Yet another newbie needing mount advice...

[LoveFromGallifrey]

Hi all! So, I'm just starting out in observing, mostly visual but with the aim of progressing to imaging. I have decided on an Altair Astro 102ed f7 scope, with an Altair Astro 60mm guide scope. Mainly looking at this for storage and travelling reasons.

Thing is, because I want to be able to take the thing away camping etc, I'm struggling to find a mount. I've been told time and time again to get the HEQ5 pro SynScan, especially if the future goal is imaging, which sounds great - but big and heavy, and it needs power packs etc for travel. I'm not sure the EQ5 would be a suitable alternative though, mainly because people never stop talking about how much better the HEQ5 is.

I'm looking for something mainly for visual work, now, something easier to transport but still reliable to use (i.e. not gonna blow over like a twig in the wind). Imaging can come later- the ability to lug the [removed word] around comes first and foremost. I want to be able to sling this thing in my tiny car. Are there any alternatives out there to the HEQ5? Or, would anyone be able to tell me their experiences with an EQ5? 

Edited October 11, 2020 by LoveFromGallifrey

[Budgie1]

Welcome to the SGL.

The HEQ5 is the best for price if you're looking at imaging, as you've already been told. The EQ5 is fine and it's what I use. With the weights and weight bar removed it's manageable with the mount connected to the tripod and is stable in the field. I break it down after every session and carry it through the house and should fit in the boot or on the back seat of a car without a problem. 

If you only want it for visual to start off with then you can get the EQ5 without the Go-To motors & handset, these can be added later, although it's normally cheaper to buy it fitted.

I now use my EQ5 for imaging and have it connected up to a laptop for guiding and automating the imaging process. It tracks very well for an EQ5 and I can get pin-point stars with up to 10 minutes exposures.

I hope this helps and I'm sure others will be along shortly.

[Shimrod]

1 hour ago, LoveFromGallifrey said:

Hi all! So, I'm just starting out in observing, mostly visual but with the aim of progressing to imaging. I have decided on an Altair Astro 102ed f7 scope, with an Altair Astro 60mm guide scope. Mainly looking at this for storage and travelling reasons.

Thing is, because I want to be able to take the thing away camping etc, I'm struggling to find a mount. I've been told time and time again to get the HEQ5 pro SynScan, especially if the future goal is imaging, which sounds great - but big and heavy, and it needs power packs etc for travel. I'm not sure the EQ5 would be a suitable alternative though, mainly because people never stop talking about how much better the HEQ5 is.

I'm looking for something mainly for visual work, now, something easier to transport but still reliable to use (i.e. not gonna blow over like a twig in the wind). Imaging can come later- the ability to lug the [removed word] around comes first and foremost. I want to be able to sling this thing in my tiny car. Are there any alternatives out there to the HEQ5? Or, would anyone be able to tell me their experiences with an EQ5? 

The tripod and OTA will require more space than the mount. It depends on how small your car is  - I recently went away and took my Celestron AVX (similar in size to the HEQ5), Skywatcher 80ED (in hardcase), accessory case. That all fitted in the boot of a car (BMW 3 series) along with two suitcases, two collapsible chairs, camera tripod and two camera backpacks. You might just need to get creative with your packing technique. I will admit it took me 3 attempts to pack the car!

[jonathan]

You should be fine with an EQ3-2 sized mount for the 102 refractor, I use mine on a Celestron CG-4 which is very similar to an EQ3-2 but it has steel tubular legs (much better than the square aluminium ones).  It's probably about half the size and weight of an HEQ5 Pro.  As Shimrod said, the mount is likely going to be the smallest part of the equipment anyway; with the tripod accessory tray removed the tripod should fold up quite slim, but you should consider cases or protective boxes for the OTA and mount, especially if you have an EQ3-2 with RA motor drive as it can have delicate parts, if it's just manual slow motion controls then they unscrew to remove quite easily.  My Altair Astro 102 came with a big hard case with custom fitted foam, I'd definitely keep it in that case including when travelling, or make your own travel / storage box (with stiff foam padding - something to absorb bumps and knocks) out of plywood if you don't have one. 

A power pack can just be a medium-sized 12v battery, either a regular car battery (preferably a leisure battery) or one half the size, doesn't need to be a special astronomy power pack.  You may need to buy a few accessories to get the required power connections, or make your own; remember always to include an inline fuse (there's usually one in the pre-made mount power leads that have a 'cigar lighter' style power plug).  EQ3-2/CG-4 runs on 6v, I use a small 6v lead acid battery in an old compact camera case, keeps it nice and tidy and provides far more mAh than the standard D-cell battery pack that comes with the motor drive kit.

As for wind, the bigger and heavier the mount (and tripod), the better it will be at resisting wind.  HEQ5 Pro is going to be better than EQ3-2 / CG-4, but also HEQ5 Pro on steel tubular legs should be considerably steadier than EQ5 on square section alloy legs, likewise for EQ3-2 on steel tubular legs vs square alloy legs.  You can also weigh down a mount by hanging a heavy bag under it, though if it's windy you wouldn't want said weight swinging about so maybe have it touching the ground.

[Budgie1]

45 minutes ago, jonathan said:

HEQ5 Pro is going to be better than EQ3-2 / CG-4, but also HEQ5 Pro on steel tubular legs should be considerably steadier than EQ5 on square section alloy legs, likewise for EQ3-2 on steel tubular legs vs square alloy legs.

The HEQ5 and EQ5 use the same tripod. 

[LoveFromGallifrey]

17 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

Welcome to the SGL.

The HEQ5 is the best for price if you're looking at imaging, as you've already been told. The EQ5 is fine and it's what I use. With the weights and weight bar removed it's manageable with the mount connected to the tripod and is stable in the field. I break it down after every session and carry it through the house and should fit in the boot or on the back seat of a car without a problem. 

If you only want it for visual to start off with then you can get the EQ5 without the Go-To motors & handset, these can be added later, although it's normally cheaper to buy it fitted.

I now use my EQ5 for imaging and have it connected up to a laptop for guiding and automating the imaging process. It tracks very well for an EQ5 and I can get pin-point stars with up to 10 minutes exposures.

I hope this helps and I'm sure others will be along shortly.

Hi! Thanks for the welcome, and thank you again for sharing your experiences. I'm tempted to get the EQ5 pro SynScan, as I think it'll be fine for visual especially - and even for imaging I doubt that my intended setup would weigh too much.

Its so hard, because as a newbie the people I have spoken to previously are either "get a dob and nothing else" or they go straight to the HEQ5 pro and tend to put the EQ5 pro down - even though it clearly has its uses. 

Ofc, availability shouldn't come into it when factoring in what would be the best setup, but it has to come in somewhere - HEQ5 pros are ridiculously hard to find, and the couple I have found have been at least 4+ hours away from me to collect with no delivery options. Its simply easier to find an EQ5 pro right now. 

I'm rambling, I'll shut up now haha. Thanks again for the input. 

[LoveFromGallifrey]

17 hours ago, Shimrod said:

The tripod and OTA will require more space than the mount. It depends on how small your car is  - I recently went away and took my Celestron AVX (similar in size to the HEQ5), Skywatcher 80ED (in hardcase), accessory case. That all fitted in the boot of a car (BMW 3 series) along with two suitcases, two collapsible chairs, camera tripod and two camera backpacks. You might just need to get creative with your packing technique. I will admit it took me 3 attempts to pack the car!

Oh yeah, I can definitely understand that now - I'm used to lugging around a solid camera tripod, both in my car and on a plane. Its the weight of everything togetherbthat is a little scary to me, although I know any set up is going to have to have some weight behind to be worth using.

You have mad packing skills! I have a teeny 4 door Aygo, but I am definitely a creative packer - no space goes unfilled sometimes! But dang, I only have to pack for myself haha - so you've definitely outdone me. I think I am worrying about this too much, but its so hard to judge as I've never had a telescope before so I only have my plain bog standard camera gear as a guide 😅

[LoveFromGallifrey]

5 hours ago, jonathan said:

You should be fine with an EQ3-2 sized mount for the 102 refractor, I use mine on a Celestron CG-4 which is very similar to an EQ3-2 but it has steel tubular legs (much better than the square aluminium ones).  It's probably about half the size and weight of an HEQ5 Pro.  As Shimrod said, the mount is likely going to be the smallest part of the equipment anyway; with the tripod accessory tray removed the tripod should fold up quite slim, but you should consider cases or protective boxes for the OTA and mount, especially if you have an EQ3-2 with RA motor drive as it can have delicate parts, if it's just manual slow motion controls then they unscrew to remove quite easily.  My Altair Astro 102 came with a big hard case with custom fitted foam, I'd definitely keep it in that case including when travelling, or make your own travel / storage box (with stiff foam padding - something to absorb bumps and knocks) out of plywood if you don't have one. 

A power pack can just be a medium-sized 12v battery, either a regular car battery (preferably a leisure battery) or one half the size, doesn't need to be a special astronomy power pack.  You may need to buy a few accessories to get the required power connections, or make your own; remember always to include an inline fuse (there's usually one in the pre-made mount power leads that have a 'cigar lighter' style power plug).  EQ3-2/CG-4 runs on 6v, I use a small 6v lead acid battery in an old compact camera case, keeps it nice and tidy and provides far more mAh than the standard D-cell battery pack that comes with the motor drive kit.

As for wind, the bigger and heavier the mount (and tripod), the better it will be at resisting wind.  HEQ5 Pro is going to be better than EQ3-2 / CG-4, but also HEQ5 Pro on steel tubular legs should be considerably steadier than EQ5 on square section alloy legs, likewise for EQ3-2 on steel tubular legs vs square alloy legs.  You can also weigh down a mount by hanging a heavy bag under it, though if it's windy you wouldn't want said weight swinging about so maybe have it touching the ground.

Hi, thank you for responding! 

Ah, you can tell I'm so new to all this - it's so hard to decide on a setup, I thought deciding on a telescope was hard but the mounts? I keep hearing so many conflicting things haha! 

I'm so glad to hear you are finding a mount similar to the EQ3-2 fine for your 102 - that definitely reassures me that I should be able to get away with something less meaty than the HEQ5. And the power pack thing helps a great deal too - should be able to find something that works for me for sure. Its pretty annoying at the moment because I have no idea what I am doing, but I can't even go out and see anything in action with my local astronomy club and most every version of the EQ5 is sold out across the board anyways so I can't just have a crack at it and return if necessary.

I'd definitely be looking at hard travel cases for everything. If I cannot buy them/if my 102 happens to come without that hard case - well, I'm rubbish at DIY but I do have a very handy granddad who would relish the challenge 😂

 I was wondering about using a mount like an EQ3 with a lighter tripod but weighing it down. I have been known to use a sandbag tied taught around the mount and just about resting on the floor to keep my camera tripod in place in strong winds, so that's definitely something to thing about. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by LoveFromGallifrey

[Seelive]

Their's also the newer EQM-35 Pro, it has a slightly higher load capacity than the EQ5 and benefits from a larger (180 tooth) RA wormwheel than the EQ5 and seems to use the same tripod, but is a few pounds cheaper. I've not had any problems using mine for astrophotography.

[jonathan]

3 hours ago, LoveFromGallifrey said:

I'd definitely be looking at hard travel cases for everything. If I cannot buy them/if my 102 happens to come without that hard case - well, I'm rubbish at DIY but I do have a very handy granddad who would relish the challenge 😂

 I was wondering about using a mount like an EQ3 with a lighter tripod but weighing it down. I have been known to use a sandbag tied taught around the mount and just about resting on the floor to keep my camera tripod in place in strong winds, so that's definitely something to thing about. 

One trick is to keep the original packing and build a box around it, or find a strong plastic tub that it will snugly fit inside.  I keep my 8SE in a large Curver plastic crate, the original styrene packing (top and bottom) fits very well and there's room for a few bits and pieces at the sides.

Don't skimp on the tripod, that's the foundation of the pyramid and needs to be as strong as the rest of it.

[LoveFromGallifrey]

16 hours ago, jonathan said:

One trick is to keep the original packing and build a box around it, or find a strong plastic tub that it will snugly fit inside.  I keep my 8SE in a large Curver plastic crate, the original styrene packing (top and bottom) fits very well and there's room for a few bits and pieces at the sides.

Don't skimp on the tripod, that's the foundation of the pyramid and needs to be as strong as the rest of it.

That's a good idea, thanks! 

Yeah, after a further lot of thinking I've decided to go with an Az-EQ5 - because its both an alt az for causal viewing and an equatorial mount with all the trimmings like synscan etc for imaging. Its also a weight carrier like the HEQ5 pro. From what I gather, you can't use the HEQ5 like a basic alt az, which may be troublesome if I just want to crack the scope out quicklg on holiday without any faffing around.

Thanks again for the help! 

[Neil H]

Hi here is a little trick if you get the eq5 goto when your using it so you dont worry about a tip over go to pets at home buy a dog lead screw in ring and then pop in to a shop and get a small ratchet srap 

Screw spike in to the grown under mount put ratchet strap through ring and spreader plate and tighten it up so tripod cant tip over dont over to it tho your bend something 

As for power i use the celestron powertank its light small and does not trash its self if you run it flat 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/celestron-lithium-lifepo4-powertank.html

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