SW Mounts -Alphabet soup

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

The numbering of SW EQ mounts is a maze.....
Numbers/ letters all over the place!
The best I can glean from the alphabet soup is:



-R = Refined (!) includes belt drive and encoders, as well as the USB (EQDir) port



-Rh = as above but with the Renshaw "Home" encoders.



Az- = Belt drive and encoders

[Startrek (Martin)]

Ken

Agreed !

Thanks I’m not the only one who’s been scratching my head ( even though I use Skywatcher mounts )

Answer - Skywatcher brand aka Synta Optical (Chinese checkers)

R - I have two EQ6-R Pro mounts 2017 version has no USB port and 2019 version has a USB port and both are belt driven on both axis

Looking through the Skywatcher Australian 2019 catalog book I’m only making an assumption on the model coding

AZ - Azimuth

AZGT - Azimuth Goto

e - encoders and wifi
i - wifi

ST - steel tripod

H - Homing sensors

Model numbering on Equatorial mounts is not uniform across all their marketing media
EQ3 Aluminium tripod
EQ5 Aluminium tripod
EQ35
EQ55
EQ35GT
HEQ5 Pro Dual
NEQ6 Pro
EQ6-R Pro
EQ8-R Pro
EQ8-RH

Looking at the SW 2019 catalog, the SW 2020 website and Bintel’s website the numbering systems particularly on the EQ mounts is totally messed up or not updated to accurately reflect each model. You don’t even know if a model is still available??
A real mess !!!

Now Saxon are selling a rebadged ( not relabelled ) SW HEQ5 mount


Martin

PS : I’m waiting for them to make a EQ7-R pro mount with say 32 to 35kg payload capacity , the EQ8- R is to much of of jump from their 20 and 22kg rated EQ6-R and AZEQ6 mounts

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Very difficult!!
EQ3
EQ5
EQ5pro
AZ-EQ5
EQ35
HEQ5pro
EQ6?

AZ-EQ6
NEQ6pro
EQ6-R
EQ8
EQ8-R
EQ8-Rh

[jahnpahwa (JP)]

I think theyre just trying to get the sequence obvious, which I think it pretty much is?



The 35 is between 3 and 5 in size/capacity. The 5 is before 6, the 8 sits on top of all.
EQ is equatorial, az is alt az. H = heroic


The rest is up to us, I guess.



The azgti definitely has encoders, too... not sure what the e and i stand for on those.