Goto mount recommendations - Forums

Topic starter

Jun 26, 2022 · Edited: Jun 26, 2022

Hi everyone,

I've been using a Skywatcher alt az goto mount that I think is pretty much designed for visual astronomy. It was all I could afford when I bought it a few years ago and got the job done (exposure times of ~30s). It's tracking has become progressively worse (I guess because of wear on the plastic gears?) And now I can barely track well enough for a 2s exposure at 650mm FL.

I want to upgrade to an eq mount.

1. I've looked at the eq 3 pro and the eq 5 pro and was wondering if there is a really significant difference between the two?

2. There seems to be 2 versions fo the eq 5 pro, the modular and the regular. They're both the same price which I can't understand. One must be better than the other?

3. Am I missing anything? I can't go higher than £700 which is what the eq5s cost.

I have no real considerations beyond getting one that will last. Doesn't need to be really portable or anything and I'm not planning to mount anything particularly huge on it either.

Any feedback or advice is really appreciated!

Engaging

Vin

Jun 26, 2022

My recommendation would be to go for a second-hand belt-modded HEQ5Pro. You should be able to get one in your budget and that will be a better mount, both wrt load & stability, and wrt the belt-modding making for better guided tracking. I was able to get 240s exposures with a 1m long optical train at the very limit of the recommended weight for AP for that mount (10kg) and it would regularly give RMS values in 0.6-1.0 (depending on how windy it was) with nice tight stars. Cheers

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Andy Wray

Jun 26, 2022

I would also recommend a secondhand belt-modded HEQ5 Pro. I've been using one with a 10.7Kg payload (200PDS+filter wheel, autofocusser, coma corrector, cooled mono camera) for some time and it achieves sub 1 arc secs guiding. You should probably check what the original owner has done to it in terms of servicing/bearing maintenance or upgrades to make sure it has been "cared for". I'm about to do a major strip down, clean, regrease and bearing replacement to see if I can get that sub arc sec guiding down to sub 0.5 arc secs.

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matthew.maclean

Jun 26, 2022

1. I've looked at the eq 3 pro and the eq 5 pro and was wondering if there is a really significant difference between the two?

I do not own any of these personally, but I think the main difference between them is the rated payload: 5.5kg for the EQ3, and 9.1kg for the EQ5 (versus 13.7kg for the larger HEQ5 that the others are suggesting you consider). So it's a question of how much equipment you want to put on them, but the general rule is to limit yourself to about half to two-thirds of these ratings.

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Andy Wray

Jun 26, 2022

FWIW: I would sell you my HEQ5 Pro (belt-modded) for £700, but not before I've replaced the bearings and done the clean/re-grease and proved that it can deliver 0.6 arc secs guiding reliably with my kit. I know I need to upgrade to something better, but do not want to sell on something that is sub-par.

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Cristian Arhip

Jun 29, 2022

Hi everyone,

I've been using a Skywatcher alt az goto mount that I think is pretty much designed for visual astronomy. It was all I could afford when I bought it a few years ago and got the job done (exposure times of ~30s). It's tracking has become progressively worse (I guess because of wear on the plastic gears?) And now I can barely track well enough for a 2s exposure at 650mm FL.

I want to upgrade to an eq mount.

1. I've looked at the eq 3 pro and the eq 5 pro and was wondering if there is a really significant difference between the two?

2. There seems to be 2 versions fo the eq 5 pro, the modular and the regular. They're both the same price which I can't understand. One must be better than the other?

3. Am I missing anything? I can't go higher than £700 which is what the eq5s cost.

I have no real considerations beyond getting one that will last. Doesn't need to be really portable or anything and I'm not planning to mount anything particularly huge on it either.

Any feedback or advice is really appreciated!

I recomand you an ExploreScientific iEXOS-100 PMC-Eight. Buy another counterweight and you are rdy to go. The polar alignment is very easy, I use sharpcap. My exposure time is 600 sec and I have round stars all the time.

Jesco

Jun 29, 2022

I agree with the recommendation of an used HEQ5. It's the smallest mount that you may very likely not grow out of.

It doesn't have to be belt-modded, though. First, the mod is easy to install so you can always do that later and second, while the belt improves on many aspects of the performance a a well assembled HEQ5 already works decently enough for almost everything within its capacity envelope. I am not sure if 700$ is enough, though - in my area people ask for 900$ used and 1.3k$ new

That said, an EQ5 will run your 130PDS with no issues. As with all mounts, it will definetely help if you learn to adjust and tune the mechanical innerts of it.

Are you do-it-yourself inclined? If so, get a used manual/non-motorized (!) EQ5 and upgrade it with OnStep. That could put you in business for less than 400$.

Jesco

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matt113d

Topic starter

Aug 5, 2022

Hi all,

Thanks for all the responses!

Just an update, I bought and EQM-35. I needed some portability, I have to carry it around a fair amount. So far, great decision. I plan to get a heavier duty mount when I have a garden to install it in permanently but I highly recommend the EQM-35 if you want relatively light weight and options to reduce the weight further but with a fairly beefy carry weight, this is a great choice in my opinion.

Cheers,

Matt

Andrew Ferrante

Aug 5, 2022

Keeping it simple.

ZWO AM5.

It is light. I can carry the mount and telescope assembled, easily.

I was able to take a 10 minute sub of Andromeda.

It is quiet, fast and easy to setup.

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