I have a Tak EM200 Temma 2 mount and leaving aside the mechanical capabilities of the Tak mounts in general, here are some issues you should consider:
- The EM200 does not have any PEC capability.
- The EM200 hand controller is a basic motor control unit; Up, Down, Left, Right.
- To implement GoTo you either need a notebook computer, a PDA running e.g. TheSky Pocket Edition or the expensive and limited functionality Tak hand controller.
There are some annoying quirks about the EM200 as follows:
- You have to press and hold Button S1 at power up to switch to S Hemisphere mode; if you forget, it tracks as if in the N Hemisphere.
- When auto guiding, you need to flip the motor speed switch from H to N so that auto guiding occurs at tracking speed. When you forget and have it set to H, the auto guider calibration makes the mount take off at high speeds (x700 slew speed).
General comments:
- Takahashi manuals and instructions are appalling given the cost of their equipment. Very little information and poorly translated.
- Pegasus 21 seems quite competent and looks like it will do a good job, although I use The Sky as my telescope control application.
- The EM200 seems very dated in terms of the electronic/computer interface and capabilities when I compare it to my (10 year old) Vixen Skysensor 2000.
- Changing the guide rate via the hand controller requires you to press and hold one switch whilst pressing another switch repeatedly for each x0.1 change; that is, it is a physical implementation, not via software unless you attach a computer.
The above points have generally covered specific limitations I have encountered with the EM200 and when listed in sequence like this, can look quite damming. I’m sure the G11 and other mounts would generate a similar list so please bear that in mind.
Overall, if Vixen had kept their Atlux and Skysensor 2000 combo product line alive or if the Astro Physics Mach 1 mount had been available at the time of making my decision, I would have purchased one of those simply due to their more advanced electronics, documentation and support.
The EM200 has a superb Polar Alignment ‘Scope.
Cheers
Dennis