Different Mounts?

[Stub Mandrel]

The DSO gang have sandbagged me for suggesting i might try DSOs without upgrading my EQ3 tripod/mount. Well I'm going to have ago anyway, but I'm willing to accept an upgrade may be needed when I get to the wee fuuzzies.

I have looked, but I can't find a posting that gives a clear explanation of the different types of equatorial mount.

i have worked out that an EQ1 is the smallest and EQ8 the biggest and the EQ4 and 7, if not non-existent, are like hen's teeth.

But...

I'm assuming these are a classification of mounts that all come from the same factory in China (or at least all follow the same basic design) much as with some small lathes (one design, 2 or 3 factories, dozens of brands). So one brans EQ3 is pretty much the same as another's , although there may be differences in terms of detail and quality control between 'brands'.

For each type of mount, what is the recommended scope size/weight and use?

What is the difference between E£3 and NEQ3 or EQ5 and NEQ5?

In particular why is the HEQ5 so much more desirable than an EQ5, especially as the latter (without RA drive or goto) is getting into the affordable zone?

Does fitting an EQ3 mount to an EQ5-style steel tripod make it more suitable for astrophotography or is the mount itself significantly inferior to the EQ5?

What are equivalent mounts/tripods by other manufacturers?

[Earl]

The HEQ is much heavier duty than the EQ5 and was designed from the get go to perform with heavier payloads.

With tripods once you have the larger steel legs its al much of a muchness.

[xtreemchaos]

hi mate , i have a EQ5 max weight for AP is around 6kg and max for vis is 10kg thats what the makers say anyway but with some good balancing ive manage to get a bit more on the ap side. as for the othier mounts i have not got idea.i hope this was helpful. charl.

[damnut]

Hi There,

There is a rather long list here:--

http://lambermont.dyndns.org/astro/pe.html

[John]

I believe the designations EQ1, EQ2, EQ3-2, EQ5, HEQ5, EQ6 and EQ8 are proprietry ones used by the Skywatcher brand which is made by Synta. Celestron (also made by Synta) use slightly difference designations as do Orion (USA) which are another brand that Synta makes.

Incidently you can increase the stability of a mount by putting a heavier duty tripod under it. If you replace the aluminum tripod that comes with the Skywatcher EQ3-2 with an EQ5 / HEQ5 1.75" steel tubed tripod (they are compatible) the EQ3-2 will be quite a bit more stable. The Celestron version of the EQ3-2, which is designated as the CG4, uses a steel tripod as standard.

[kalasinman]

You can make any lower priced tripod (and many medium priced as well) more stable by throwing a couple bricks or equivalent weight in a bag and hanging it from the EP tray.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

or filling each of the aluminium tubes of the standard tripod with concrete  

[Physopto]

To some extent you get what you pay for! Heq5 on wards will get you more stable views and tracking. But it depends upon what you want or can afford or need. For any type of imaging an heq5 is possibly the lightest mount for serious work, others may disagree. Even for viewing the heavier the better. A light mount shakes far too much. I may be biased but I cannot stand still and find a light mount too shaky, so heavier is better.

Derek

[theghettostylus]

I've only owned the eq2 and I'm now on a eq3-2 with 150p on top. I stripped the mount and pit lithium grease on, also filled the legs with sand and use cast iron weights on the tray, and I can say a lot of the wobble has gone.

If you're happy with tinkering like I am then a cheaper mount is fine.

The eq 2 on the other hand was super flimsy, it could only just hold my old 130 and that had major wobble.

[Stub Mandrel]

I did an experiment with the EQ3 last night after imaging Saturn (I didn't expect it to be visible where I had the scope, but it was, and it was barely wobbling!) Using the webcam, I managed to image a <10th magnitude star (even through the finder the sky is full oif them, but they take some finding with a webcam, eventually I found a small one near epsilon Vegae. With no barlow the two binaries weren't split, just shaped like running tracks) (next challenge - split them!) but it lest me capture the nearby much smaller star. The video gives me a very good idea of how well the scope was tracking, that it needs about five seconds to 'wind up' the backlash after positioning and the movement at 'autoguiding' speeds. I will try and make a short, cropped AVI without any positioning to get feedback on the stability of the image.

Finally, I see that an EQ5-styl;e steel tripod is about £100 - could be the way to go, not much more costly than buying the stainless tube! Though I may try adding carbon steel legs to the EQ3 (I am not good with wood...)

[jiminbeds]

Hi,

I've also go a 150pl but on an eq3-2 mount. I think that the instability is mainly about the RA axis and is caused by the weight and angular moment of the long tube of the 150pl. The tripod is normally at its lowest adjustment and is not too bad stability wise. However, I have tried using weights on the tray and even using guy-ropes to steady the tripod but nothing made any real difference to the overall vibration problem. I suspect that the only answer to this anomaly is an unfortunately expensive upgrade of the whole mount.

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm using the EQ3 mount on the EQ5 tripod now. This is a test shot I did near Lyra (probably to the NE but I'm struggling to pin down exactly where!) using four unguided 30-second subs, I also got the ring nebula (see gallery) and am pretty happy for a first attempt. I don't think the mount is the limiting factor for me now, it's skill and eventually also needing guiding, but perhaps a polar scope would be a good investment first ;-)

(Yes I know that would benefit from a flat frame!)

[glowjet]

One of the best solid tripods can be had s/h, if you search for one, it is the old wooden theodolite/ dumpy level tripod, used for surveying, just like the Berleback, (see FLO ). There are many other tripods for sale in the s/h building surveyors section of Ebay, but most are now of aluminium construction, but still very good, useful for that big 25x100 binocular mount, if people are stuck for ideas