EQ8 unboxing and assembly

[Gina]

Been checking my pier head fittings.  250mm x 10mm mild steel discs connected with M16 nuts, bolts and washers.  The clearance inside the bolt heads and washers is 180mm - just right for the 180mm EQ8   Lucky eh?   ATM I have an EQ6 pier extension with the NEQ6 on top but this will be going - too flimsy for an EQ8 mount.  The pier and it's fittings will be well up to the EQ8 with 15-20Kg payload.  Rather glad now that I over-engineered the pier

I'm proposing to have my MN190 plus two ED80s on the EQ8 and have been looking at how to arrange all this - it ain't easy!   Probably a prretty massive ali plate (or I might go for steel) with the ED80 mounted either side of the MN190.  My mounting engineering has just stepped up a couple of notches

[robbieince]

I use the fairly massive side by side mounting kit that John rose sells as the m3 system. The main losmandy style plate is monolithic and more than 1cm thick Ali. Its 350mm wide giving plenty room for side by side options.

[robbieince]

A mn190 plus two ed80s will be a doddle for this mount. Time will by tell but i expect to be imaging at 2m plus focal length for 30 minutes autoguided and expect to get no eggy stars....

[Gina]

Thank you Rob   I found the m3 system web site but you have to email in to get prices.  Strikes me that the old adage "If you need to ask the price you can't afford it" may well apply here   I expect I'll do my usual DIY jobby just using a Losmandy style dovetail bar.

[laser_jock99]

Let us know what the guiding/unguided is like - that is what will make-or-break sales for this mount. 

[Astroscot2]

Rob, have you had a chance to give the new mount a whirl !    any new thoughts or comments ?

Mark

[Gina]

Could you tell me the height of the dovetail mounting above the base approximately, please?  Say in the home position.

Thank you

[teleskopjo]

I am also interested in knowing about Goto accuracy please.

[teleskopjo]

Could you tell me the height of the dovetail mounting above the base approximately, please?  Say in the home position.

Thank you

does this help?

http://langwoodsphotography.com/eshop/images/D/eq8specs.jpg

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm

No news is good news....????

[Gina]

does this help?

http://langwoodsphotography.com/eshop/images/D/eq8specs.jpg

Yes, thank you

[robbieince]

Sorry guys - been away for a few days and then busy at the obs..

No new activity with the mount but I hope to fix that over the next few days. Weather has been atrocious but hopefully a clear spell will give me a chance to get first light and do some periodic error traces. Of course I will post as son as I get anything.

Regards

Rob

[jaspalchadha]

How is this performing?

[robbieince]

Not had a chance to use it much, due to a combination of work and weather, until this last week.

I have just come back from the spring Kielder event and there we did manage to get some observing time in and the mount behaved flawlessly.

Managed to get eqmod controlling the mount and doing fully remote imaging and slewing from a windows 8 machine.

I will be processing the pics and doing a small write up but no issues to report (other than those stupid levelling feet....)