I've finally ordered a Mesu 200 MK2 (Mesu e200)

[Jonk]

After all this time, reading, learning and having a word with myself on more than 1 occasion, I've just placed an order for a new Mesu 200 Mk2 mount.

It's being referred to as a Mesu e200 (e for enhanced).

I'm now skint, but hey ho it was a long time coming!

It will be delivered in the next week or so but I can't install it yet as there are a number of things I need to do.

1. Make an adaptor plate to fit my pier.

2. Collect my pier from the powder coaters (very shortly).

3. Purchase some 316 stainless steel billet to make some counterweights. These will easily be less than half the cost of the commercial ones available.

4. Dig a hole and pour the concrete.

5. Locate the mount.

6. Build the observatory around the mount.

7. Hopefully start enjoying it and really getting some good imaging / observing done!

Thanks to @carballada for his enthusiam and updates / videos, it has certainly helped me to push the button.

I'll try and keep this thread updated with progress, but not for a while yet so watch this space if you're interested!

Ciao for now.

Jon

[Jonk]

Latest news, no shipping crates!

The wait for a despatch date goes on...

No big deal really, as I can't use it yet anyway.

[barkis]

Patience young man, your pride and joy will soon be in your posession.    You will get great pleasure from making a suitable site for it, then getting it ready for duty. Good luck with the build. An Obs. Is a wonderful place to operate a telescope from, and you can look forward to some most enjoyable nights.

Don't forget to keep us informed on your progress, because we are as excited as you are.

Best Wishes.

Ron.

Edited October 14, 2019 by barkis

[tooth_dr]

I've been considering a new mount for some time now, and it always comes back to the Mesu 200!  It'll not be a while yet as I've made two not insignificant astro purchases in the last month.  I am delighted to hear that you have bought one and will look forward to the updates.

[barkis]

We see rapid technological changes in Astro products lately. Not so unexpected of course, as there is always a market for more sophisticated  goodies to tempt us. I think if I had a good lottery win, I would delve too, but it would be probably just to gloat over, rather than use, I'm more or less doing that with what I have now.

So many distractions prevent me getting on with the Astronomy  I have been devoted to for most of my life.  The changes that have taken place throughout those years is quite astonishing. There is much to admire locked in the various forum directories of SGL, and it is certainly  vast library of knowledge.

Ron.

Edited October 14, 2019 by barkis

[tomato]

A wise purchase I’m sure, great to hear it will be going in an Observatory from the start. My Mk1 is finally getting a permanent home after 5 years, I’m hoping it will result in a step change improvement in my imaging. 

[Jonk]

Well, I should be receiving the mount tomorrow, so apologies for the month of clouds that will probably come with it!

With the amount of clouds and rain we’ve had recently however it probably won’t make a difference.

Next up, making an adaptor plate and counterweights.

[Jonk]

It has arrived 😁

First thing I noticed was how basic it looks... but I’m not going to be fooled by that!

Second is it’s actually very easy to pick up and carry, not as heavy as you might think.

 

Third, the counterweight bar is not 40.5mm diameter like @carballada had with his, it’s 40mm on the money .

I’ve hastily put it on the pier just for a photo opportunity, but I’ll need to make an adapter plate as my pcd is 20mm too big sadly, otherwise the mount would have bolted on perfectly.

 

 

The Sitech controller is small and light (teaspoon for comparison).

Now I need to learn how to image!

Oh and start building the observatory.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Jonk
Resized images for consistency.

[tooth_dr]

Wow that's a big looking mount.  But I agreed about basic - those first two photos wouldn't really sell it to me.  Good luck with it and congratulations.

[tomato]

The connections into the controller are an improvement on the Mk I, on that version  the wires connect into an exposed terminal block.

[WanderingEye]

It’s amazing, these are known as one of, if not the best mounts around, and yet there looks nothing to it...the motors look so small too, it just shows that something so well designed that performs superbly, can look so basic...I guess a lot of the mechanics have gone as there is no DEC adjustment in the head, it’s all on the pier now...that alone makes it looks much more compact...

how is it adjusted on the pier...??

Edited November 7, 2019 by WanderingEye

[spillage]

Great looking bit of kit and not jealous at all 😵.  Glad to see your really doing your best to sell it. We really need all the MK1 users to upgrade to the MK2 and then maybe us mere mortals will get the chance to buy one of these mounts even if it is a MK1. 😜

 

 

[WanderingEye]

51 minutes ago, spillage said:

Great looking bit of kit and not jealous at all 😵.  Glad to see your really doing your best to sell it. We really need all the MK1 users to upgrade to the MK2 and then maybe us mere mortals will get the chance to buy one of these mounts even if it is a MK1. 😜

 

 

There is one now here, for £3.5k

https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=155241

[AKB]

Fantastic...

...those large wooden counterweights look very classy.  😁

[spillage]

2 hours ago, WanderingEye said:

There is one now here, for £3.5k

I really am contemplating this one and messaged the seller. But getting that kind of purchase past the boss is a hard struggle. Even she has noticed that we have not  had a clear night in an age. I don't think selling my two neq6's would get me near enough.

[JamesF]

1 minute ago, spillage said:

I really am contemplating this one and messaged the seller. But getting that kind of purchase past the boss is a hard struggle. Even she has noticed that we have not  had a clear night in an age. I don't think selling my two neq6's would get me near enough.

I had also looked at it like a child with their nose pressed against the window of a sweetshop.  Thanks to the barn conversion however, I am now utterly brassic, probably until well into next year given that there's still Christmas to come.  If I want a new mount before then I think I'll have to build it from stuff I can find lying about the workshop.

Still, Harrison managed to build an accurate clock from wood.  I have some scrap oak lying about.  How hard can it be?

James

[carballada]

18 hours ago, Jonk said:

It has arrived 😁

First thing I noticed was how basic it looks... but I’m not going to be fooled by that!

Second is it’s actually very easy to pick up and carry, not as heavy as you might think.

Third, the counterweight bar is not 40.5mm diameter like @carballada had with his, it’s 40mm on the money .

 

I’ve hastily put it on the pier just for a photo opportunity, but I’ll need to make an adapter plate as my pcd is 20mm too big sadly, otherwise the mount would have bolted on perfectly.

The Sitech controller is small and light.

Now I need to learn how to image!

Oh and start building the observatory.

Congratulations!!!! (and also for the 40mm bar jajaja, you are more lucky than me).

Regarding how simple looks, believe me when I think that the complexity is inside de two disks and in where is necessary a really narrow mechanical tolerances.

I hope you could test it soon and share also your opinions

I am still waiting to a test it with full charge (or more kg. not really to the limit of 100kg).

Congratulations again.

I hope you join the Astrobin group of this mount

https://www.astrobin.com/gear/96514/mesu-mesu-200-mk2/

and also the new group that I created, more general about all Mesu mounts (including the original model, of course) at

https://www.astrobin.com/groups/157/

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by carballada

[Skipper Billy]

18 hours ago, Jonk said:

First thing I noticed was how basic it looks...

I would say agriculturally elegant with brutalist style 😉

[WanderingEye]

So can these new Mesu mounts be used on a “normal” steel pier, or do you Have to have the angled Mesu one, is there a way or an add on piece that would allow this adjustment..?  I know it maybe a stupid question, sorry if it is

[JamesF]

1 minute ago, WanderingEye said:

So can these new Mesu mounts be used on a “normal” steel pier, or do you Have to have the angled Mesu one, is there a way or an add on piece that would allow this adjustment..?  I know it maybe a stupid question, sorry if it is

There is a wedge that can be used to mount it on an existing pier, apparently.  There are some photos in another thread here.

James

[WanderingEye]

30 minutes ago, JamesF said:

There is a wedge that can be used to mount it on an existing pier, apparently.  There are some photos in another thread here.

James

Yes just found it, but I have to say for such an iconic and expensive mount, the lack of decent declination  adjustment on that wedge for the use with his or her own pier, is pretty poor...how is PA adjusted on the actual bent elbow mount...I realise they are made for you own home position, but there would still need to be fine tuning...

[JamesF]

The impression I have is that fine tuning is done using the mounting bolts.

James

[WanderingEye]

52 minutes ago, JamesF said:

The impression I have is that fine tuning is done using the mounting bolts.

James

Well, that’s a bit of a backwards step, isn’t it...strange on such a superb and well made mount... 🤔🤔

[JamesF]

It's not a solution that endears itself to me, certainly.

James

[Jonk]

On 07/11/2019 at 16:39, tomato said:

The connections into the controller are an improvement on the Mk I, on that version  the wires connect into an exposed terminal block

The MK1 Mesu had the Sitech II, the MK2 Mesu has the Sitech I... the II isn't really necessary, but the I is smaller, lighter (plastic) and still have exposure to the air.

When I fit it, it will probably be under the pier out of the way (facing down).

On 07/11/2019 at 16:50, WanderingEye said:

how is it adjusted on the pier...??

It needs to be connected via 3 mounting points (bolts), so you would adjust it in the same way as collimating a newtonian mirror.

I haven't tried it yet, but according to Carballada, it#s actually very easy to do.

On 07/11/2019 at 20:23, AKB said:

...those large wooden counterweights look very classy. 

Free to a good home!

10 hours ago, carballada said:

Congratulations!!!! (and also for the 40mm bar jajaja, you are more lucky than me).

Regarding how simple looks, believe me when I think that the complexity is inside de two disks and in where is necessary a really narrow mechanical tolerances.

I hope you could test it soon and share also your opinions

I am still waiting to a test it with full charge (or more kg. not really to the limit of 100kg).

Congratulations again.

I hope you join the Astrobin group of this mount

https://www.astrobin.com/gear/96514/mesu-mesu-200-mk2/

and also the new group that I created, more general about all Mesu mounts (including the original model, of course) at

https://www.astrobin.com/groups/157/

Thanks - your information certainly helped!

I will look at the groups, but it will be along time until I'm ready to share anything -I have an observatory to put together, but may in the meantime use the mount in a test position on the patio, but adaptor plates and counterweights are needed first.

9 hours ago, JamesF said:

9 hours ago, WanderingEye said:

So can these new Mesu mounts be used on a “normal” steel pier, or do you Have to have the angled Mesu one, is there a way or an add on piece that would allow this adjustment..?  I know it maybe a stupid question, sorry if it is

There is a wedge that can be used to mount it on an existing pier, apparently.  There are some photos in another thread here.

Correct, I chose not to buy the wedge as I didn't need it.

Look at the 'waiting for Mesu Mk2' thread, it's all on there -> 

 

8 hours ago, WanderingEye said:

Well, that’s a bit of a backwards step, isn’t it...strange on such a superb and well made mount... 🤔

Not really, it takes unnecessary fixing positions and movements out of the equation, improving on the overall stiffness.

This is the reason I had my straight pier modified to a bent knee pier, not only to avoid merdian flips and scope crashes, but to have as few moving parts as possible.