Losmandy GM8 vs EQ6-r?

[Lognic04 (Logan)]

Hi all,
i am looking to upgrade my CGEM mount to a more modern/reliable mount. The Eq6r and GM8 are both within the same price and weight capacity, but i know the GM8 will have a better tracking accuracy. What do you guys think?

[Logieberra (Logan)]

From one Logan to another - do NOT get a GM8 if you intend on imaging... Can you squeeze into an EQ8?

[Lognic04 (Logan)]

Huh, ok. At the moment now skywatcher is the only brand with a good track record!!!
If I found a used eq8 maybe!

[Logieberra (Logan)]

Originally Posted by Lognic04

Huh, ok. At the moment now skywatcher is the only brand with a good track record!!!
If I found a used eq8 maybe!

I had a solid, reliable NEQ6 Pro. Sold it to “upgrade” into a G11 Gemini 2. It was a poor choice. I went into an MX from there and was happy as. I don’t know how much more “bang” you will get moving from a CGEM to other mounts around that same price range/class. What’s wrong with the CGEM? The jump into the next league of mounts (AP/SB etc) may not be possible by the sounds of things which is a tough one...

[Lognic04 (Logan)]

The cgem has been really unreliable, parts failing, guiding not good enough for my setup, Dec unresponsive etc.
No, not for the next 20 years probably

[phomer (Paul)]

Logan,


It depends on what you want to do with it. The Losmandy GM8 is reasonable for visual or imaging with a lightweight scope and it is quite portable. If imaging is important then I would opt for the G11, there have been some significant improvements in the last few years and the older G11's are upgradable to the latest features if required.


Paul

[xelasnave]

The eq6 has belt drive I think which may help with dec issues...
I was looking at one when at Bintel and they look nice and has a carry handle☺
Alex

[Atmos (Colin)]

EQ6-R, do it!

[xelasnave]

Logan I expect getting a new mount may be a way off so may I suggest be more positive about your current mount, negative vibes wont have it on side☺ ...and do what you can to make it work...stuff falling off is never a problem after a rebuild...try racing something and stuff falls off unless you expect it and prevent it.

Have you pulled it down and "blue printed" it.

Clean everything good grease or as I like no grease and a lite oil which needs more pulls downs but I think has it working better...polish the gears try different adjustements for gear meshing...
You are a clever young man and all I suggest is that you accept the challenge the mount offers and see how you can make it better...
Good luck.
Alex

[xelasnave]

After you beat it you can add to your list...Expert servicer of mounts☺
Alex

[ChrisV (Chris)]

I'm with Alex on the cgem. And I find cleaning and regreasing my mount quite therapeutic. I did it only last week. And last night got the best guiding I've ever had with it - 0.7"rms! That might not seem great to many - but for me it was like wow !!! And good enough for my scopes to get nice round stars

[xelasnave]

Also Logan....
Try getting it to work as best as without auto guide.
I found way back that my mount would perform excellent in particular orientations and so I worked in those area...anyways going without auto guide may help you get the most out of your mount...and then auto guide should not come into things as much...anyways another croud fund appeal could be started☺
Alex

[Lognic04 (Logan)]

Hi Alex,
I pulled apart my mount once, only down to the Dec axis anyways. Now I think about it I think guiding had gotten worse because of grease wearing down or something?
Ra I think could use a regrease!
I was also considering making an 8 inch F2.8 astrograph for very widefield views or even the 6 f3 could be converted to an astrograph someday to muck around with
I wonder if I could solve the cgem gearing issues by making a diy system like someone I saw here.
Hehe Alex I see sidereal trading has a new friction mount being advertised

[xelasnave]

So you have had a go that is good.
Think of things this way...when designed the engineer usually is happy that his design will work great...however little inaccuracies creep in...a grain of dust or fleck of paint gets between two surfaces or the bolts are not all tightened to the exact tension causing stress bias ... there are many things...

You may have heard the term "port and polish" ...that is where you align the manifolds of an engine so there is no step between the two that disrupts mixture flow and polishing in that context is removing any little bumps of metal in the system so fuel mixture flows perfectly. But all you are doing is making the unit exactly the way the designer planned.

You can have a similar approach to your mount.

Just cleaning is often a huge step..new grease so there can be no little bits of dust in it that may cause problems.

As I said I use a lite oil in the belief I get a slight improvement.
When my eq6 was running well in the old days it managed unguided rather well...so if you have the mount as good as it can be auto guiding has less to do ... I mean the idea should be to not teally need auto guide ...its involvement should be minimal.

Look at all surfaces and you notice "high" spots ..you zand or polish these to have all surfaces in contact...look at each part and wonder how you can improve it...there is a saying that ro get 100% better you just have to do 100 things 1% better☺ that is not exactly correct as overall you are only 1% better however that approach pays off.
The problem does not go away just because you buy a new mount.
When you buy a race bike (I recall my motocross days here) you run it in for 15 minutes then pull out the piston examine it polish the high spots run it again 15 minutes do another pull down and polish...then align the ports polish the inside, align the the crank case perfectly etc etc and safty wire nuts etc etc...the bike becomes so much better.
I purchased a new heq5 ...it needs a pull down.
So I suggest you work on the basis that whatever mount you buy you need to be able to work on it to get all you can put of it...so why not do a serious job on your current mount..pull it down. ..clean everything find high spots ask if the gears are meshing perfect...
And do it many times so it becomes a hour or less job...by having tools dedicated and set aside for that job...even dedicated power driven allen keys that you leave the one key in...
I am about to set up such for my old eq6 and for dun see how fast I can pull it down and assemble it...
Perhaps you are a little fearful of it at the moment and it is a little mysterious but you can beat it...
I am looking into the prospect of fitting a motorised gyroscope on one of my mounts...they have gyro camera and binnocular stabalisers and one could think such a thing on a scope may be a help.
Anyways gyroscopes are most interesting things..U think it stays in the same orientation to space as the world turns such that after 24 hours it is where you started...I am not sure but if so it may mean one would need no gears just the gyro☺
Anyways the pulling down of the mount and thinking what you can do to improve it will be very helpful.
Perfectuon bias is something I try and manage and hide by presenting as a very casual inexact person but unfortunately it is the way I really am but if you adopt the approach with your mount that everything must be perfect you not only see how you can make it better but perhaps design a better mount.
Alex

[xelasnave]

If it hace got worse the adjustement for gear meshing probably is off..too tight or too slack is not good enough...
Alex

[xelasnave]

And, sorry to rattle on but I would like to help you,....
Pulling it down is probably intimidating..understand that and develop "self talk" to overcome that...
Think about all the incredible things you have achieved and realise you are as good as anyone ...I often say to myself "well if a factory worker can put it together then I can pull it apart and put it back together...my message is be confident and set aside a specific ammount of time and do it☺
Alex

[Lognic04 (Logan)]

Thanks Alex!!!
I want to take it apart now! ��
Clear for the next 3 days though, so it will be a weekend project
Hmm, what to do with the 80gb of data I hope to produce?!?!