Bresser EQ Mount Motor Drive

[assasincz]

Hi guys,

I have a chance to buy Lidl style Bresser refractor on this particular EQ mount.

Does anybody here know exactly what mount it is? Do any of you any experience attaching a simple EQ2 motor drive to it? See below.

It seems very sturdy compared to EQ2 so I'm tempted. I know there are probably not the same mounting holes on the Bresser EQ as there are on EQ2, but my hope is that the R/A gear and worm might be of similar size (and ratio) to EQ2, so that the speed of EQ2 motor drive rotation could accomodate it. If so, a little bit of DIYing might be enough. Any thoughts?

Thank you very much.

[SnakeyJ]

I can't offer any advice on this specific mount, but I recently brought one of the Bresser Exos2 mounts, which is effectively a re-badged Meade LXD-75 mount.    This mount was very nicely made and finished and much better than the comparative CG-5 and EQ-5 models I have seen, though the tripod legs were slightly smaller diameter.

I would expect that this is also a Meade mount rebadged for Bresser.   Your one appears to be an EQ2 clone, perhaps the EQ80-A

This one appears to have the same motor mount - http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/6140059-EQ80-A_Upgrade.pdf

[Merlin66]

I fitted a drive to the same unit....I forget the detail but I'm sure Jarrod (JB80) can supply details. Drop him a PM.

[Cosmic Geoff]

Skylux 70-700 Lidl supermarket telescope - also known as Skylux 379. The mount is identical to the "Astro-3" mounting.  The mount is similar to the "EQ2" but some parts are on the opposite side.

I bought one of the above several years ago, and it is similar to the "Bresser" model currently being offered from time to time in Lidl stores.

Just to recap, these scopes are a great bargain, as the performance is universally judged to be not bad, and you could spend a lot more money and not necessarily get a better performing scope. The mount is (or was) available separately for more than Lidl charged for the whole kit.

The mount, with its V-block clamp, is not bad, and  the standard V-block will accept all sorts of scopes and cameras so long as you use a V-block adapter (and so long as they're not too big and heavy)

The weak point of the scope itself is the eyepieces - these are Kellners (a more or less obsolete design) and not great. General opinion is that it's worth replacing them with better quality eyepieces like Plossls. Eyepieces are the bog-standard 1 1/4" size, so any 1 1/4" eyepiece will work.  I tried a 20mm Plossl and it was a definite improvement.  (I also tried a 10X/22mm widefield microscope eyepiece of 30mm fit, and it went in the focusser and worked great.) 

Unfortunately, a set of good eyepieces could cost more than you paid for the kit in the first place, unless bought at a discount.

Electric drive? I searched all over for any information on a suitable electric drive for my scope, and found frustratingly little, considering that lorryloads of these scopes have been sold all over Europe.

Here's what I have been able to find out. The mount is identical to the "Astro 3", but the only commonly available drives are for the "EQ2" mount which is slighly different (some bits on opposite side. )  I took a chance and ordered a "Sky-Watcher RA Single-Axis Motor Drive" (economy version) for £29.99.  This is an all-in-one box (recognisable in photos) that takes a 9v PP3 battery (not supplied). To mount it, I took off the RA slow-motion flex drive and attached the drive box to the shaft via its semi-flex coupling. 

I had to make up a slotted angle bracket to secure the drive's mounting bracket to the Astro 3 mount, using one of the worm drive housing screws, and a 4mm nut, bolt and washer.  (I think another poster used duct tape).

To fit the battery, unscrew the two black knobs on the face of the  box (the instructions don't tell you this).  Other poster says the battery should last 13 hours.  The motor is quite noisy.  

Yes it does work - but I had to switch the direction to "S".  The speed adjustment (analog) is quite wide, so don't worry about your worm drive not having the right number of teeth. You can't use the hand slow motion with the motor engaged.

The more expensive Sky-watcher EQ2 drive? (with separate battery box and handset) So far as I can figure, it mounts in an entirely different way, using the pivot stud, cam and gear on the side of the (EQ2) mounting.  So depending on the detail of your mounting, you might, or might not, be able to attach it without doing some mechanical engineering. 

Final note - the Lidl mount is filled with very thick Chinese grease (intended to disguise the play in a mass-produced budget mount). If you strip down the mounting (taking care to note where all the spacers go - instructions on Web) and clean the worms and gearwheels with white spirit, and regrease with regular car grease, it'll work a lot better.