[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Ron, That link you supplied (EQ6) is the same one I have and it is a great mount.

The EQ5 is a tad small if you want to throw a bit of weight on it (and GoTo isn't standard. You have to fit your own if you can find one).

The HEQ5 is somewhere in between the 2 and has GoTo. They are all popular, but for different sized scopes.

Thanks Ken, yes all that you have said corresponds to what I have read around various sites and threads. I think I should have actually named this thread differently, it should have been:

"Clock drives V's Goto"

I am convinced that the mount for me is not an issue, I have a 6" Synta Refractor on the EQ5 mount, and as far as I'm concerned, it is weighted beautifully, it balances perfectly if you play with the counterweights in the beginning of a session.

However I don't like the nature of the clock drives, they seem 'poor' to me, I don't know if I am confusing low battery power for performance, but until Saturday when I can go to Dick Smiths and buy a battery recharger with a built in power meter, I have no way of knowing the state of the batteries.

However if the batteries are okay and the performance of the clock drives is as good as it gets, then I really will think of upgrading to a Goto, even though conventional wisdom dictates that I learn the sky first, the old fashion way.

My dilemma is this, if I want to just replace the clock drives on both axis for a Goto, taking into account the price, will I be smarter in the long run, seeing I intend to get different telescopes as I progress, to get the Goto and better mount all in one go, it will probably work out cheaper that purchased individually.

I know I don't really need it now, but seeing I have a clear picture of the end game, why not work towards that from the start rather than taking the same old intermediate steps that all beginners go through....or is this necessary to teach valuable lessons?

Why is making costly financial mistakes such an important part of learning astronomy? That's what this forum is best at doing, short circuiting those mistakes, making the hobby cheaper generally, so that more people can be encouraged to participate beyond a certain start-up level.

On the surface, from a manufacturers point of view, it's very much an elitist hobby where money is king, this is a bad message to be sent out IMHO. I have as much money as the next bloke, but I don't necessarily like blowing it buying equipment that I will outgrow quickly and consistently.

Ahhhh it's such an intriguing side issue, the astronomy is straightforward, the sky is there, you point and look and wonder. But the peripherals are fraught with danger and many twists and turns, complete with it's own language and idiosyncrasies that could take a lifetime to learn.

This certainly is a wonderfully engrossing and engaging hobby, certainly the last great adventure I will embark on in this lifetime.