preparing to get back into AP

[Daniel-K]

after some difficulty last year i had to sell most of my AP stuff but now with the new job and finally back on my feet im going to get back into AP.keeping the big dob for the trips away to the dark skies. Im looking at getting the iOptron IEQ45 from altair astro has anybody got this mount and uses's it frequently? and whats it like compared to the HEQ5 pro is it or is there a better mount in the same price range?

Danny

[Viv]

Danny - sorry can't advise on the mount.

But great news, that is going well & you're kicking of again

[Daniel-K]

thanks viv i read a review olly done last year on the mount. i have always liked these mounts just wanted to know if any one has had any issues with them not really seen many about

http://www.altairastro.com/product.php?productid=16361&cat=266&page=1

[ollypenrice]

I'm still using the original which I reviewed for Astronomy Now. The later ones have some useful improvements, notably regarding balancing the scope. There's also a second bubble on the RA box which ensures that you get the polarscope reticle correctly orientated. A guest has been using it this week doing unguided widefield camera lens imaging in 10 minute subs. It's behaved fine. Stars are perfectly round.

In a nutshell I'd say that it has major advantages in portability and speed of polar alignment over the SW mounts. It is nicely made and has clever software plus GPS so setup is fast. It also has super-accurate GoTo.

Its tracking accuracy, however, is of the same order of magnitude as the HEQ5/NEQ6 mounts. It is neither better nor worse, I'd say.

I think that, like the NEQ6, the iEQ45 is rated at 20Kg. The NEQ sixes we have will carry our TEC140 for imaging. The iEQ45 will not. The Tak EM200 rated at 15Kg will out-carry them both... (It seems that even honesty is expensive!!!)

It's consderably more expensive. You are really paying for a fast setup time and good weight to payload ratio so if those are important to you then it might well be worth it. I like it. The GoTo is spectacularly accurate and this is a time saver as night falls.

Olly

[Daniel-K]

thanks olly i planning to putting x2 ED 8- side by side for widefield just dont know yet its all under planing unitll the obs is finished but i want a good mount this time and this i will be going for a ccd this time. just taking it one step at a time any off to work now thanks guys