An odd question has just occurred to me...

[badgerchap]

Can anybody tell whether there is, apart from price, any negative reason to buy a mount that is way over spec for what you need? Like an EQ6 for a 66mm refractor? I'm talking for AP primarily....

[nightfisher]

For AP the mount is the most important part of the kit and a lot of people future proof by getting a much bigger mount than needed at the time

[badgerchap]

Yeah I just wonder if there's any point selling my wife to buy a Paramount ME?

[Naemeth]

If you will never need it, you are just wasting money by buying, say, an NEQ-6 as opposed to a HEQ-5. The HEQ-5 is lighter, and has the same accuracy, so if you don't need it why would you get the larger mount?

If money is no object, then there are more accurate mounts out there like the Mesu 200.

[Kropster]

Have you treid posting an ad for your wife on here yet?

Let me know how it goes... I might post mine!

[Moonshane]

I would imagine the answer to your question is no other than :

weight

portability

cost

if I were an imager I'd want to get the mount that (within reasonable cost) was the most accurate as this is the way to avoid losing your work due to errors in the tracking etc.

[perfrej]

I don't think there is such a thing as an over-mounted telescope. The mount is the most important part of your rig and the first thing to pour money into.

Sub €4000 there really is only one viable choice, the NEQ6. I am sure that you can do fine imaging with the HEQ5 ss well, but you will soon want a slightly sturdier mount and there is not that much of a price difference, is there...

I say "bite the bullit"

/per

[ollypenrice]

If you are using a small, short focal length refractor for DS imaging then it is very unlikely that there would be any real difference in the results obtained on an HEQ5/NEQ6 and anything else. The SW mounts should be able to keep errors sub pixel.

If, however, you switch to a long focal length then the accuracy of a premium mount will make a big difference. As I never tire of saying, it's the focal length that will get you with a sub-premium mount more than the weight. Another thing that can get you is the wind. A 10 inch Newt on an NEQ6 is very susceptible to wind. I was seeing this last week. Put it on a whacking great mount and you'll get away with it.

Then there's life expectancy and reliability. When I go out to fire up Yves' Mesu I know it is just going to work. I know I won't have to check the guide graph, adjust the balance, settle the cables, vary the guide sub lengths or alter the guide parameters. On the NEQ sixes and Takahashi mounts I have here, that is not the case. For no obvious reasons what works fine one night will not necessarily work fine the next. Some minor tweaking of the parameters or balance is often needed and sometimes guiding is not as good as usual.

Per's right, though, in saying that nobody ever had too much mount. To quote Jim Steinman, Too much is never enough!

Olly

[badgerchap]

Have you treid posting an ad for your wife on here yet?

Let me know how it goes... I might post mine!

Redhead, 5'10, highly skilled....how much is an ME?

[m.tweedy]

Have you treid posting an ad for your wife on here yet?

Let me know how it goes... I might post mine!

I would imagine the answer to your question is no other than :

weight

portability

cost

Made me smile

[TonyD]

Sub €4000 there really is only one viable choice, the NEQ6. I am sure that you can do fine imaging with the HEQ5 ss well, but you will soon want a slightly sturdier mount and there is not that much of a price difference, is there...

/per

Well there is the new one that has just been announced...........

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Neil27]

If this comes in at around 3k I could be very interested!

[perfrej]

Is that really going to be sub €4000?

/per

[TonyD]

Is that really going to be sub €4000?

/per

Certainly NOT in Norway

[Kropster]

Is there any way to use a car as a mount?

At those prices, I would like to combine the functions!

[Centus]

Is there any way to use a car as a mount?

At those prices, I would like to combine the functions!

Sure! just take off the tires and put it on building blocks

[ampleamp]

Redhead, 5'10, highly skilled....how much is an ME?

does she cook?? probably too much...

[badgerchap]

does she cook?? probably too much...

Only if you throw in enough cash for a nice Officina Stellare RC!

[Jessun]

I keep wanting to comment on the EQ8, but I don't know what to say... Is it genious or insane? Why the handles? And what's inside that prevents a normal polar scope? The flimsy setting scales are now on the polar assist scope.... And why are those tiny clutch levers tucked in so deep. The Dec one looks out of reach with a big or dual OTA setup... Same little handset for those big bucks? The whole thing screams not ready.

But the track record speaks for itself. This could become a legend.

Btw my mount weighs ten times more than my OTA. Nothing wrong with that ! I know which one I'll replace first!

/Jesper

[badgerchap]

Talking of which - has anyone had their mitts on an eq6-gt yet? I do wonder if its worth saving and waiting even longer for one rather than rushing out for the EQ6 normal.

[Jessun]

Scroll down a bit, and there's a thread on it. I think I've seen a couple of threads actually. The problem is clouds - everyone with new gear is under a blanket of clouds so reviews are few and far between.

It looks very nice tho!!

/Jesper