[DarkKnight (Kev)]

I bought an HEQ5 from an eBay seller, Adventure Products Universal, who seem to be a subsidiary of Tasco Australia, the Australian Sky Watcher distributor. Now you would think that they would get it right. Hmmm !

It was advertised as: "NEW: NEVER USED Xedemo, box has been opened. Yhis is a stock item which we had on display in our shop which has since closed.” (sic)

The concluding sentence in the description read: "The saxon HEQ5 Mount with TRipod can be upgraded to a computerised SynScan system by simply changing the hand control to SynScan hand control." (sic)
Huh ??The Sky Watcherdistributor selling Saxon products ?

The description indicated that it had to be a SynTrek model with Stepper motors, upgrade-able to SynScan GoTo with just a handset change.

Well the mount arrived, eventually, and initial inspection showed that it was far from 'New: Never Used'.

The 'illuminated' polar scope wasn't illuminated, it had some sort of texta type mark on the reticle, and was missing the engraving of Sigma Octans.

I removed the motor control cover and there were no stepper motors, just the basic RA and DEC motors, so only upgrade-able with the full kit, about $650.00, as opposed to $220.00 for the handset upgrade. Oh, and the East/West slew at 1x didn't seem to work.

After much stuffing around the mount was returned and I was refunded, including the return freight.

To say I was disappointed with Tasco's attitude to their mistake would be an understatement.

I'm in no way suggesting that there was any impropriety on the part of Tasco, rather a procession of ineptitude.

So back to the internet. I came across a vanilla EQ6 at the right price and did the deal.

It arrived yesterday and I excitedly un-boxed it, first the brand-new shiny white tripod with stainless steel legs, then the brand-new shiny black mount. Huh? Shouldn't they be the same colour? Oh poop, here we go again I thought.

I was initially rather peeved about this but then I decided that the white tripod feet would be a hell of a lot more visible in the dark than the black ones and anyway the black, white and stainless steel looked rather smart together.

Oh and the package was missing the counterweights, one mounting plate lock knob and any instructions.

At this point in time conspiracy theories were starting to formulate in my tired old brain. 'Is there anybody out there' was turning into 'who out there doesn't want their photo taken' ?

I phoned the seller and no problems, will send me the missing weights and the lock knob, and I've downloaded the appropriate manual.

I started the process to buy a mount the first week in July, and it looks like being the first week in September before I'll be able to use it. To say I'm getting a bit frustrated would be a classic understatement.