RA DEC motors V Goto

[PeterEde]

$700 for goto upgrade compared to couple hundred for motors and controller.
Will I miss the goto if I've never used it. Will the motor drives allow me to use and autoguider?
Obviously means I need to get really good at polar aligning

[dannat]

some drive hand contoller's have a guide port, others don't

I dot think youll miss goto - moving by hand is quicker than slewing

[LewisM]

TO be honest, after being spoiled with GOTO, I have totally forgotten setting circles.

I really reckon GOTO makes life quick and easy - lazy, yes, but painless.

[PeterEde]

Motors on the way
I'll change out later for Goto or when I next upgrade my scope

[LewisM]

Not sure where you were thinking of buying the GOTO kit, but when I accidentally once got an EQ3 kit (meant to be an EQ5 kit), it cost me $375 with postage from Brisbane. The darned Synscan hand controller is almost that! ($299 separately).

[PeterEde]

Every where I looked at goto upgrade kit they were $700.
dual motor was $250 delivered. Better to get to know the sky ;)

[alocky]

My personal preference when visual observing is to star hop, that's half the fun for me, and when I image I've always been able to use the setting circles to drop an object on the chip. However, only once I started trying to get my setup to run unattended all night did I need goto, plate solving, and good acquisition software.
Cheers
Andrew.

[PeterEde]

I see that time coming too Andrew.
But in the mean time a few minutes at a time is ok for me. Still have to perfect polar alignment and find my way around the sky. Learn to use the setting circles too would be helpful.

I managed 10 seconds of tracking so far and a single shot is far better for those few 10 secs. Can't wait to get 20-30 or more

[brian nordstrom]

:)like Lewis says GOTO is so easy , painless only after you master it , a steep learning curve , but like a few here have said. I like the hunt so I sold an awesome Ioptron IEQ45 with excellent goto and now use my non goto HEQ5 , but that is me :thumbsup:.
Brian.

[MrB]

If the motors are steppers, you can add GOTO later with an AstroEQ controller and a laptop running EQMOD. This isn't as neat and tidy as a hand controller, but functions the same. It also has autoguiding.
http://www.astroeq.co.uk/about.php

Will work with any EQ mount with steppers, not just the Skywatcher mounts.
Approx. $150 plus freight for an assembled and tested unit, or you can DIY.

[PeterEde]

Thanks Simon. I'll look into that later

[raymo]

I'm curious Brian; I thought the HEQ5 had always been a Go To mount.
raymo

[Steffen]

Only the HEQ5 Pro has, the HEQ5 is just motorised but can be upgraded with a GOTO kit (Synscan hand controller, and motor upgrades(?)).

Cheers
Steffen.

[raymo]

Silly Me. Thanks Steffen.
raymo