Neq6

[morls]

Hi,
I'm looking at options to upgrade my mount. Requirements are go-to and capacity around 18-20kg. No real interest in photography.
Current front-runner is a Saxon NEQ6 for $1700. A couple of questions:

1 - Is there anything else that compares in this price range?
2 - Are there any significant issues with the NEQ6 (visual only)?

Cheers
Stephen

[Merlin66]

Stephen,
I've been using the SW NEQ6Pro for almost ten years. I think you'll find few (if any) comparable mounts in this price range...

I have mine loaded up with a C11, spectroscope four cameras and five c'weights:eyepop:
No issues, no drama it just does it's job.

[AndyG]

'Said it before, and I'll say it again. Love that 8bit Nintendo controller :D

[morls]

That's a great setup Ken! I think I can safely assume an NEQ6 would be up to the task...

[Merlin66]

Thanks!:D
It works well for the BoF users, rather than a full games controller......;)

[traveller]

EQ6 is a proven performer and will carry 20kgs for visual without problems.
The alternative is the old Celestron CGEM mount.
As you probably know, the EQ6 is being replaced by AZEQ6 and CGM by CGX.
Hope that helps!
Bo

[Loupy31]

And are very well suited to mods:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[morls]

Thanks everyone, sounds like an NEQ6 is the way to go.

Stephen

[morls]

Hi again,
Does the gear ratio make a difference, for example if I wish to do some imaging in a few years' time?
NEQ6 ratio = 705
EQ6R ratio = 720
I'm not sure what these figures imply or how they impact performance/compatability with other gear...

[Wavytone]

That isn’t a significant difference. Gear ratios are to some extent constrained by the available machine tools to cut the teeth vs the ratios afforded by gears or toothed belt drives, and the steps/rev of the motor.

A 3:2 or 2:1 ratio is another matter

[morls]

cheers

[morls]

Well, I've put down a deposit on the Saxon NEQ6. At $1700 it seems to have the best bang-for-buck, and with a likely price rise around the corner it seems a good time to plonk some money down.
Cheers

[Wavytone]

Stephen the factor that most strongly influences the stiffness of an EQ mount (and payload) is the diameter of the worm wheels - not the number of teeth. But its not the only deciding factor.

When I started in astro the rule of thumb was that to be any good for AP, the worm wheel had to be as large as the aperture of the scope, and you will still see that with observatory scopes as well as the ring-gear inside the base of Celestron and Meade fork mounts.

The cost of big mounts is what really pushed the move to fast truss newtonians back in the 1990s - a shorter lighter OTA meant you could get by with a much lighter flimsy mount, and with auto-guiding becoming cheap enough for amateurs, even smaller mounts, which brings us to the present situation where rather puny mounts with 60-80mm worm wheels can carry 11" scopes.

Other factors include:
- the way the worm driving the worm wheel is mounted, this is a point of weakness;
- the way the worm engages the worm wheel - a fixed arrangement (Skywatcher, Losmandy) allows backlash, whereas the iOptron arrangement in their iEQ45 and CEM60 (magnetic loading) has no backlash but has a risk of damaging the teeth on the worm wheel;
- the stiffness (or lack of it) in the tripod, and
- availability (or lack of it) of local support if anything goes wrong.

[Bugsy06]

Love my neq6 pro
Would absolutely recommend it.
Great value for money

[morls]

Cheers Nick and Bugsy.


Of course, I meant a Saxon NEQ6 Pro...

[Ukastronomer]

MY next purchase

https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/sky-watcher-az-eq6-goto-mount.html

[morls]

Hi Jeremy,
I considered the AZEQ6, but at $800 more than the NEQ6 Pro it was hard to justify. Looks great though...
Stephen

[morls]

Thinking about the power supply for the NEQ6 Pro...at my archery club we have a portable timing system that runs at 12VDC, and we use this as a power supply:


https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-Rechargeable-Battery-Car-Jumper-Pack-Starter-900amp-Air-Compressor-Pres/322478641108?epid=739153306&hash=item4b15398fd4:g:lXQAAOSwBK5av Sf5:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true


Any reason why this wouldn't work for the mount?

[Karlzburg]

I use something similar from supercheap for my NEQ6 pro, works well and is fine all night.