EQ-AL55I

[Ags]

A new mount!

Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55I PRO Go-To Astronomy Mount | First Light Optics

Intrigued by this - same load as the EQ5 and EQ35M, but a lot cheaper and seemingly capable of Alt-Az mode too. Not too heavy. Is this the end of the EQ5? 

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, Ags said:

A new mount!

Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55I PRO Go-To Astronomy Mount | First Light Optics

Intrigued by this - same load as the EQ5 and EQ35M, but a lot cheaper and seemingly capable of Alt-Az mode too. Not too heavy. Is this the end of the EQ5? 

It's actually more expensive than the EQ5 pro by about £80.

[Ags]

Ah yes, I am muddling EU and UK prices... This thing is priced in UK lower than an EU EQ5.

[Ags]

Actually, it is a few euros cheaper than the EQ35M and EQ5 on this EU site: 

Equatorial mount GoTo / tracking (teleskop-spezialisten.de)

Comparing the RA gears on the EQM-35 and the 55I

• EQM-35: 92.5 mm diameter and 180 teeth
• 55I: 73.4mm Diameter, 144 Teeth

I think the 55I has the same gear as the regular EQ5 but I am not sure.

[Ags]

I have been informed by one supplier that the mount "probably" does not support Alt-Az mode, despite having a 0-90 latitude range. That's really silly, and if it is the case I am sure they will eventually bring out a firmware option supporting Alt-Az (like they did for the EQ variant for the AZ-GTi). But if this is true, the mount becomes less interesting to me.

Of course it can be used as an Alt-Az mount by setting the RA axis vertical, but the firmware needs to support using both motors for Alt-Az tracking. At least it could be used as a motorized dob, even if it doesn't have tracking or goto. I would like tracking, but unlikely to use goto.

[Ags]

Found a thread on a German forum, one user has tested it successfully with 10kg load for visual use successfully, seemingly with a mak-newt, so both load and length.. Unfortunately I can't seem to link to it.

Edited December 25, 2023 by Ags

[Ags]

Found this picture on forum.astronomie.de:

[GTom]

Will be interested on the follow-up, a 190MN will be my next evolutionary step. Doesn't look like a solid setup for photography.

[GTom]

Found the German forum but apparently they are just as well blessed with clouds as we are, no movement on the topic in the past months:

https://forum.astronomie.de/threads/skywatcher-eq-al55i.355355/