Happy birthday to me

[Adam1234]

It's my 29th birthday today 🎂🥳 so I've treated myself to the QHY Polemaster, due to arrive in the post tomorrow. Hopefully I can then get better polar alignment than I'm currently getting using the polarscope. 

How accurate polar alignment can one expect to gain from this? Any tips on getting the most out of it? 

 

I next plan on upgrading my mount soon, with the aim to get better tracking, as I'm unconvinced of the quality of tracking on my current mount ( had a look at the gears earlier and they seem a bit jittery), and as I'm into imaging, I'd like good tracking (yes I will eventually get into guiding - one step at a time).

I'm thinking of the Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq6-r-pro-synscan-go-to-equatorial-mount.html

It's clearly going to be much better than my Meade LXD75, but thought I'd see what other peoples thoughts are on this mount? I was debating between this and the NEQ6 Pro, but it seems like the EQ6-R Pro has an advantage over the NEQ6 Pro with the higher payload & belt driven etc.

What do you guys think? Worthwhile getting this one?

[TerryMcK]

Congrats on the Polemaster. You won’t regret that one bit. And you can also fit it to your EQ6-R Pro which is on my list. That can take 20KG for imaging so covers lots of bases and is also belt drive like my HEQ5Pro Rowan.

Lots of good features on the EQ6-R Pro for instance the power connector. Much better than a push in plug.

[joe aguiar]

Yes congrats hope u like the new gear

joejaguar 

 

[LordLoki]

Happy birthday Adam! My birthday is on Thursday and I also treated myself to a polemaster and some other stuff

Regarding the question about the Eq6-r pro. I can only recommend it. I started AP roughly 9 month ago and went for this mount to be future proof even though I only use it with an explore scientific ED80 at the moment. 

The mount is really great. Even though I am new to this I get fairly good polar alignment done with the built in polar scope and can do 4 minute subs with no autoguiding. It's a heavy beast though so bare that in mind if you have to move it down a flight of stairs for an image session you have to be fit 😂

There is also a thread specifically for eq6-r owners in this forum if memory serves right. So look for that and get some more testemony. 

 

Hope you have better weather then me so you can test drive your polemaster soon! 

Clear skies

 

Edited March 3, 2020 by LordLoki

[Adam1234]

3 hours ago, LordLoki said:

Happy birthday Adam! My birthday is on Thursday and I also treated myself to a polemaster and some other stuff

Regarding the question about the Eq6-r pro. I can only recommend it. I started AP roughly 9 month ago and went for this mount to be future proof even though I only use it with an explore scientific ED80 at the moment. 

The mount is really great. Even though I am new to this I get fairly good polar alignment done with the built in polar scope and can do 4 minute subs with no autoguiding. It's a heavy beast though so bare that in mind if you have to move it down a flight of stairs for an image session you have to be fit 😂

There is also a thread specifically for eq6-r owners in this forum if memory serves right. So look for that and get some more testemony. 

 

Hope you have better weather then me so you can test drive your polemaster soon! 

Clear skies

 

Thanks! Happy birthday to you for Thursday.

It looks like I may have a clear sky here tonight, so I may have a practice using the polemaster tonight. 

I'll check out that EQ6-R thread. Fortunately I have no stairs to go down so taking the mount outside shouldn't be much of a problem for me.

[Sunshine]

Happy Birthday! enjoy the new polemaster!