Quick question on the Skywatcher EQ6 mount

[Keithp]

Hi everyone,

I'm think of getting the eq6 mount shortly for my 250px but I have a question regarding the prices/performance etc.

I've seen these priced upto £900+ for a full goto capability down to £600 ish.

Does the cheaper model still have electric stepper motors and if so would the mount still track objects once they have been locked in using the controller, assuming it's been polar aligned correctly. I'm not too fussed about the goto as I use Sky6 to find my way round the sky.

Perhaps if someone has one they could advise.

Regards

All

Keithp

[themos]

The Syntrek model has the "good" steppers and logic board. It will track fine with just the basic handset. You can then use the EQMOD software (and hardware, a special cable) to make your mount ASCOM-compatible. You then have GOTO if you have a laptop and a planetarium program that can control ASCOM mounts. The basic handset can also do lunar and solar tracking plus fast slews.

[Keithp]

Hi Themos, thanks for the quick reply so does the quality of the drive motors vary between different versions of the same mount?

[themos]

Yes.

Skywatcher - Skywatcher EQ6

is the basic one.

Skywatcher - Skywatcher EQ6 Syntrek

is the one with the updated stepper motors and logic board. It has a simple hand controller that does not "know" any sky objects.

Skywatcher - Skywatcher EQ6 PRO Synscan

is the one with the updated stepper motors, logic board and an intelligent handset that gives you GOTO capability without external computer.

I see the prices have gone up since January!

[Keithp]

Hi Themos, yes I noticed those prices!

All as I would want to do is track objects with the 250px, maybe with a view to photo work later. Would the basic mount not be very good for this due to the motors?

[steppenwolf]

The basic mount with the original controller board and motors is OK but not as good as the other two. However, I started with the basic mount and made my own guiding system for it and this made it much more usable. There is an article on the guiding modification on my website here . This is not a perfect solution but it did work pretty well.

[Keithp]

Cheers Steve,

I'm always up for a bit of modding with kit:).

Just did'nt want to fork out £900 plus in one go. I think I may well go with the basic model.

I'm well into computers so if its possible to modify the mount at later date after I find out what the basic model wont do for me I think I would prefer that. I'm pretty sure I could get Sky6 to talk to the mount via my laptop for doing the goto business. Its the quality of tracking that's my main concern, but again if I can mod it to improve it I'll give it a go.

Regards

Keithp

[steppenwolf]

Getting the mount to become GoTo is not a trivial task unless you buy the SynScan upgrade kit and then it is a doddle. That said, there are plenty of articles on the internet showing how to do it using third part bits.