EQ mount

[Stardust]

Hi Guys

I'm using an 85mm refractor on a vixen porta mount, which is great for grab and go. However some tracking would be easier for extended viewing and maybe a dabble in photography, but what's the best way to go. I don't want a heavy massive mount so I thought about a driven eq3-2 or an eq5. Go-to would be nice but I'd rather have a decent mount than a cheap computer that causes me nothing but frustration. What do you recommend, or not as the case maybe??

thanks

DAve

[GordonCopestake]

An eq3-2 is more than enough for a 85mm refractor. However should you upgrade to something larger then the eq3-2 might be a little small. An eq5 is a nice mount and not that larger than the eq3-2. An alternative if you want goto is the celestron CG5 but be warned it's noisy! If you want lightweight however you can perhaps consider the 102SLT which is a 4" refractor on a goto mount that can just about carry it hehe

[Stardust]

Thanks for you thoughts, I'll have to keep my eyes open and see what turns up in the classifieds. A driven eq5 might be more suited to what I have in mind for the future.

thanks

DAve

[lunator]

Dave

I have 2 driven EQ5's.

They are a good solid tripod and can be picked up cheaply 2nd hand.

Mine can cope with an 8" f6 Newt so you would have plenty of options to upgrade your scope.

Cheers

Ian

[Greg]

I think an EQ5 would be a better investment than an EQ3..

I have an EQ3 and an HEQ5 needless to say the EQ3 doesn't come out much..

Greg

[blinky]

I have an EQ5 and although I have never had any other mounts, it seems pretty solid and copes with my 8" Newt no problems. I have got motor drives on both axes and just a rough point north seems to stop things drifting (Well for a short time, like a few minutes). I think you can also upgrade the EQ5 to full GoTo but the cost seems to be around £400

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I'm not sure that the EQ5 is goto upgradeable, the HEQ5 definitely is, but thats a much bigger mount. Maybe Gneiss could sort something out, I seem to remember he was selling budget goto mounts a while ago?

Captain Chaos

[blinky]

I thought the diffrence was that the HEQ5 was goto and the non H mount was just standard?

[FLO]

The HEQ5 is larger/tougher with better gear/bearings (essentially a scaled down version of the EQ6).

It can also support a greater load.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=heq5

[russ]

Skyscan is supposed to be on the way for the EQ5 and the EQ3. I had an EQ5 for years and then briefly, had an EQ3. For me the EQ5 is only a small step up the ladder from the EQ3. The step up from EQ5 to HEQ5 is a bigger step. And the step up to EQ6 is huge.

The EQ5 is a good mount though and worked really with the 120 refractor and Skymax 127. Wasn't so happy with the Skywatcher 8" Newt though. The image danced around the screen while trying to image the planets. That's what made me go for the EQ6. But if you are not into imaging the EQ5 is fine with an 8".

Before considering a new EQ5, it's worth noting that by the time you add the dual drives the EQ5 is not that cheap. Certainly worth the extra for the HEQ5. Plus the HEQ5 is a much neater mount. The drives are nicely packed away inside the mount and there's no mass of cables just waiting to be broken.

Regards

Russ

[FLO]

Who is selling a HEQ5 for £360?

[blinky]

Is there a way to distinguish the EQ5 and the HEQ5? I am just wondering as I have got one of the 2 and would be interested to know what one it is in case I want to add GoTo.

[FLO]

EQ5: http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=eq5

HEQ5: http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=heq5

The HEQ5 comes with built-in motors; the EQ5 does not.

Hope that helps.

[GordonCopestake]

The EQ5 is a Vixen GP clone, the HEQ5 is a Takahashi EM200 clone. I know which I'd rather have

[GazOC]

The EM200?

[russ]

Steve, i removed the link to the £360 jobby, I noticed you had posted a link to FLO.

But just for reference Perseu in Portugal sell the HEQ5 for €545 (£360). That includes Tax but not delivery.

http://www.perseu.pt/index.html?lang=en-us

Regards

Russ

[FLO]

PORTUGAL!

[russ]

All European Union, easy as pie. Just like buying in the UK and Rui the owner is a helpful chap.

Russ

[Stardust]

All helpful stuff and as funds are, I've just picked up an EQ3 with dual drives for £99, I figured it's worth a go and I shouldn't loose much if I decide to upgrade later.

cheers

DAve

[GordonCopestake]

Thats a good price. The only problem I have with the EQ3-2's is that they dont have a dovetail saddle. But thats not too much of an issue i guess. Bern was saying that they are updating them to have saddles

[Ant]

I bought my heq5 from perseu. They are cheap, till you add the shipping - it cost me just under £100 to get it over here.

So that pushes the cost up to £460. Suddenly not that cheap!

I had both EQ3 and EQ5 for a while... IMO the eq3 was a better smoother mount than the EQ5 but didn't have the weight carrying ability.

Ant

[GordonCopestake]

I had a vixen GP, a fantastic mount, runs circles around the EQ5. Not that much more expensive either. Plus as the EQ5 is a clone of the GP all the motors fit both.

[Stardust]

is it possible to retrofit a dovetail saddle, if so where would I find one?

DAve

[GordonCopestake]

I think baader sell one, but im not 100% sure

[Stardust]

Thanks Gordon

had a look at that, nice, but it looks like Arthur might be able to help me out

cheers

DAve