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Replacement Goto Mount Advice


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I have a Celeston 8" Newtonian, C8N,  I have had for over 20 years and I like it as a scope. About 8 years ago when I built an observatory I got a ex display Ioptron EQ mount "Gem5" and it sort of served me well, but had a nasy habbit of the gears becoming un meshed and  during Covid sent it for repair but when it came back when I put the weights back on it pulled the gears out of alignment again and is now suffering from "warning can not communicate with DEC Motor controller.

Im sure in the right hands and the right technical knowledge It would be a great mount.

Me Im not technical, Fix one thing ang another error occours.  

To be honest every winter I hear when are you going to use the telescope and the responses are it not polar aligned, the gears are slipping etc.

So Basically Im think about cutting my losses and want to start observing again with out any issues.

So Im looking for a GOTO mount  that would be suitable for the current telescope (Unless there is a good package includes an OTA that just as good if not better), That I can use a ZWO 120 mc camera with. And more importantly easy polar alignment, (I do have a polar alignment cameara).  I know things have moved on since I last looked at mounts. 

Budget is probably around £300 (Please stop laughing)

I want to become relaxed with my observing and making it fun again.

What should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance

Ian

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An EQ5 will of course carry an 8" newt. The wisdom is that stability it is not up to photography.
In your case using a 120MC, maybe it is not that clear cut.
The camera is electrically more suited to short exposures (OK some may argue) which means mount errors are less important.

If you stack a lot of short exposures and the image gradually moves you can crop and software can re-centre the results.
It all depends on how much things move and how short the exposures are.

Alternatively, you may stick with an EQ5 size of mount and in future look for a refractor like an ED80.
The idea being to load the mount less with the lighter scope, allowing better accuracy.
Then you are into the 80mm vs 200mm light gather arguments😁

Another option is to buy an EQ5 now, and enjoy using it.
Many of the used mounts have had little use so are mechanically in a similar state to when bought and software doesn't wear out.
Start putting money into the piggy bank with a view to getting a bigger mount later on.
You can move on a used EQ5 for little loss.

Choices choices choices.

HTH, David.

 

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Plain and simply you won’t find a go to mount capable of handling an 8” Newtonian for £300. You may be fortunate enough to pick up one secondhand for around that price, or slightly higher. If I were you I would wait and save my pennies until I could afford the likes of an HEQ5 or at the minimum a EQ5 PRO.

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I don't know the GEM5 mount, though have heard it compared to an EQ5 in loading.
A very brief request to Mr Google didn't bring up much. Maybe someone who has experience of this mount be come along?
As someone unspecified doesn't seem to have done that good a job on a repair, do you have someone else lined up?

As others have said (and I agree) an EQ5 is not well suited to imaging, except in a limited way.
I have done a bit using an 8" newt and Celestron CG5 some years back.
Careful balance, no wind, DSLR generally in the tens of seconds.

I know that recently two EQ5 size goto mounts have changed hands within your budget.
For visual use on this scope, they are fine.
Though if you really want to get into imaging, either a bigger mount, or smaller scope are indicated.

HTH David.

 

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3 hours ago, drjolo said:

Is there a separate cable that connects mount head to Dec motor part? If so, you may just to test the cable using multimeter if all wires are ok. Preparing that cable may be pretty easy. 

I bought a new cable and it didnt work, I also tried all the other ports and that didnt work either.. Which is why I think its something more terminal.

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23 hours ago, skippyinspace said:

warning can not communicate with DEC Motor controller.

A similar message from a Celestron mount often means that the mount firmware needs to be refreshed/reprogrammed.   But maybe it's time to bin the Gem5 and buy a mount that works.

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