Buying equipment second hand

[Gohan75]

Hi all,

I am desperately eager to get my hands on a HEQ5 pro mount to get stuck into astrophotography but of course these things dont come cheap so for the moment I am sat looking at other peoples images longing for the day i can achieve such amazing glimpses into the cosmos.

I have been looking on http://www.astrobuysell.com/ at second hand mounts which are great value for money and probably a good way to go. My only concern is, in buying equipment second hand, will i loose the warranty on it (if it still has one)? and if so what would one do were the equipment were to become faulty?

Any advise on buying second hand would be appreciated, just wanting to get imaging as soon as i can but dont want to rush into making a mistake.

Thanks

[Mr Spock]

Usually warranties are not transferrable. The advantage of buying astro equipment second hand is they are usually owned by enthusiasts who take great care of them.

Of the stuff I've bought second hand they have all been in good condition.

[Moonshane]

I cannot comment on mounts as I am solely visual but I have three scopes and fourteen eyepieces and of these I only bought two of the eyepieces new. most people look after their kit so the chances are what you buy will be in good working order. as for warranty, it's unlikely to have one as most people tend to keep the more expensive things for a year or more but not always.

you should be able to get anything repaired and others might have an idea about mounts specifically, there's a wealth of knowledge on here. if you can take someone along that knows this mount or the type of thing you want this would be good.

that said, if you buy used, there's always the chance you will buy something that fails soon after use. if you want the comfort of a warranty then just save a bit longer and buy new; unfortunately there's not any other way to think about it as far as I know. good luck whatever you buy :0)

[nmoushon]

I've bought my entire kit, except the QHY5-II, second hand. Never had a problem with anything I've bought. The only problem I've come across is with the shipping company. I bought a CG-5 goto from a guy across country and when it got here the box was beat to hell and the casing around the mount had broken in half. Sheared at screws. I would buy insurance for the shipping for sure AND thats why I only use paypal now. As if you dont get insurance paypal has its own insurance as a back up. It sucks for the person you bought it from as they now have to fight the shipping company but at least you are safe.

[nmoushon]

Oh and watch out for scammers to. Another reason I use paypal and scammers wont.

[SnakeyJ]

Like NMoushon, I've brought all my bits s/h with no problems and met and talked with some very interesting individuals along the way. Cash on collection is my preferred mo when dealing with strangers as it negates any of the scams - though a few messages to any seller will usually highlight those deals that are too good to be true. Don't pay to much (new HEQ5 Pro is £759 and the Syntrek £ 635) and make sure it comes with all the bits like the counterweights and spreader.

If you see a decent NEQ6 going for just a little bit more, then you probably won't live to regret it..

[ronin]

Not had a proble with used bits, did buy an HEQ5 as it happens, met the person to swap money for mount.

For one of these, HEQ5, ask if the bolts have been replaced, if not replace them before you use it. Not everyone has problems but you don't want to bend them first time out.

[cotterless45]

I bought my Heq 5 pro from Telescope outlet. These are returns under warranty from customers. Personally I wouldn't be buying a goto from a private seller as so much can be faulty, Nick.

[Darrent]

Just the advise I need.

Considering a goto mount, not sure whether to buy new or used or even upgrade my EQ5 (anyone ever bought the upgrade kit and fitted it?)

was thinking maybe CG5, maybe saving longer for the VX mount if the upgraded EQ5 wouldn't be up to the job.

whats your thoughts?

[Gohan75]

Thanks for the advise everyone. Much to consider!

[Matt Scunthorpe]

i would look for an NEQ6 second hand, rather than the HEQ5. I bought my HEQ5 new (£800ish). I've seen second hand NEQ6s go for around £700.

There was an NEQ6 on the classifieds here not too long back. Might of gone by now, id have a look but clicking on them on my work pc activates the 'shopping content' filter. But that being said, clicking on somenames name activates the adult site filter!

It all depends on your budget. If your going to use a ED80 for imaging, a HEQ5 is probably perfectly okay, but the NEQ6 is also that bit more future proof.

[LeeB]

I brought my eq6 from ebay, it was a real deal but needed a strip down as it belonged to someone with little knowledge. The positive is that once sorted and tuned it is now A1, and I have fitted synscan to it for full goto. I would not worry about warranty as most things that can wear, like bearings are standard fair. The money you will save will easily cover any repair items if you do the work yourself. The only caveat to this is make sure on the heq5 that the electronics are all ok as is the handset. a full set will set you back £300 to replace them if both are faulty.

[Gohan75]

thanks for the advise.