EQ5 or 6

[Terry B]

Dear All
I have a Vixen GP mount with a SS2000PC that is very accurate but I am overloading the mount. I am looking at the option of upgrading it. Is it possible to use the motors and SS2000 on the EQ or HEQ mounts? (what is the difference anyway with the "H")

[iceman]

HEQ5 is just a "Heavy" version of the EQ5. It has thicker legs and more load capacity. The EQ6 is bigger again. Both can have skyscan v3.0.

I can't answer your question about the SS2000PC though, sorry.

[KG8]

If you shop around a bit you will find the EQ6 Pro mount "the white one" on sale for under $2000 at the moment. That's complete with skyscan. Almost as cheap as the Heq5!

[Sgtfretsurfer]

wow! Where have u seen them that cheap?? i was under the impression that an EQ6 with skyscan was around 2800.

[Astroman]

I seem to remember someone modding the EQ6 with a SS2000 unit, but it would mean a modification to the motors etc.. Although the Synscan is an okay unit you will not get the complete accuracy of the SS2000. Might be better off saving more and getting a G11 with Gemini for accuracy or how does the Sphinx compare to the GP mount, in terms of load capacity? Might be an easier solution? Just some throw ideas..

[danielsun]

Wow that's cheap !!! I also shopped around and seen the EQ6 for around 2800 which was too much for me so i just last week ordered the HEQ5 pro.

[DeanoNZL]

Hi all,
NVT in Perth have very sharp prices.
Worth checking out. I did, very pleased.:thumbsup:

Regards

Adrian

[Harpspitfire]

i have a super polaris i can get if i wanted it, but the SSK2 doesnt like ascom- id forget about the vixen go-to stuff unless you get into the new spinx mounts- as far as the EQ5/6- the '6' would be a better choice, even that has smaller tripod legs and a counterweight bar then the mid sized ASGT mount- when i contacted skywatcher, they told me the EQ6 and Pro series are the exact same mount- only thing different on the Pro series is fancy knobs and white paint- so i would say the EQ6 (pro or standard) is the best capacity synta mount- though not the best choice for AP- reason i say the 6 over the 5, heres a link comparing the ASGT and HEQ5 mount http://telescope-service.com/mounts/start/mountsstart.html#ADMComp

[Sgtfretsurfer]

Where/what is NVT? i thought the only telescope shop in perth was btow

[Stephen65]

http://www.nvt.com.au/

[KG8]

sorry about the delay in reply. BTW in Perth had that price but the guys here in the gold coast had it too so I bought local. tasco had a special on so all distributors should have had that price but not all distributors will pass on a savings. the 2 Brisbane shops had it at $2800 and $3000 respectively and wouldn't be talked down. It's a great mount and if you want to get the most out of it join the yahoo EQ6 group and raid all their files and photos on the subject. There are a lot of simple (for the mechanically minded) tweaks that you can perform to improve performance, like tightening the worms up etc.


Some critical points.

1/ The squarish pin that locates the mount on the tripod head comes ex-factory in a position between the legs. A second hole for it, in line with a single leg, will offer more stability and if you have a lot of weight on top it is suggested you unscrew it and place it there. The consequences of not could be seeing the mount tip over as you lift the OTA off while the counterweights are still attached. If you have the pin between the legs then next time you put it together see how stable it feels with the OTA off.

2/ Don't over tighten the tripod lower leg bolts. The aluminum is not that thick and you can dent it ( I did ) I was lucky, it was a mild dent and the lower tube does not jam in the upper tube.

3/ It's smart to put a bolt ( or clamp) into the bottom of the dovetail, near the mount head. So in the case that you don't properly tighten the dovetail one busy night, it will only slip back an inch or so and jam on the bolt head, not slide right out and dump your OTA, (2 inch dielectric diagonal first) into the concrete!!!

4/ The power plug that connects into the control board is always the right outside diameter but usually not the right inside diameter. The plug usually needs to be replaced with a coaxial plug that has a smaller inside diameter. You can verify if you have this issue by either (a)wiggling the plug, or (b) waiting until your in the process of showing your friends some impressive object in deep space only to have the mount go dead as the plug falls out. Then you can give them a 10 minute re-alignment demonstration.

[Merlin66]

I recently bought a s/h HEQ5Pro, with GOTO V2.04 SkyScan controller. Very impressed with the general finish and quietness of the motors; used the ST4 for guiding and also connected it remotely to The Sky V6 and AstroPlanner V 1.5.8 ( a GREAT software package... well worth considering!!!) works very well for me; I'm machining an adaptor plate to allow the ED80 and the 6" Comet Seeker to be mounted side by side. Looking good so far; only wish you could easily upgrade to the V3.xx firmware.