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What mount ?

paulobao

By paulobao
in Discussions - Mounts

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paulobao

paulobao

Posted
Posted

Hello all,

I'm an ATLAS EQMOD user for 2 years now. Good results with my Tak FS102NSV in astrophotography. Subs up to 30 min with any problem, guided with a Tak FS60C+QHY5 via PHD. What I like in this cheap mount is the fact that I only need a USB cable/interface and my laptop to control it from Cartes de Ciel. I use a wireless gamepad to center the sync stars and here I go. I don't like to have aditional boxes to connect! Simple and reliable. I only make photo.

Ok, if te mount is so good why I want to change it. Because I want something as simple to use (ASCOM compliant, via PC and with Cartes de Ciel) but better constructed and with even better results. I bought a new C9.25 to astrophoto too, that I not yet tried with the ATLAS.

So I have in mint:

-Tak EM-200 Temma II

or

-G-11 gemini

What to choose?

Regards,

paulo

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MartinB

MartinB

Posted
Posted

Paulo, I have an EM200 with Temma II junior. It worked straight out of the box, calibrates with absolutely no hassle and tracks like a dream. I control mine using Sky 6 and Chuck Ferranda's ascom driver. The EM200 has a little hand paddle for making adjustments to position. I have found this arrangement works very well indeed. I guess it would work in Cartes de Ciel but I'm not sure.

The big problem now for the EM200 is that it looks just like an EQ6 pro but is four times the price!

The EM200 has very little in the way of electronic goodies other than the goto encoders - no goto handset and no PEC. It is a beautiful mount and I've never regretted the silly money I paid for it.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

Posted
Posted

Paulo, I have the same shortlist to add to my EQ sixes here. The Losmandy is really very old fashioned and owners' thoughts on them vary from satisfied to a little unhappy. Tak owners all say the same as Martin. My good friend Tom O'Donoghue swears by his EM200. That would be my choice though the Losmandy carries more weight and is somewhat cheaper. Losmandy really need to modernize their mounts in my view.

Olly

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RobH

RobH

Posted
Posted

I researched this quite extensively this time last year, and was considering a G11, but after talking to several knowledgeable folk, the impression I got was that it is a bit like an old British motorcycle....a great mount but you need to like tinkering with it!

I opted for the CGE in the end, and found it very stable and reliable, with a great polar setup program, although the fact that it stops tracking a couple of degrees after the meridian was a pain, but in the end I was asking a bit much from it weight wise, and took the plunge and got an AP1200.

Cheers

Rob

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paulobao

paulobao

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Thanks all. Yes the AP1200 should be better :-). But for the moment is too much $$$ to me!

What abou the TITAN one?

I really like the Taks.

Initially I was for the new ASA DM60 but...after all those troubles I stopped.

Regards,

paulo

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davew

davew

Posted
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Hi Paulo,

I can’t add too much to what Martin has already said ( have you read his write up from when he bought the mount ? ) but here goes anyway….

I’ve got an EM200 Temma 11 and the Losmandy GM8. I know it’s not what you’re after but it’s very similar.

The Losmandy is very err.. technical in a Victorian kind of way. If you so wished, after a night’s imaging you could hitch it up behind a horse, plough your field, hose it off and then be ready to start imaging again. I always thought that after they’d designed it they discovered they’d not fitted motors so bolted some on the side. The Gemini control panel is not fitted to the mount but the tripod. That’s good as the wiring coming in doesn’t tangle. The coiled wires from the control to the motors may though. Watch them. Make sure the motors have the Alloy covers not the cheap plastic ones and the clutch bolts have the handles on. The GM8 is by far the best visual mount I’ve ever used. Oh and don’t tread on the hand control box. It’s cheap nasty plastic. Don’t know if the latest ones are. The polar scope is ok. Can’t say more than that.

Some people have great results from their G11s. Just look around the net. Some don’t. One thing you can do is fix them if they break. Can you fix a Tak ? I hope so but also hope never to find out.

The Tak I got second hand. It was, dare I say, fairly cheap for what I got. It came with many extras and the metal tripod. This is what I would chose again. The wooden ones aren’t adjustable. It was well used but not abused. In fact very well used. The mount levelling, off setting and polar alignment are a true class act. When I first got it I played around with the “ Extra “ Sky Pocket and Tpoint on the “ Extra “ PDA as you would. On one occasion I actually managed to get the Dec 0* out just using the polar scope. Mind blowingly accurate. The Temma control panel is on the mount. You will have to strap the cables up or they drag around as the mount slews.

One very important tip I was given. If you fit a Losmandy saddle to the Tak, make very sure the bolts aren’t too long. They will damage the head if they are.

I can’t believe I’ve typed this much rubbish. I’m off for a cup of tea then I’ll try and find a photo to show you the tracking.

See you,

Dave.

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davew

davew

Posted
Posted

Hi Paulo me again. Refreshed.

I can’t make any comment about the Titan. No Knowledge. A chap called Laurent ?? from France has posted some very nice stuff with long exposures.

The G11 will take a C 9.25 easily. I’ve read the 11 bit means it was designed with the C11 in mind. True ? Don’t know. The Tak will I assume but I’m not going to say yes as I’ve not tried it.

The attached photo came from a night of hell. Not the mount’s fault but it wouldn’t guide. The guide camera even with an auto dark would not show stars just hot pixels !!

It is from a single Raw, converted, stretched slightly then zoomed in very tight and cropped. It has NOT been messed with ( Star reduction etc.) It was 5 minutes unguided at approx 1500mm fl. All I had done with the mount was polar aligned with the polar scope. Pointing in the area of M81.

Is it perfect ? No. Will it do for me ? Yes. The GM8 wouldn’t do that for 1 minute.

Do I like the Tak ? You could say. Do I like the Losmandy ? Oh yes but not for imaging. I could try and tune it but can’t be bothered now.

Have fun,

Dave.

post-13139-133877428424_thumb.jpg

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davew

davew

Posted
Posted

Hi Paulo,

That picture looks better than it does " In the Raw " so to speak. It must be the effect of how I saved it. There is a drift from top left to bottom right as you look at it. Also the pixels are quite large. It's an old camera design.

Just so you don't think it's better than it is :-)

Dave.

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MartinB

MartinB

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Dave's point about the polar scope was the thing that swung me towards an EM200. At the time I didn't have a permanent set up and was comparing an EM200 with an APmach1GTO. 2 minutes with the EM200 polar scope and you are less than 2 arc secs from the NCP.

I have the wooden tripod and love it. You don't need to worry that you can't level it and it is fantastic at absorbing vibrations.

I have a 10" LX200R (which is heavier than a C11), a guidescope and a QSI532wsg on mine and it is very comfortable. The rating of 16kg given by Tak is for high performance, long focal length imaging.

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NickH

NickH

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We have the HGM Titan in Spain, and to my mind it's a bit of a "tinkery" thing (I wanted the AP too). It's blown a few motors so far, but to be fair, Ninian is resolving these issues for us..

If you're about to spend Tak money, maybe consider the budget ASA DD mount?

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Astroscot2

Astroscot2

Posted
Posted

Hello Paulo, the G11 seems to get a bit of a poke now and again on here, I went from a GM8 which guided very well upto 800mm to a G11 which is coping very well with a heavy Newt @ 1200 mm FL, cameras etc on it and again no issues with the guiding. Its the non goto version with stepper motors and I beleive the Goto version with Servo motors can track better? I think it all comes down to you get what you pay for. The Losmandy is very well build with no plastic or bendy Dec bolts ;-) . good luck with your choice and let us who what you decide.

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davew

davew

Posted
Posted

Hi Mark ( Astroscot ) and Paulo,

I hope I didn't sound as if I was knocking Losmandy mounts. It was a bit tongue in cheak to say you can plough with the thing. Actually, it was slight praise. I've had the GM8 for around 10 years and it works almost as well as it did when I bought it. Again that's praise. The sharp eyed may have noticed that 10 years ago the mounts didn't always come with the decent worm. Mine didn't. The GM11 is not what I've got so can't really comment from personal use. There are however an awful lot of people who have to " adjust " their mounts before they work well. Once done the results speak for themselves more often than not.

So, what if I'd had to pay full price for the Tak ? I wouldn't have been able to afford one. End of. Therefor I wouldn't have been able to use or comment on it. Factor that into my little tale.

As for the ASA ( I'm no coward ) If I read correctly all that's been put out there it seems there aren't too many people who actually know much. Also, if I read correctly, it seems the mount doesn't get on too well with certain telescopes. If the scope flops around internaly the software doesn't cope. Should the mount be thrown in the bin and scorn be poured on it ? No. Sort the software. Academic really. Can't afford one.

Dave

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paulobao

paulobao

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Thanks for the incoming comments.

For what I saw from the OVISION, the G-11 is an excellent mount with their kit.

The Tak should be great.

The ASA....well I spoke yestarday with Optique Unterlinden, the french/European dealer of Taka and now ASA too. The ASA have lots of bugs in the software for now. I think when everything is sorted out (when???) the mount would perform as a champ.

I'm in a "introspective" period about the potential aquisition for a new mount !

Regards,

paulo

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davew

davew

Posted
Posted

Mark. PM sent.

Themos. I think and hope it's a typo :-) It's intersesting to note this is " within 2 arc mins". If you're very lucky it can be some what closer. However the mount can't produce miracles. Set up on soft ground as I have done in the past and it can turn into the goto from hell as the tripod sinks into the mud.

Paulo. Take your time then let us know what you get. What you have now works better in good hands than any mount in the wrong hands.

Dave.

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