potential and the old adage of buy cheap, buy twice came to mind. The likelihood of me not wanting a telescope over 200mm is very slim.