EQ-5 vs CG-5 advice please

[trevboyd]

Hi all

Need a quick bit of advice.

My wife has just bought me a C8-N for my birthday (complete surprise, and very chuffed! ) I had been looking at the SkyWatcher 200P for a while, but Steve @ FLO got her a great deal and so she ended up getting the C8-N and CG-5 for only £9 more than the 200P OTA only! Nice one Steve.

I already have a 120mm refractor on an EQ-5, and I've heard that the 2 mounts are basically the same. Is this the case, or are there any slight differences between them? My EQ-5 has motors fitted, and apparently I have the EQ-5 GOTO kit coming for my birthday also (). Does anyone have any opinions on which combinations of mount/motors/scope I should set up? I'm getting quite into photography now, and have been quite pleased with the performance of the EQ-5 so far. Obviously I'll be using the new motors on the mount for photography and keep the old ones for visual use, and will probably be using the C8 for photography too, but will it matter which mount?

Thanks!

(a very pleased) Trev

[WebSentinel]

Hi Trev,

I can only comment on the CG-5, I've got one and I use a C11 OTA on it (about 28lb in weight) plus counter weights (3 x 11lb) and it handles the lot with ease. I'm not sure about the EQ-5 but I get the impression that it's not designed to handle as much weight as the CG-5, hence the reason why many astrophotographers recommend the EQ-6.

I personally think the CG-5 will be good enough for the time being until you can afford (if not already) to buy something like a Losmandy G11. I could be very wrong but IMHO getting an EQ-6 when you've already got a CG-5 seems, to me, to be too much like a sideways step rather than a step up?

Anyway, to answer your question, I'd use the EQ-5 for the refractor and the CG-5 for the C8-N.

Good luck, enjoy the scopes and what a nice missus you've got!

[trevboyd]

Thanks Steve - that's good to know.

I assumed that there would be someone on here who has or has had both these mounts in the past, but maybe not?

Trev

[The Warthog]

I agree with Steve. When I get a better tripod for my C6N, I am keeping my refractor on the EQ3-2. Saves swapping between mounts, as I do now. No reason you shouldn't do the same.

[gary1968]

I have read that the EQ5 uses plain bearings in the axis, whereas the CG5 uses ball bearings, so the CG5 should track smoother....

Gary

[bern]

Last EQ5 I took apart had ball bearings too.........

bern