I wish I had held off buying my HEQ5 mount back in February as the EQ6-R looks far superior plus I would have enough payload capacity to increase from my existing 6” to 8” or 10” in the future
The HEQ5 is definitely basic entry level - you pay for what you get , but it’s got me started and I’m capturing some good images in Sydney and down at Narrawallee
My next step is auto guiding later in the year to increase my exposure time from 90 sec at best before star trailing to + 5 minutes
I'm sorry Martin, but what you are saying is just not right. The HEQ5 will
do everything you need it to. It will easily carry an 8", and some people here
use it successfully with a 10." Both it and the NEQ6 are conservatively rated.
The only practical advantage the 6R has, as far as imaging is concerned is belt drive which will give slightly smoother guiding. It will , of course, carry a heavier scope than the HEQ5, such as a 12". The HEQ5 is no more an entry level mount than the NEQ6 or the 6R, they are all basically the same design, and use the same GOTO system with minor differences. All three mounts are entry level, along with the similar level mounts from Celestron, and Ioptron.
"You pay for what you get" is just not right, the HEQ5, NEQ6, and the 6R
are all the same quality, just different load ratings, and a couple of extra features in the case of the 6R.
raymo
Maybe I should have clarified what I meant by “pay for what you get”
I was looking at a EQ6-R the other week and the adjusting hardware ( Az Alt bolts, tripod leg adjusters , clutches , spreader shaft rod etc etc ) appears much improved purely from an engineering point of view from that of my HEQ5 mount
The added handle on the mount head is also a big plus and of course the belt drive with backlash minimised
I was advised also not to load any goto EQ mount to more than 60 to 70% of its rated payload capacity which in the case of the HEQ5 would be around 9 to 10 kg. I couldn’t imagine dropping a 10” newt f4 or f5 with all imaging and guiding gear etc on a HEQ5 especially on moderately windy night. Maybe I’m totally wrong ?
The HEQ5 has 1.75” tripod legs the EQ6-R has 2” tripod legs ( surely the latter far more stable for the same size scope and payload )
Hi Martin, As I said, the 5 and 6 will carry more than their rated load quite
happily. I used my HEQ5 Pro and 8" f/5 Newt rig for seven yrs with no weight related issues. Admittedly the altitude adjusting mechanism is a bit
agricultural, but I always put a bit of upward pressure on the underside of
the bottom counterweight with my left hand when increasing the altitude,
and never had a problem. My imaging payload varied between 10.5 and 11kg. Around 75% of rated payload seems to have been the accepted norm
for a while now, but many people work above that guideline,including me.
For visual work there is even one person I know who has a 12" f/4 on
his HEQ5. The limiting factor is not the structure of the mount, but the
power of the motors.
Newts are quite obviously sails, and an 8" will vibrate in a moderate wind whether on an HEQ5 or the heavier 6 or 6R.
You would need an EQ8 to come close to eliminating the vibrations.
You can improve all three mounts by using a set of anti vibration pads
under the tripod legs. In my case I am biased toward the 5 where possible
because being an octogenarian I find the extra weight of the 6 a pain in
the derriere.
raymo
Hi Peter
Brilliant image!
Amazing what can be imaged on a 85mm refractor.
I envy you for actually seeing the emu!
I recon we've had 2-3 clear nights in the last month.
First my back went in march when it was really clear
Then the burn offs started
And now forestry are clearing 24 hours a day about 1 km away
Its like living in a city again.
Ive got my Heq5 ready
My back is really good
Ive picked up my Newts from Yorke Peninsula
And then the cloud came!!
I cant even see Jupiter for more than a minute or two.
At least i cant get my fix on images like yours
Cheers
Andy
Ben, All imaging conditions being equal, you can get as much from an 80mm
scope as a 240mm one, just the resolution won't be as good, and you will
need an exposure nine time as long.
raymo
Chris, why don't you take a small light tripod and a DSLR and a tiny
tracker like my Sightron nano tracker? The whole lot weighs less than two kgs.
raymo
