Jennifer, you have focused the problem perfectly. Just it is my solution! Later i go to my dome and I take some images. The logical configuration for a german equatorial mount is that the center of gravity is located in the center of the vertical leveling of the mount, and in consecuence in the center of the tripod or column. But I see this solutions only in a old mounts, as the EQ Meade DS16, or Parks mounts. Why? I´m sure that is a strategy of market: Small mounts for small houses with optical polar finder for easy position and a lot of electronics for an easy tracking. I not sure that a EQ6 need a polar finder, and I´m absolutly sure that a EQ8 NOT need it! Somebody is thinking in a EQ8 as portable mount? No polar finder will allow more rigid axis... and cheaper mount.
Meanwhile, the EQ8 is my target mount for my C14, but is too priced for my unemployed spanish pocket (anybody need a experienced mechanical engineer?
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