[johngwheeler (John)]

I'm narrowing down my choices for a reasonably heavy-duty AZ mount that can competently hold an 8" f/5 Newtonian - and possibly handle a 10" f/5 as well.

On Cloudy Nights, the DSV-3 seems to be frequently recommended, and I'm pretty sure this will be fine for the 8" scope because the previous owner (Hi Morton!) has a DSV-3. I reckon this would come to around $2000 to import it from the US (with the encoders), after GST, shipping and sourcing a local tripod.

I'm also looking at the new Losmandy AZ-8, although the price I've seen at Bintel ($1649 + $549 for the encoders), seems pretty steep compared to US prices.

More recently, I've read good things about the Japanese T-Rex mount, that also compares favourably the DSV-3 and DiscMounts DM-6. It seems to be better value for us here in Australia than in the US, although would still be $300 more than the AZ-8.

Does anyone have any experience with one or more of these mounts, and could you share your thoughts on my short list?

Thanks!

John