Mounts - what's the next step up?

[emadmoussa]

Just out of curiosity...What's the next step up from the NEQ6? I know the EQ8 is about to hit the market...but what about the EQ7 (If there's one)?

Have a look at some cool mounts below

[tonedeaf]

as you mentioned the EQ-8.

the EQ-7 was firstly cancelled...but now under "development"...so there will be nothing in the next few years

as next step you can look at the AZ-EQ-6 this mount has a belt drive as the eq-8...

and then there are the high priced quality mount´s (i don´t know much about them, don´t wanna look at them cause of their price tag )

[JamesF]

Something like the Mesu 200 is probably the next step after that.

James

[Grotemobile]

http://www.mesu-opti.../mount2_en.html

That mount is a serious piece of kit.

Makes my CG-5, look like a toy.

Steve.

[emadmoussa]

I started with EQ2, Then dissatisfied with the performance I upgraded to 200p on EQ5, then upgraded to NEQ6...I'm not thinking about upgrading at all...at least for now. I don't see what else I can do with a better mount than the NEQ6 P)

[Russty]

http://www.mesu-opti.../mount2_en.html

That mount is a serious piece of kit.

Makes my CG-5, look like a toy.

Steve.

wow 5K serious price too

[E621Keith]

It's strange when you think about it. You have the mass produce heavies from EQ6 at £1k going upto iEQ45 at £1.7k, then you get a enormous gap in the market before you reached the premium and observatory class mount at £5k such as the CGE Pro and Mesu 200.

Between the £1.7k AZ-iEQ45 and the £4.8k CGE Pro, there are only two of mounts in that market segment. The £3.3k Losmandy G11 and the £3.5k Avalon Linear Fast Reverse. (The Vixen Sphinxes are just expensive, but doesn't seems to offer anything more than the cheaper Chinese mounts, so they were excluded). I'd think this is a huge gap for just two mounts to fill.

[emadmoussa]

It's strange when you think about it. You have the mass produce heavies from EQ6 at £1k going upto iEQ45 at £1.7k, then you get a enormous gap in the market before you reached the premium and observatory class mount at £5k such as the CGE Pro and Mesu 200.

Between the £1.7k AZ-iEQ45 and the £4.8k CGE Pro, there are only two of mounts in that market segment. The £3.3k Losmandy G11 and the £3.5k Avalon Linear Fast Reverse. (The Vixen Sphinxes are just expensive, but doesn't seems to offer anything more than the cheaper Chinese mounts, so they were excluded). I'd think this is a huge gap for just two mounts to fill.

I still don't see what a significant advantage these ones above have over the NEQ6 for amateur astronomers...!

[Russty]

I still don't see what a significant advantage these ones above have over the NEQ6 for amateur astronomers...!

Yes I agree I think I would be VERY happy with an NEQ6 "sigh" maybe one day.

[E621Keith]

I still don't see what a significant advantage these ones above have over the NEQ6 for amateur astronomers...!

You can put a C14 on a G11 but not on a EQ6. Both Avalon LFR and G11 is suppose to offer smoother tracking than the Synta mounts.

Anyway, I have't use any of these so I can't say whether those are real advantages.

[emadmoussa]

You can put a C14 on a G11 but not on a EQ6. Both Avalon LFR and G11 is suppose to offer smoother tracking than the Synta mounts.

Anyway, I have't use any of these so I can't say whether those are real advantages.

Well, Keith. Smoothness of tracking matters the most with astro-photography. Which brings up the question, why would I want to use a C14 (even though tempting) for AP?! For visual use only, the C14 OTA is - I think - is 20/21 Kg and the NEQ6 can hold it comfortably.

[JamesF]

Depends what you define as "AP". There's at least one SGL member using a C14 for planetary imaging.

James

[E621Keith]

Well, Keith. Smoothness of tracking matters the most with astro-photography. Which brings up the question, why would I want to use a C14 (even though tempting) for AP?! For visual use only, the C14 OTA is - I think - is 20/21 Kg and the NEQ6 can hold it comfortably.

Most comments I see about the C14 say otherwise. Just look at how many EQ6 get bent altitude bolt with a much lighter load.

[Naemeth]

I still don't see what a significant advantage these ones above have over the NEQ6 for amateur astronomers...!

From what I've read, the Mesu is more accurate than the NEQ-6 and can hold a lot more (up to 100kg for visual, 50kg for imaging).

[JamesF]

Most comments I see about the C14 say otherwise. Just look at how many EQ6 get bent altitude bolt with a much lighter load.

AFAIR Skywatcher/Synta say that you shouldn't be adjusting the polar alignment with a scope on the mount. No more than a tiny bit of fine tuning, anyhow.

James

[emadmoussa]

AFAIR Skywatcher/Synta say that you shouldn't be adjusting the polar alignment with a scope on the mount. No more than a tiny bit of fine tuning, anyhow.

James

True, before getting my NEQ6 I had a bunch of scary warnings about how crappy the Alt bolts are...

The manual clearly says that you shouldn't adjust with the scope on...also, don't tighten one bolt without loosening the other. So far no problems for me. Fingers crossed.

[Grotemobile]

This is what i have done to my

CG-5 mount.10mm bolts.

End of problems.

Steve.

[swag72]

The manual clearly says that you shouldn't adjust with the scope on...also, don't tighten one bolt without loosening the other.

Interesting then how you should nail the PA using programmes such as PemPro, where you need the scope and camera set up in order to do it.

[emadmoussa]

Interesting then how you should nail the PA using programmes such as PemPro, where you need the scope and camera set up in order to do it.

As the Meerkat says: Simples! I don't use PemPro.

[swag72]

I don't think I'd manage to get a drift of 0.00 arc minutes without it!

[earth titan]

Interesting then how you should nail the PA using programmes such as PemPro, where you need the scope and camera set up in order to do it.

I did mine using align master, with nothing but the guide scope on the mount. Weighs next to nothing so no weights etc.

I've looked at using PHD to polar align recently and this can also be done with just a finder / guider and a QHY5. Again, not a lot of load.

[JamesF]

Yes, I think there's a certain amount of common sense to be applied here. Clearly there shouldn't be a major issue with using a very light setup for alignment. You don't need the mount fully loaded just to get the polar alignment right. Also I'd suggest that you can probably get to within quarter of a turn of the adjustment bolts using the polar scope alone. That last quarter turn with a lightweight scope on the mount isn't going to turn the bolts into bananas.

James

[JamesF]

Not that I'm defending the alt adjustment for the Synta mounts here. It may be OK if you're closer to the equator, but for 50 degrees latitude or more it's an awful design.

James

[tonedeaf]

Not that I'm defending the alt adjustment for the Synta mounts here. It may be OK if you're closer to the equator, but for 50 degrees latitude or more it's an awful design.

James

it´s an awful design even at 47°

i got them bent without a payload adjusting the alt with the head of the neq-6 laying on the side on the ground!!!

the original bolts are just awful! -> replaced them with M10 8.8 bolts -> problem solved

[emadmoussa]

I can see the point of replacing the bolts them with better ones, but until you think they're absolutely necessary. I adjusted the bolts several times without any issues.