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Skywatcher EQM-35 for 72mm refractor

Ken Mitchell

By Ken Mitchell
in Discussions - Mounts

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Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell

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Is the Skywatcher EQM35 mount a good choice for AP with the TS 72mm f6 refractor and dslr?

I wont be upgrading the scope very soon just adding a guiding system in the future which will add some weight to it of course.

Any ideas what the average exposure time could be before startrailing, is 2-3 minutes doable? I've read it has a worm wheel with 180 teeth(same as eq6), which should (as SW says) get a higher precision tracking. What's the significance of the amount of teeth in a worm wheel? What factors determine the accuracy in tracking?

The reason I'm interested in this mount is its compatibility with the SW Star Adventurer (which I have for the moment), it's a lightweight mount and portability. I also prefer the polar scope above the one on the heq5.

The alternative would be the (n)eq5 pro synscan or the more expensive heq5. 

The heq5 is probably a better mount but not sure if I really need this with my current scope and camera. The extra money saved would be spend on filters or the guiding system.

There aren't much reviews on this mount but I'm hoping someone on the forum has one of these to share his experience or I could get some advice just from the specs of the mount from members with better understanding on the matter.

TIA

Ken

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Andyb90

Andyb90

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Normally I'd say go for the heq5 pro for AP. However it is significantly heavier than the EQM35. How important to you is portability?

I have the heq5 pro. It's a very stable mount and guides well. I find it manageable to lift, but it's not light weight.

Andy.

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Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell

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I don't have a fixed place to set up the mount, but dso imaging will mostly be done from the garden. 

I've been thinking of placing a fixed pier in the future, what are the pros and cons of having a fixed pier?

 

On the eqm35 the portability and the removal of the dec I find interesting for use with dslr lens and ballhead. Although I'm not sure if I would use/need it as I have the Star Adventurer for that. 

So maybe in the end it comes down on price. If I'd go for the eq5 or eqm35 I will also buy a guiding system, which covers the difference in price with the heq5. 

How is the unguided tracking at 432mm on the heq5? Is it possible to get 3 minutes? Will the pier improve tracking accuracy?

 

Thanks,

Ken

 

 

 

 

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Andyb90

Andyb90

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5 hours ago, Ken Mitchell said:

How is the unguided tracking at 432mm on the heq5? Is it possible to get 3 minutes? Will the pier improve tracking accuracy?

I've got decent results with 2-3 minutes unguided with the heq5. I've only used a tripod so not sure how much improvement in tracking you would get with a pier. Although not having tripod legs to trip over in the dark would be a good thing ? I would think there should be little or no risk of vibration affecting a pier when walking near it. I like the idea myself of potentially keeping the mount on a pier undercover for quicker setup.

Andy.

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catburglar

catburglar

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In my view the EQ35m and the Star Adventurer are too similar to warrant keeping both.

I’d only consider the eq35 as a replacement  for the SWA- it’s got a useful increase in payload, guidable in RA and Dec, but can also shed a few pounds if you need to be portable.

if you want to keep the SWA as a lightweight option, I’d be looking at the HEQ5 or similar which will give you the option of larger/longer FL at a later date.

 

The primary advantage of the pier would be more precise polar alignment  or less clonk setting up. It won’t eliminate periodic error from the worm gear, so I wouldn’t expect it to have a big impact in terms of sub length. You might however find you get more imaging sessions because it’s easier/quicker to set up.

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Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell

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27 minutes ago, Andyb90 said:

I've got decent results with 2-3 minutes unguided with the heq5. I've only used a tripod so not sure how much improvement in tracking you would get with a pier. Although not having tripod legs to trip over in the dark would be a good thing ? I would think there should be little or no risk of vibration affecting a pier when walking near it. I like the idea myself of potentially keeping the mount on a pier undercover for quicker setup.

Andy.

That would probably be the major advantage of a fixed pier, faster and easier set up.  The 2-3 min is that with the esprit 100? 

Do you think the heq5 will track more accurate than the others? 

 

Ken

 

 

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Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell

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5 minutes ago, catburglar said:

In my view the EQ35m and the Star Adventurer are too similar to warrant keeping both.

I’d only consider the eq35 as a replacement  for the SWA- it’s got a useful increase in payload, guidable in RA and Dec, but can also shed a few pounds if you need to be portable.

if you want to keep the SWA as a lightweight option, I’d be looking at the HEQ5 or similar which will give you the option of larger/longer FL at a later date.

 

The primary advantage of the pier would be more precise polar alignment  or less clonk setting up. It won’t eliminate periodic error from the worm gear, so I wouldn’t expect it to have a big impact in terms of sub length. You might however find you get more imaging sessions because it’s easier/quicker to set up.

That's a good point yes, I intend to keep the SWA for the moment. So it will probably be down to the eq5 or heq5. The upgrade to a longer focal length wont be that soon, maybe 5 years or so. 

Is there another advantage besides load capacity? 

 

Ken

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Andyb90

Andyb90

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On 27/09/2018 at 19:50, Ken Mitchell said:

That would probably be the major advantage of a fixed pier, faster and easier set up.  The 2-3 min is that with the esprit 100? 

Do you think the heq5 will track more accurate than the others? 

Ken

The 2-3 minutes is with an Esprit 80, at 400mm. I would think the heq5 will track more accurately as it's stepper motors are more precise.

A used heq5 pro could be a good option and then add a guiding setup.

Andy.

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