goto

[Davidst]

I have just been given a skywatcher 102mm. i have managed to pick up an equatorial mount.  Do mounts have be designed to take a goto set up or can you get them to fit on any mount. TY 

[vlaiv]

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Not really sure what you are asking, but I'll suppose that you are asking if you can use any telescope on non goto mount and answer is yes.

As long as you have correct attachment and your mount can handle the weight of telescope - you should be able to put the telescope on the mount and use it like that.

Not sure what model of Skywatcher 102 mm do you have (there are several kinds - 102mm F/10 long refractor, 102mm F/5 short refractor, 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain compact scope) - and what type of EQ mount do you have, but most EQ mounts except few smallest ones (EQ1, EQ2) should be able to carry any of 102mm SW scopes for visual use.

[malc-c]

12 hours ago, Davidst said:

I have just been given a skywatcher 102mm. i have managed to pick up an equatorial mount.  Do mounts have be designed to take a goto set up or can you get them to fit on any mount. TY 

No, you can't use a goto system on any mount.  The external goto systems such as synscan are designed to be used with specific mounts.  For example you can get a Skywatcher EQ3 and EQ5 mounts.  They look the same, just one is slightly smaller than the other, and both can be upgraded to a full goto system, but you need to purchase either a synscan unit for an EQ3 or an EQ5 as the internal firmware is different as the gearing of the mounts are different.  Also you couldn't take an EQ3 synscan unit and fit it to a Celestron mount, or a mead mount.

If you can provide details of the mount you have purchase (make and model) then we can advise if a goto system exists and if so point you in the right direction.  The reason we say that, is because some brands of mount are infact the same mount form the main manufacture, so things can on occasion fit.