Avalon - Linear Fast Reverse Equatorial Mounting - anyone using this mount?

[Zakalwe]

Are the reported wind issues to do with the Avalon M-Uno mount or the M-Linear?

I could see how the long levers on the M-Uno could possibly put a lot more forces through the drive mechanism that on the "normal" German equatorial type mount.....

[PNJ]

The Avalon linear has no more wind issues than any other mount,

PJ

[ollypenrice]

I don't find the Mesu ugly and I do like the look of the Avalon. I don't mean the cosmetic look, I mean the concept. I've heard of a slight elasticity from another owner and read about it on the web but it wouldn't worry me since you can't do much in the wind anyway! (The seeing goes to pot.) The Mesu is like a tank in the wind but the seeing still does for it.

The use of proprietory parts seems sensible to me, as is the case with the Mesu. Good mechanical engineering and bought-in software. Good idea. Why not?

I think Francis has made a good decision based on the evidence and I certainly hope it works out. I strongly suspect that it will. Ian King's inclusion of PHD settings is a nice touch and characteristic.

My question about the EQ8 is, Will the quality of the EQ8 be the same as the EQ6 or will it be better? It is one thing to spend a grand on something which is a bit ropey but an effective performer. I think this is a fair description of the EQ6. I have two of them, they are rough as a bear's behind, but they march on. But for two to three times that price, no, I want finer engineering and a more serious detail finish in the mechanicals.

As ever, I don't care what it looks like. I'd also want greatly improved underlying PE because just relying very heavily on the guider for long FLs isn't going to work.

Olly

[dmahon]

Does the AZ EQ6-GT have both a belt and encoders? Would that be a useful upgrade from a standard EQ6?

[PNJ]

Hi Olly

Did not mean to offend anyone saying the Mesu is ugly, i should be more careful in what i say, but from my personal opinion i think it is. Its one of those things in life you either like something or you don't, however i do realise how good it is from reports, and thats got to be good for us astronomers. As for as guiding with the avalon, ok i got to do it, but its no strain at all as the tracking is excellent. And guiding at 2000mm is not sweat either, so for me it does the job just like the Mesu. At the end of the day i get tight round stars, and thats all i want.

My friend Peter Vasey uses a EQ3 when out in the field with adaptive optics in the imaging train i admit, and his results speak for themselves. As you know i had a Tak EM400 but in all honesty i prefer the Avalon.

Just my thoughts and opinion.

Paul J

[ollypenrice]

Does the AZ EQ6-GT have both a belt and encoders? Would that be a useful upgrade from a standard EQ6?

It has a belt primary drive between the motors and the worm. The worm is still there, though. It seems there was more backlash in the primary spur gears than in the worm. The Avalon is belt all the way, which seems like a good idea to me. It does have encoders but not the 'absolute encoders' of the 10 Micron.

I believe that the EQ8 has no primary drive at all but that the motor shafts carry the worms directly and the motors can turn more slowly.

Paul, no worries about how you feel about the Mesu's appearance! It's not for everyone. Nick reckoned it looked like a bag of spanners. (What's wrong with bags of spanners?? ) Like yours, my endgame is tight round stars.

Olly

[fwm891]

Right: Drilled 3 holes in the pier top plate and taped at 8 mm for the pier adapter.

Fitted the mount on the pier and put the MN190 on board, loaded the camera in the focuser and balanced everything up - everything is so smooth and no friction so its in or out of balance nothing in between. The destructions say to have it perfectly balanced no weighting east or west.

Connected everything up and set the park position. I've been driving it around to different parts of the sky (just to see it moving sad really).

Only thing I've found is that I've had to reposition the camera at 90° to its original position as the filter wheel casing would have fouled the mount should I point directly at the pole. I'll rotate the filter wheel on the camera later so the camera returns to its original position.

Wait for a clear night now to try out the tracking...

[JamesF]

Forecast for here is for a few hours of clear sky tonight. Are you missing out?

James

[fwm891]

Forecast for here is for a few hours of clear sky tonight. Are you missing out?

James

Fingers and other things crossed

[fwm891]

Couple of quick images now its on the pier. Cables still to be sorted out (getting cloudy!)

[JamesF]

Looks rather nice to me. I think "bag of spanners" is a tad harsh

James

[davew]

Come on admit it, round stars never entered into your though process. You just wanted a mount to match your camera colour !

If it performs like it looks then your in for a real treat. Have fun,

Dave.

[JamesF]

Just realised the bag of spanners was a description of the Mesu. I'm getting confused in the heat

James

[Zakalwe]

I believe that the EQ8 has no primary drive at all but that the motor shafts carry the worms directly and the motors can turn more slowly.

The DEC has the worm driven from the stepper motor directly. The RA has a 1:1 belt drive between the stepper and worm.

RA Drive

DEC Drive:

[JamesF]

So did you manage to get any testing done last night, Francis?

James

[Astrobug]

Avalon is working on a new hand controller (STAR-GO) but it is not clear what kind of improvement they made.

.

[fwm891]

So did you manage to get any testing done last night, Francis?

James

No. It stayed clear right up to the time that Vega was just visible visually and the cloud swept in. I'd hoped it would stay just west of me and let me get a basic PA done but no. Looks like strings of showers now right through the weekend too.

[JamesF]

What a disappointment The forecast here for the next few days seems to be so chaotic that I think I'll stick to looking out of the window.

James

[ncjunk]

No. It stayed clear right up to the time that Vega was just visible visually and the cloud swept in. I'd hoped it would stay just west of me and let me get a basic PA done but no. Looks like strings of showers now right through the weekend too.

Word for word what happened to me as well! I saw the cloud coming in with a feeling of impending doom....

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Tapatalk 2

[pubquiz]

Hi Francis

Congrats on the new mount as you know I bought a Mesu on Wed ....I have to admit the Avalon wins in the looks stakes (though the Mesu's industrial styling is growing on me)......typical Italian styling...Gorgeous! and even Ferrari coloured .....looks like the bottom of your scope ring rail has a frowning face on it though

Keep us updated on the progress.

Tom

[fwm891]

Hi Francis

Congrats on the new mount ..... ....looks like the bottom of your scope ring rail has a frowning face on it though ?????

Keep us updated on the progress.

Tom

OK Tom I give in I can usually see 'things' in all the wrong places but frowning face?

Congrats on the Mesu

OK - had my head at the wrong angle

[Marmite]

I was under the impression that it is effectively a rehoused NEQ6 converted to belt drive.

It certainly doesn't look unlike one. A very interesting and attractive bit of gear, though, and being red means it must go pretty fast.

Were I in the market for a new mount at the moment I think I'd probably be trying to sit on my hands until there were a few reviews of the EQ8.

The chatter on the Australian forums is pretty positive. There are quite a few EQ8s under the stars in Aussie now and the owners seem very pleased with them so far.

[fwm891]

I have posted some initial results here:

[fwm891]

Okay. Last night was the first clear night I was able to get anything. Not only trying the new mount but also a new scope an Altair Astro 115 EDT APO (same as the scope Olly reviewed - I keep tell SWMBO that it's Olly's fault ).

Still waiting on the flattener lens at the moment so this image of the cocoon is 'as is'.

Basic data: RGB 1 sub each (2x2) through Baader RGB filters @ 240s 2 subs lumin @ 300s 1x1.

Captured in Maxim - converted with fits liberator and processed in PS. This is an uncropped frame from my Atik 383L+ mono.

Also a tracking graph. Tracking is really superb with errors around 0.04 being quite normal. Took a little while to get things like the aggression settings sorted but very close now.

Very easy to control the mount from maxim or AA5 with EQMod.

[Paul81]

Hi fwm891, the new mount is looking superb! I have been looking at this mount for quite a while now so wanted to ask, how do you think it will fair with a 10" reflector for visual and video astronomy? I want to get a mount that will last a long time, and cater for the current needs and possibly long exposure astrophotography in the long term (although at that point I would not be using the 10" newt, something smaller for long exposure).

However, I would like a mount that will work very well for visual and short exposure astrophotography (say up to 60 seconds tops, unguided). From the data I have seen, the Avalon has a very slow PE (even unguided), so would be ideal for unguided short exposure video astronomy. I guess my main though it how 'beefy' is the mount - will it cope with the 10" newt sufficiently for my needs (i.e. will the slightest bit of wind cause all sorts of issues and vibrations).

I have a huge debate in my head between this and the EQ8, so any info would be really helpful!