|
Gary,
You indicated your CG5 was not up the task you required in terms of PEC and wished to upgrade to a mount with low PEC for high level astrophotography.
You can forget about some of the Chinese crappo mounts that have been recommended. Yep they have the load capacity, thats about all. Low PEC requires a precision mount built under the best quality control. The Chinese mounts aren't quite there yet. Some of them are fine and people produce great images with them, a lot are not so fine. Unfortunately, it's a lottery. With low quality control and poor machining/manufacturing tolerances, the chances of getting a mount that tracks about as accurately as me walking home from the pub on a Friday night after 20 schooners (all over the place) is pretty high. For every one that tracks very accurately there are five that won't track. IMO you can forget about things like the EQ5, EQ6 and the Meade LXD-75 as it's too risky as to getting a dud. Your CG5 is also in this very same class. If you were to go with one of the larger Chinese/Taiwanese mounts, you're only improving the load capacity not improving the quality and PEC correction.
I would be looking for one of the following mounts.
1) The Takahashi EM-200 is an excellent mount which can be retrofitted with Argo Navis or the Temma 2 controller for goto capability. A top grade mount in every respect. There has already been reference to one of these available 2nd hand. Give this a lot of thought, no better mount in this size class.
2) Vixen GP-DX with Sky Sensor 2000. This is an excellent mount with proven low PEC. It can be picked up for between $1,500 and $2,000 2nd hand, including the Sky Sensor 2000 Goto controller. If you can find one, this would be my choice as the best value for money option.
3) Losmandy GM-8 with Gemini. Another excellent mount and ergonomically very user friendly. The older ones didn't have quite as good a PEC as mounts like the GP-DX and the Tak EM-200 but I believe this QC issue was addressed a couple of years ago and those of recent manufacture are excellent.
PS: Do you have the original F5 TV Genesis or the later F5.4 version ? Are you aware the TV Genesis uses some optical tricks and although the scope is F5.4 the doublet operates at F12?
It's a lovely scope BTW
CS and good luck !!
John B
|