Skywatcher 200/300P question

[Kai]

I have just been looking at the Skywatcher P (250 and 300) range of newts and can somebody explain to me why it seems they (Skywatcher) supply two counter weights if you buy the scope on a standard Eq 5/6 mount but only one on the Pro versions ???

Is it that the counter weights are heavier on the Pro range.

Also i have my C8 on a Heq 5 Pro and need the 2 supplied counterweights to achieve balance,Surley you cannot get this on the newts even with the 2 cw's supplied with the std versions.

I wonder how many owners have had to buy additional weights to get balance ?? (let alone when you start adding 2" eyepieces/cameras)

If i had to then i would be really miffed !!

[John]

That's a good point Kai - when I moved from an EQ5 to and HEQ5 I needed much more weight to balance the scope, or would have needed to fit a much longer counterweight bar. Seems a bit perverse to supply the PRO's with LESS weight.

Perhaps Aunty FLO knows the answer

John

[Kai]

Perhaps Aunty FLO knows the answer

John

No Steve doesnt.I had a chat with him in Wales at the weekend,Hence the question

[MikeP]

Hi Kai,

Perhaps I've misunderstood your question, but my SP250 EQ6 Pro was supplied with two counterweights. It did just about balance with the standard eyepieces, but certainly wouldn't with 2" eyepiece and / or camera attached. I bought a third weight and it now balances easily.

Mike

[Kai]

Mike

Thanks for the info,i was looking at the images of the mounts/scopes so i didn't know what exactally comes in the box.

You say your Sp250 came with 2 weights and could only just achieved balance. :?

How much did the extra weight cost ?

It seems a bit of a shame that Skywatcher ships the scope with 2 weights and not 3 as most people will want to use 2" eyepieces and possibly get some images through it.

Imagine if it only came with the one that is shown in the images

[MikeP]

Kai,

I can't find the bill for the counterweight. From memory it was between £20 and £30. Quite a lot for a lump of metal, but something home-made would have looked pretty ugly.

In fairness, the scope did balance with two weights and as Steve said to me, a little bit of resistance isn't all bad. However, since I wanted to image at some time in the future, I decided to buy an extra weight.

I wonder how many weights are provided when the EQ6 is shipped with the 300mm OTA; I can't believe that will come anywhere near balancing.

Mike

[Kai]

I wonder how many weights are provided when the EQ6 is shipped with the 300mm OTA; I can't believe that will come anywhere near balancing.

Mike

I felt the weight of the 300mm Dob tube in wales and Skywatcher would need to supply 4 c/weights (or a sack of coal ) imho to get close .

I think the point in trying to make (poorly) is that i would expect a supplier Skywatcher/Ovl to give me a bit of slack to allow for additional cameras/eyepieces rather than give you just enough to get balance with the supplied eyepieces.The overall cost of a additional counterweight cannot be that much on the overall cost of the scope/mount can it.

[MikeP]

Kai,

I completely agree with you. However, Synta are in business to make money, so providing the extra weight at no cost is probably not on. They could increase the cost marginally and include the extra weight or be upfront and offer it as an extra for anyone wanting to use heavier eyepieces and / or imaging gear. At least that way you would be alerted to the problem and wouldn't have to make a separate order when you discovered it.

Mike

[Kai]

Precisely Mike

I cannot believe a counterweight actually costs £20-£30.

I would be prepared to pay £10 extra and get the additional c/w and have it included.I mean that if you are going for a 10-12 inch newt then i suspect you will be using 2" eyepieces/barlows.

Imagine a barlowed Nagler

[MikeP]

Kai,

I may have mis-remembered but whatever it was, it did also include shipping, which isn't cheap on such a weighty item.

Mike

[GordonCopestake]

£20-£30 is cheap. I (foolishly) brought a Vixen one brand new for £42!

I have since realised though that a trip to argos will secure me a SET of counterweights for dirt cheap. Just as long as you have a real counterweight top and bottom to lock the pretend ones inbetween you'll be fine.

[MikeD]

My 250px and EQ6( not skyscan) came with three weights, and I have added a car disc brake now I have added an 80Ed to the stack.

Seems strange the they now only ship with two! :?

[Whippy]

£20-£30 is cheap. I (foolishly) brought a Vixen one brand new for £42!

I have since realised though that a trip to argos will secure me a SET of counterweights for dirt cheap. Just as long as you have a real counterweight top and bottom to lock the pretend ones inbetween you'll be fine.

dumbells perchance??

[GordonCopestake]

worked for me

[Whippy]

Same here, I had a couple of the old HEQ5 for my old 10"

[Kai]

I have got a extra weight for when i have my Zs66 ontop of my C8 but i still think if you are buying a scope/mount combo you shouldnt be given the base minimum to get the scope up and running for the sake of a few extra ££.

Ps Tesco's do a nice range of dumbell weights

[magician]

Dumbell wgts would do the job I'm sure,I used an old Lathe chuck, being adjustable(Chuck Key)it will fit almost any size of shaft, just a thought

Cheers Frank

[proflight2000]

I needed extra weight on my 200 when attaching a camera, in work i found the outside casing from a generator motor coupling, nice and round, quite thin and it fitted like a glove on the end of the bar with a larger length screw to ensure no weights could fall off. A friend also gave me some strips of lead which I use around the actual bar to get good weight to balance ratio.

[Cloudwatcher]

I trust a suitable contribution to the Church Roof Restoration Fund has been made.