What 'size' mount?

[Tony Rodda]

I need some buying advice please as I need to upgrade. (I know that opens the discussion up to a lot of personal preference and opinion but that's what I need right now!).

I have a 180mm F10 Mak and a piggy-backed 80mm f10 refractor. Both have cameras attached - an SBIG402 and a QHY+filters.

At present they're on an LXD75. (I know, but it's cheap and it works if I use Pec, don't slew on high speed, etc). Ok for 60 sec exposures but nothing really beyond that and it has to be way past it's design limits.

I need longer, reliable exposures from an 'Open' guiding platform. I have a permanent observatory set up.

Do the payloads quoted by mount manufacturers include the counter-weights?

Is the choice between an HEQ5 or an EQ6? Or anyhing else on the market around the same price?

Really appreciate the views...

Regards

Tony

[Breakintheclouds]

I don't know those scopes well enough to advise on the mount (but I can confidently predict that you'll be told to get the NEQ6 - nobody on SGL ever thinks an HEQ5 is strong enough ). However, I can say that the quoted load weights usually DON'T include the counterweights - it's how much telescope/camera/guider it can manage.

[NLO]

I use an NEQ6 with an SCT 6 inch and a 72mm guide scope, sitting sideby side. Both have SX cameras in them and I can guide up to 10 minutes using PHD quite happliy. (It may go further but I have never tried)

Kate

[swag72]

I have an HEQ5 and with a small load it's a cracking mount. When I loaded it up with probably in excess of 12-13kg it really didn't like it and the guiding showed as did the general feel of the mount when it was slewing etc. I would unreservedly suggest the NEQ6, it will take a bigger payload and I can not express enough what a danger it is to be 'under mounted' in AP.

This I have learnt over the last 2 years.

If you look at the manufacturers quoted weight capacity and think that it's over kill for your needs, then it's probably really not.

[Tony Rodda]

Thanks people. A firm recommendation for the EQ6.

The message seems to be "if in doubt...."

Regards

Tony

[cantharis]

A good big ´un will always beat a good little ´un!

[ollypenrice]

At F10 you are going to need very long exposures. At 1.8 metres FL you are going to need very accurate guiding. Combine the two and you are going to need very accurate guiding over very long exposures...

This is not, therefore, just about weight. Your requirements lie outside the comfort zone of the budget mounts. If you get a lucky one it may just work. If you don't, you may well need to work on it.

I always argue that mount discussions focus too much on weight and not enough on accuracy. When you get a bunch of long FL deep sky imagers together, though, the conversation is all about accuracy.

Olly

[pete_l]

Is the choice between an HEQ5 or an EQ6? Or anyhing else on the market around the same price

To answer your specific question: yes. In the sub £1,000 zone those are your choices. The NEQ6 is the Ford Transit of mounts. It's cheap, ubiquitous and while by no means fault-free, it's foibles and limitations are well known.

The next mount "up" would probably be the iEQ45. However that has its own issues and while better, it's debatable whether it offers a great deal more in terms of capacity or tracking for the 50% higher price. After that, there are some "old school" mounts (Vixen, Losmandy GM8) but until you get to around £4k, the options are few.

[Mr Spock]

At the price the EQ6 is your only real choice, and has been said already your 1.8M focal length makes tracking difficult even with that.

At that kind of focal length, accuracy becomes expensive. I would suggest a Mesu Mount 200 at £4k as the only 'affordable' option.

The other option would be to purchase a shorter focal length scope to go with the EQ6.