EQ6-R or GEM45 - Forums

Hi guys!

Which one to choose between these two mounts, EQ6-R or GEM45 ?

Both have a working capacity of 20 kg (44 lbs), but the EQ6-R weighs 17.3 kg without tripod and counterweights while the GEM45 weighs only 7.2 kg without tripod and counterweights.
There's also ca 400 € difference in price between them, where SW is cheaper.

What's your experiences of these two, pros / cons ?

Hi Miska,

I have SW EQ6-R Pro. Never used any other equatorial mount. So, I can only share my impressions with it and can't comapre with any other.

I've used my mount for almost a year now. It never failed me. Always worked as I expected it to. If I do proper polar aligment, I will get sub arc second tracking accuracy consistently. Also, it is very quiet. I can use it at night without worrying about bothering neighbors.

I could point out only two points of caution:
1. It is a very heavy machine. Built like a tank. Fully assembled on a tripod with both counterweights, it tops 40 kilos. Not easy to move around even without a telescope attached. But, once you put the telescope on top, it is sooo heavy, it won't budge even in pretty strong winds. Which is a good thing after all, I suppose.
2. Latitude adjustment knob could have been designed better. I replaced it with a custom made one and it has become slightly more comfortable to use.

GEM45 appears to have better machining and ergonomics, which would explain the price premium. I am sure it is a very good mount. But Skywatcher also makes excellent ones.

Clear skies!

D

Somewhat related, so I hope it helps.

I started with an HEQ5 and was going to upgrade to an EQ6-R Pro, but I decided on a CEM (70) instead. Without going into that, I did want to share some rough thoughts about the SW vs iO mounts based on my subjective impressions.

The weight and bulk - my CEM, even though it supports more, is far easier to move around. This impacts my ability to set it up and tear it down quickly, which I appreciate.
The iOpteron software is - meh. It felt like the SW mount had a better setup process with both the ASIAir and NINA.
iOpteron left out a part in my tripod, which was sad, but also fixed it really quickly!
I feel like my CEM is easier to balance, which is nice since I do it in the dark.
The SW mounts are less expensive, which is really nice.
My CEM is about as loud as my belt-modded HEQ5.
I needed additional weight(s) for my CEM. Not a big deal, but a separate purchase.

All-in-all, I am glad I got the CEM over the SW mount. In my case, I got a larger mount because I figured I'd use it, eventually, and did not want to buy a new mount in the future.

Cheers guys with the information, although it didn't make me any smarter in any way nor did it help me choose!

I'm still thinking.
Sure, the SW has 2" tripod, while the iO has only 1.75", but I won't be loading more than a RC8 on it, maybe a max of an 8" EdgeHD some day in the future, but as an average it will be around 50% of its capacity that's going to be used.

I'm actually concerned quite a lot about the total weight. I'm not a bodybuilder of any kind and I don't look like Schwarzenegger does today, all sloppy and the muscles hanging around like on an old lady with her t***ies down by the knees.

But still, weight matters, at least for me.
40 kilo (kg) is a lot of weight to be honest, especially if not using a stationary pier.

Anything else that I need to think about?

Clear skies my friends!

I have the Literoc supporting my CEM70 with about 40lb on it; the tripod and mount are both fairly solid.

SW tripod:

Better adjustment knobs
Worse feet
Bulky

iO tripod:

The adjustment handles are (more) annoying
The feet are much better and easier to setup
Less bulky (easier to move)

I have the GEM45. I wanted to be mobile, have to set it up each time I want to use it. So the weight and easiness of handling was very important to me. My first mount (except for the iOptron SkyGuider, which was working very good as well with the limitations a Mini-Tracker has…). Up to now, no regrets. I learnt very quickly to set it up, install and run on NINA. It runs very smooth. One belt had an issue right from the beginning, but iOptron sent me a replacement belt and since then no issues (I had good support from iOptron). The iPolar is great, easy to pole align (add the PoleMaster to the EQ6 and the price difference is not so big anymore). 10min to 15min subs - no issues (I use the MGEN-3 for guiding and the WO ZS61, so not a big and heavy scope, but the mount allows me to "grow"). 1.75" tripod - no problems at all for my set-up. Plate-solve works well in NINA, but still some issues with Meridian flip (which might be me…).

I believe that you cannot go wrong with either of the two mounts. But in my case, I wanted to have a light-weight mount, not thinking of "should I set it up now and lift +17kg around for a few hours of imaging?"

I cannot comment on the EQ6-R just yet. A friend bought one and we plan to set it up shortly. Looking forward comparing the two mounts.

@Rob Kiefer thanks for your reply.
Sounds interesting what you told me and that thing with the belt, that's no issue with me. I would get a replacement for free in no time, no need to mention it to iOptron either if it happened.
So you get 10-15 min subs? Damn, my longest is 5 minutes with an iOptron SkyTracker V2 back in the days, but that was with a tele lens of 85mm and not a ZS61 or RC8.

Yeah, noticed that the mount has an iPolar along with the Literoc 1.75" tripod and a hard case, which is a big plus for me because I don't want to spend extra costs on equipment.

My only problem is my location where I live.
Living in an apartment building and in a Bortle 9 class area isn't something to hurray for, but I can travel to Bortle 3-4 class areas with vast open spaces if I so need to. And here's when the weight comes in. I want to be mobile and die while trying to move my gear, lol..

Let me know how it goes with your friend's EQ6-R Pro and which one is better by your opinion.

Everyone has their own opinions and products they rather have, and I respect that.
I just want something that's easy to carry and use.

@Miska Saarikko I think you have a perfect answer. Since you must restrict the weight of the set up, I can easily recommend not to by the Skywatcher. It is a very heavy machine. So heavy that it may discourage you from using it, especially if you need to travel to the shooting sites. The best astrogear is the one that gets used the most ;) Go fo iOptron. They are regarded as better quality mounts anyway. If your budget allows, you may even considering an Avalon or something Japanese-made, like Vixen or Takahashi with wooden tripods. But those are really precise-engineered professional grade items with huge price premiums.

There is the possibility to buy or make a little off road cart for transportation. As long as it fits in your car, you’re good to go.

Thanks guys!

Yup, really considering the iOptron right now.

I'll post some pictures once I get all my gear.
Already own a matching OSC for the system; Player One Neptune-M.

Clear skies!

One additional thing I'll throw out - if you are going the GEM route, you might also consider the NUC edition. It's really handy to have the PC right near the scope, at least for me.

Though, it does require a slim NUC; if you do not have one, they are hard to find right now. There is also a 19/12v difference. If any of that is interesting, let me know.

James Malone:
One additional thing I'll throw out - if you are going the GEM route, you might also consider the NUC edition. It's really handy to have the PC right near the scope, at least for me.

Though, it does require a slim NUC; if you do not have one, they are hard to find right now. There is also a 19/12v difference. If any of that is interesting, let me know.

I was thinking of getting an ASIAIR Plus or equilevant.
Why a NUC of all machines, if I may ask? What's so good with them?

I'm considering of getting my stuff from AstroArt-Store.com in case if you wonder.
Apparently they are really good according to a review I accidentally saw on the web; https://ioastro.com/eu-astronomy-online-stores/

I think you'd be totally fine with an ASIAIR; if you're traveling to remote sites, it may be easier anyway,

I started with an ASIAIR and, eventually, got annoyed with some of the limitations. For example, I wanted different gain settings for different filters; I wanted a Telegram bot to notify me when something failed, so I could fix it; I wanted to polar align when I could not see within 60 degrees of Polaris. All of those were things I could not do with the ASIAIR. Not deal breakers, but they did start to feel annoying. I am also wary of the lock-in approach ASI seems to be taking, especially as I try other gear (Pegasus Astro) and really like it.

I moved to the NUC + NINA because it offered more flexibility. For example, I can use the new 3 point polar alignment with NINA and polar align even when there's (literally) a wall blocking my view of the North sky.

I live in a Bortle 8/9 city (Seattle, WA, USA) and my main use case is setting my mount up and then going to bed. I wanted something with the highest level of customization and reliability.

That said, my small scope has an ASIAIR on it because it's super easy to set up when I travel somewhere.

@James Malone oh you live in Seattle? I know people there.

Thanks for your reply. Very interesting to see what benefits there are with the NUC vs ASIAIR.
I need to think more about this solution since I happen to live the most corky way you can possible imagine, by having windows towards East (Northeast/Southeast) and West (Northwest/Southwest), but no clear sight to North and South directly.

But when it comes to travel it would be great to have a system that runs flawless without issues and is easy to set up.
I've heard the ASIAIR requires a clean wifi connection to operate properly!?

So you get 10-15 min subs? Damn, my longest is 5 minutes with an iOptron SkyTracker V2 back in the days, but that was with a tele lens of 85mm and not a ZS61 or RC8.

With the SkyTracker plus MGEN-3 and ZS61 I got 4min, sometimes to max 5min. But then Polar Alignment had to be very good. At the end, I spent a lot of time just finding/aligning the targets, then redo the polar and re-align target etc... At the end too frustrating and time consuming and I upgraded to the GEM45. Now, I am not looking back! But I understand very well where you are at the moment.

Yes, once I got into the EQ6-R I will let you know.

But when it comes to travel it would be great to have a system that runs flawless without issues and is easy to set up.
I've heard the ASIAIR requires a clean wifi connection to operate properly!?

It's super easy to set up and it generates its own WiFi network, so you connect to it. It doesn't require an internet connection, unless you want to update it. If you travel somewhere and plug it in, you can connect to it on your phone and get started right away.

I'd caution, the wifi range for the older models was pretty bad. I just got the new one with an external antenna and have yet to try it out.

I have just started using my EQ6-R Pro only a handful of times now. I have been using a Losmandy G-11 for years. I went with the EQ6 because the head is lighter and - by the way, it has a built in handle - it's easier to handle plus the tripod is lighter. I'm over 70 years old and have no problem handling the EQ6. After a few uses, I have had great success with subs. I just started shooting with a Canon EOS 70D astro-modified and for example, last night I was able to shoot for over 2 hours of 35 second unguided frames that are perfect. I can't wait to process tonight. I had a short learning curve for the mount and camera, but I have no complaints. I'm sure you do fine in what ever choice you make!!!
When I'm in my home state, I have to travel to 2 different remote sites; one 45 minutes away and the other site 2 hours, so I'm enjoying the easier setup and reduced time to start shooting.

At a star party last weekend, there was a herd of us operating EQ6Rs plus one person operating an iEQ45 and swearing at it all weekend. She said the iEQ was nearly inoperable when she bought it new. The bearings needed to be reworked, and she found lots of internal parts were rusted. Also lots of rough, uncut edges which she had to file down. I and a friend also operated iOptron cem25 and zeq25 and had endless problems with those. In the 4 years I've owned my zeq25, I have replaced 2 motor boards, one motor, and the main board in three separate repair transactions exceeding the price I paid for the mount (used). I hope that iOptron puts more care into their higher end mounts. I've heard only good things about cem60/70 and up, so maybe that's true, but the company has lost my trust.

Meanwhile I'm happy lugging my EQ6R up and down my steep driveway several times a week. I'm no body builder either (I'm 165 lbs), but it's manageable. Easy to take on the road as well. The EQ6R performs well night after night, and I can't recommend it enough.

Ryan Kinnett:
he said the iEQ was nearly inoperable when she bought it new.

The software is garbage, IMO. The mount is awesome, but the iO software is really bad. I made the mistake of buying a mount in the past with iPolar - it's so much easier to align about any other way.

No experience with the SW mount, but I've been imaging with the GEM45 for about a year now with good results. I run about 25 lbs on the mount with the 1.75" tripod and it's pretty solid. Guiding accuracy averages probably around 0.7" for me. iPolar and Commander work fine for me, and NINA and PHD2 have no trouble controlling the mount. I think the iPolar camera is pretty easy to use and works well. I only spend a couple minutes on polar alignment and get excellent alignment. I chose this mount partly because of its relatively light weight--I'm 60 years old and have to carry this thing around.

No mount is perfect, and I've tweaked the gear meshing and whatnot on my GEM45 once in a while. Overall I've been happy with it. I'm a satisfied iOptron user.

Here's a recent image using my GEM45 mount:

The Triangulum Galaxy (M33)

I use to have SW HEQ5 and needed more payload. Was in similar dilemma. Decided to go CEM70G route. Do I regret ? No. CEM70 is lighter for the same payload. Has much better cable management , GPS, home position search, etc. I have a feeling it is more modern and better built than SW mounts. iPolar is there and one can quickly an easy polar align, but there are more accurate ways to polar align than iPolar (like Sharpcap or NINA 3 points) .
Some people mentioned iOptron software. I don not know is it bad or good, as in fact , it is just a process that runs in background (in my case) and never makes any problems.
I am using NINA and Sharpcap for planetary.
If I would buying it now, perhaps it wouldn't be G version of CEM70.

Let me just put my 2 cents here. I dont have the experience with EQ6R-Pro, but have been using the GEM45 for around 4 months now. Very impressed with the performance. I load a Skywatcher 10'' Quartto Carbon Version on it. And the total system is around 15kg, 75% of the capacity. With OAG, the guiding is between 0.5-0.8RMS. I would say I am quite happy woth this little mount!

I used an EQ6-R pro for years and it was fantastic. Once I got everything balanced well and cables under control I could regularly get guiding total RMS around 0.7 - 0.8”, sometimes less. I used it with both a small refractor and then later with an 8” Newtonian. Both did great. I sold it to a friend when I upgraded to a mount with more weight capacity and it is still performing great for him. It is indeed somewhat heavy, as others have pointed out, though it never posed a problem to me, and I had to move it every time I wanted to image. Don’t think you can go wrong with either mount, though: good luck!

I can only share my experience with EQ6-r.

I've had it for 2 years, never had any problems, on good seeing nights I can get 0.2-0.3 arc.sec.

A total weight of 8 kg on top of it. Flawless ;)

I had 2 EQ6, they performed great. Sold them and got a pair of GEM45 to save on weight because I image in the field. I find both GEM perform slightly better. Mostly due to having virtually no backlash so they setting faster. Built in polar scope is very nice as well. At the end of the day though if you don't need your rig to be mobile I see no reason to pay extra for the GEM45. You'll be happy with either so really it comes down to how much weight you're willing to lug around.