Is the SW NEQ6-Pro any good for AP?

[Etz-photo]

Hello everyone,

I just found a second hand NEQ6-Pro, in good conditions (with transport bags etc), paired with a Meade SCT 200 EMC (the old version). The price is interesting but I don't know if the Meade will be good for AP, I will sell it if not.

My main concern is about the tracker. Is it any good for AP? I own at the moment a SW 72ED, and will probably upgrade one day for something a little better in terms of IQ, but I know I will not go for really heavy stuff, the payload probably wont be an issue for the NEQ6-Pro.

So what are your thoughts about the mount in terms of AP? 

Thank you  

PS: heavy duty mounts such as the HEQ-5, EQ6 etc. are really difficult to find in second hand at the moment (and I'm on a budget).

Edited July 23, 2022 by Etz-photo

[bottletopburly]

Very good mount , made better converting to belt mod but is a very capable mount .

[Paul M]

The NEQ6 Pro has been the workhorse of many an imager for many years now. When "tuned up" the mount will perform very well when guided.

There is ever more choice on the market now but few mounts deliver that capability in that price range.

I currently use mine to image with a 250mm Newtonian that weighs in at about 20kg fully loaded. The only issue I have is with even a light wind catching the huge OTA. A more compact OTA would be beneficial!

[Etz-photo]

6 minutes ago, bottletopburly said:

Very good mount , made better converting to belt mod but is a very capable mount .

 

6 minutes ago, Paul M said:

The NEQ6 Pro has been the workhorse of many an imager for many years now. When "tuned up" the mount will perform very well when guided.

There is ever more choice on the market now but few mounts deliver that capability in that price range.

I currently use mine to image with a 250mm Newtonian that weighs in at about 20kg fully loaded. The only issue I have is with even a light wind catching the huge OTA. A more compact OTA would be beneficial!

@bottletopburly I've read about the belt upgrade, but I think I will first get used to the mount before doing any mods on it.

@Paul M I will be using mainly apochromatic stuff so no huge tube haha  

Thank you guys for your answers  

[dark knight]

I have an esprit 120ed Pro mounted on mine with camera and guide scope, this mount handles it all no problem. 

[SthBohemia]

20 hours ago, Etz-photo said:

I just found a second hand NEQ6-Pro

Highly subjective opinion. The SW mounts are 'adequate' (prone to rust), however, overpriced like most astro gear. Biggest criticism being the Synscan hand controller is not in the same league as Celestrons Nexstar.

The older Meades, when they were made within USA, are teriffic 'scopes. Got one decades ago. It still performs like a champion, would not exchange it for a NEW Meade!!

[Xsubmariner]

I currently use an NEQ6 pro for star parties, it handles well my TS130 photoline supporting fully automated astrophotography equipment. To me, it is still the best value mobile mount for AP. 

[rnobleeddy]

3 hours ago, SthBohemia said:

Highly subjective opinion. The SW mounts are 'adequate' (prone to rust), however, overpriced like most astro gear. Biggest criticism being the Synscan hand controller is not in the same league as Celestrons Nexstar.

The older Meades, when they were made within USA, are teriffic 'scopes. Got one decades ago. It still performs like a champion, would not exchange it for a NEW Meade!!

I don't dispute that a lot of astro gear seems overpriced - I usually say this when I spend £30 on a tiny metal adapter! But SW mounts are the value options in the current market. Performance is ahead of anything else at the same price point.

I'd also probably agree that the SW mounts are adequate -  at least in the past, as shipped, out of the box performance could vary a lot, and whilst I'm sure FLO will accept returns on bad examples, no one really wants to spend £1000+ on a piece of hardware then realise they need to take it apart to get the performance they see other people getting. 

But I definitely don't agree about rust! I've had an EQ6 in the garden, under a £30 cover, for the last 2 years and rust has not caused a single issue.  Not much has rusted other than the counterweights, and that's just cosmetic. 

Can't offer much advice on handsets, other than to say that I don't imagine many imagers rely on handsets these days? Mine was quickly sold to free up another £100 for gear!

 

[SthBohemia]

19 minutes ago, rnobleeddy said:

agree about rust!

SW use cheap substandard bolts that quickly show signs of rust. Eg grub screws on the tripods AND all other screwed thread components.. OK ok, no horror story but 4 the prices charged..... 😞

Whereas an old Celestron CPC and tripod that has spent well over 10-15 years outside (mostly covered with no more than plastic bags) still shows NO sign of rust.