Celestrons AVX vrs. SW HEQ5 mounts ??

[celestron8g8]

Celestrons latest new affordable AVX mount niw sells for $899.00 . I don’t know the price of the HEQ5 mount cause i have not found it in the USA  at the moment but I don’t know if it’s available in the USA . I’m just wanting to know if any of you here have experience with both mounts and how would you compare them quality and functionality wise and does either one out do the other or are they compareable equally ? Which one would you choose ?? 

[johninderby]

The Orion Sirius EQG Mount is the same as the Skywatcher HEQ5 I believe. Made by the same parent company.

[Knighty2112]

Have an AVX which works great, but can’t comment on the Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount. However, I think on the firmware/software side of things Celestron software tends to be better than Skywatcher software. I did finf this out after owning a alt-az goto Mount from Skywatcher, and also a Celestron 8SE goto Mount, which worked better and the software was much more comprehensive for options/settings/fine tuning etc.

[celestron8g8]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

The Orion Sirius EQG Mount is the same as the Skywatcher HEQ5 I believe. Made by the same parent company.

 Yessir the HEQ5 is replacing the Orion Sirius . In the USA the Sirius is no longer available but I have not found yet where the HEQ5 is available in the USA  . But both are by the same parent company . 

[celestron8g8]

1 hour ago, Knighty2112 said:

Have an AVX which works great, but can’t comment on the Skywatcher HEQ5 Mount. However, I think on the firmware/software side of things Celestron software tends to be better than Skywatcher software. I did finf this out after owning a alt-az goto Mount from Skywatcher, and also a Celestron 8SE goto Mount, which worked better and the software was much more comprehensive for options/settings/fine tuning etc.

 

Is your AVX the latest AVX out ? Just wondering from Celestrons site the new Advanced VX mount but not sure when exactly it came out but some places still have the old ASGT NIB available which is no comparison to the AVX from what I have researched and read . 

[Knighty2112]

8 minutes ago, celestron8g8 said:

 

Is your AVX the latest AVX out ? Just wondering from Celestrons site the new Advanced VX mount but not sure when exactly it came out but some places still have the old ASGT NIB available which is no comparison to the AVX from what I have researched and read . 

Yes, the newer version of the mount.  

[Alan White]

I too had the AVX for a while and it was very reliable, accurate and simple to use.

It has been sold on by me, because I decided to give up Astro electronics and go all manual.

This is the way I like it as a visual only Astronomer.

[Chris M48]

I’ve had both the Celestron AVX and SkyWatcher HEQ5 but now have the CG5 Advanced GT which preceded the AVX. The latter has now been discontinued so is not an option but I still prefer it to the AVX. Sturdier and more reliable but both noisy at 2am in the garden.

HEQ5 Pro is much less noisy, sturdier still and can be connected directly to computer with no need for handset. The new belt drive makes it quieter again and reduces backlash while increasing drive accuracy. All this probably explains why you can’t find them second hand very often.

Adjustment bolts and screws are too lightweight for this heavy but handsome beast and power and mother boards need to be replaced too often.

Apart from that, for me, a no brainer.