A Detailed Dilemma - HEQ5 VS. NEQ6 ? URGENT!

[KingAndromeda]

Hi All. I understand this topic has been posted before but I cant find much in the dilemma in which I am in. For about a month I've been convinced that the HEQ5 will be just right for me and have been saving for it along with the 200P which I plan to image with. However I've refreshed my mind on my choice of equipment and questioned it reliability... I'm not painfully debating weather to purchase the HEQ5 or the NEQ6. Little life story to emphasize my dilemma; I'm 16 with a weekend job earning 60-70 pounds per week... I've been saving for a while and finally have enough to purchase the setup with the HEQ5, and a little extra... My school is also very impressed in my learning of the topic and my interest in astronomy and I believe to have fund £200 towards the cost, which brings the total cost down.. HOWEVER now wondering If I should purchase the NEQ6 this will cost an extra £200. Plus I will only use this for supporting extra things such as guide scopes and camera.. yet I don't even have enough for to buy these all together... I could request for the school to raise the funding (it was my idea initially).... Its all VERY complicated.. I'm just stuck between the two. Do I buy the NEQ6 which ables me to grow or do I stick with the HEQ5 (which some have said works fine with all the extras and some say it cracks when moving) Arggg!

PS. The setup is for imaging. Apologize if I beat around the bush I just felt my scenario was rather specific and couldn't be written in a few lines. Oh and regarding the weight of the mount I understood it is significantly heavier the the HEQ5, but thats not exactly a priority, its not as if its a impossible problem; using it in my garden

Thanks for all and any help - Alex

[Nephalem]

I guess it depends on what scope and equipment you may use in the future. The HEQ5 takes maxx 11KG for imageing and the NEQ6 takes 18Kg.

[Stephen]

NEQ6, HEQ5 is a perfectly good mount but will be approaching limit with 200P

[knobby]

Possibly not the answer you're looking for, but if you've managed to save up... In the long run it will work out cheaper to save a bit longer, than to buy now and wish you'd waited and end up selling to upgrade.

plus its cloudy so you won't be using it yet anyway.

Good luck deciding

[Velvet]

NEQ6 without a doubt if you can stretch to it

Velvet

[Welrod50]

Save a bit longer and get the NEQ6. It will be more future proof and more robust. 6 months from now you will have it and this will all be a mute point, unless of course you bought the HEQ5 in which case you might be standing looking at it and thinking "I wish I'd bought the EQ6".

I use an EQ3 Pro which is plenty big enough for what I need, but if you decide to add bits along the way you might quickly find that you start to put more strain on your mount. My EQ3 Pro tracks very nicely with my 130 PDS OTA and DSLR fitted, but I don't use a guide scope (and never will). If you plan on expanding, get the biggest mount you can, when you can - even if it means waiting a bit longer.

Good luck!!

[Naemeth]

Since you're going with the 200P I'd vote for the NEQ-6 as well.

If, like me, you were only ever planning on small refractors on your mount, the HEQ-5 would be fine .

[Scott]

neq6 for me too i'm afraid. why the 200p for imaging? thats what i use and as soon as i can afford it i'll be getting an 80mm refractor. 1000mm is a lot to image with unguided.

Nice school you've got by the way .