Skywatcher Explorer 300P NEQ6 PRO

[FLO]

What he said

[Ant]

Blimey... there's a thread from the past!!! This thread is (was) over 4 years old...

[FLO]

Doesn't time fly

[Neil56]

Can't quite believe it but I have just picked one of these monsters up for £200 for the OTA !  I don't have the heart to tell the guy that I was ready to pay £400.

I used to wonder why my EQ6 came with an extension for the counterweight bar. I think I know now. Anyone know where you can pick up depleted uranium ? cast iron weights may be inadequate.

N

[John]

I think that's why the 12" solid tubes get sold at quite low prices - the EQ6 is barely up to it and the next step up, mount wise, is really pretty costly. If you are into visual it might be best to consider making a dobsonian mount for the tube.

Edit: another 2 years has passed since this thread was last revived !

[spaceboy]

You might want to consider getting some steps if you don't build a dob base as due to the weight of the primary in the 300P it sits pretty high up on an EQ6

[Mukv]

Greetings

 I can vouch for the size of the OTA it's huge, I have used it for 3 years on a NEQ6 pro for visual and now moving to astrophotography with awesome results given the light pollution in my immediate area.

Moving it around is not that bad once you work out a system, hand grip location then a place to stand it before mounting it to the puck.Now I built my obsy it sits on the same NEQ6 on my pier is this situation it's unbeatable!

Andy

[Earl]

Can't quite believe it but I have just picked one of these monsters up for £200 for the OTA !  I don't have the heart to tell the guy that I was ready to pay £400.

I used to wonder why my EQ6 came with an extension for the counterweight bar. I think I know now. Anyone know where you can pick up depleted uranium ? cast iron weights may be inadequate.

N

I did the same some years ago and then sold it on again, they are just huge scopes this size are imo dob scopes or fork eq scopes (check harrys astroshed) its a monster to deal with, Great scope but HUGE !!

[szymon]

I just missed out on buying one of these on ABS, for £250 including a "broken" EQ6 syntrek mount (either the motherboard or the handset were broken, the guy didn't know which).  Someone else bought it before me, I was next in line.  Whoever bought that got a *great* deal!

[spaceboy]

I doubt very much it was a syntrek mount. I would have thought more chance of it being a standard driven mount. When you consider a board or motor is going to be a difficult find your only other alternative to get the EQ6 working is to get a synscan upgrade at £330. Still a good buy with the 300P none the less although not the most user friendly of set ups and probably best suited to an obsy.

[szymon]

It was definitely a Syntrek, double checked with the seller. It was originally up on ABS for £350, didn't sell so he lowered it to £250.

I spoke to FLO (who were wonderful) and they confirmed that there were black syntrek mounts sold which have the same electrics and motors as the current ones. They suggested I first try it with an EQMod (to see if the motherboard is OK), if not they could sell me a new MB for £100.

Unfortunately someone else got to it first though, so I'll never know (unless they turn up here!).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spaceboy]

I stand corrected then.

[Neil56]

well iI have had this for a few weeks now and am just blown away by what it does.  I have found that with some good big weights on the short bar in the NEQ6 it is actually very stable so long as it is carefully balanced. Really impressed with Synscan that takes it bang on almost every time.  For good old eye-gazing this scope is knockout and getting some pretty d good images too

It is pretty near the limit for the eq6 but It handles it ok. balancing is critical and once I have it aligned I jettison the finder-scope as I don't need itI then remount it bang in the centre of gravity with an adaptor to use as a guide scope and naysayers eat your words as knockout results.

absolutely the best £200 i have ever spent.

NEIL

[laser_jock99]

I have been using a 12" scope on an EQ6 for AP for the past 3 years. Although I would hasten to add it's really only a proposition for observatory use- I don't mind lugging a 10" or 8" scope around but the 12" OTA is 20Kg and I'd hate to drop that!

The 12"/EQ6 combo is in fact stable enough for succesfull astro imaging- though probably pushing the upper limits for this mount.

[Neil56]

I have been using a 12" scope on an EQ6 for AP for the past 3 years. Although I would hasten to add it's really only a proposition for observatory use- I don't mind lugging a 10" or 8" scope around but the 12" OTA is 20Kg and I'd hate to drop that!

The 12"/EQ6 combo is in fact stable enough for succesfull astro imaging- though probably pushing the upper limits for this mount.

Hey that is an impressive array of kit !  What is the secret ? how do you get 3 NEQ6 s past the wife ? I have an eq5 and an eq6 and just about get it past 'er Inside  by only getting one out at a time, and cracking on that they are the same mount and she must be looking from a different angle !!

Hey don't mock !  it's worked so far, and so long as a man's shed remains sacred ground, I reckon I am ok !!

If you could  get the 3 eq6s wired up together you could programme them to do a dance in sync.  There was a wonderful episode of "Red Dwarf" once featuring dancing tripods.

Anyway enough levity. Deeply envious !!

NEIL

[laser_jock99]

Hey that is an impressive array of kit !  What is the secret ? how do you get 3 NEQ6 s past the wife ? I have an eq5 and an eq6 and just about get it past 'er Inside  by only getting one out at a time, and cracking on that they are the same mount and she must be looking from a different angle !!

Hey don't mock !  it's worked so far, and so long as a man's shed remains sacred ground, I reckon I am ok !!

If you could  get the 3 eq6s wired up together you could programme them to do a dance in sync.  There was a wonderful episode of "Red Dwarf" once featuring dancing tripods.

Anyway enough levity. Deeply envious !!

NEIL

Part of the secret is that two mounts are at one site and one kept at another. If I move stuff between the sites often enough even I get confused! As you say to the uninitiated one scope looks rather like another.

[Neil56]

Steve,

What's the difference between a EQ6 and a NEQ6?

This is a very tempting setup to upgrade to from 8" on HEQ5 for imaging!!

Sam

Probably about £50

[FLO]

That question was asked nearly five years ago

The current model Skywatcher NEQ6 PRO SynScan is essentially an EQ6 PRO Synscan with counterweight extension bar and dual-saddle to suit Skywatcher 75mm and Skywatcher 45mm (Losmandy-style and Vixen-style) dovetails. 

HTH, 

Steve