Hi Mike - For visual I did say as a start
(hey and you never said how you first mounted the 12" on your EQ6 pre getting the custome rings)
From what I understand isn't eyepeice orientation an issue for any newt matched with a GEM and the issue is just made slightly (OK maybe hugely
) worse due to the size of the 12" OTA? How many off the shelf type newt gem combos are there? so it can't be that bad (or are there a heap of annoyed newt gem folks?). I reckon the rotating tube idea looks pretty good and from what I read makes the experiance much, much better so looks good to me. Even if it is a PITA isn't the eyepeice orientation only an issue if you are gonna be slewing to opposite ends of the sky loking at this that and the other whereas for me, visually, the benefit of the mount is to track because I certainly thought it was a PITA (on the DOB base) to manually keep repositioning to keep stuff at high mag in the eye peice. So thats a start.
Later I will look at observing in realtime at a screen as opposed to the eyepeice and then I suppose I can go to town with goto
as the EP won't be an issue and I certainly want to have a go at astro photography etc.
Early days and thanks for your input
If the EQ6 comes a 13" dovetail plate when ever I get it I should be able to make a frame that will allow the scope to be mounted (seen a a few designs that should be easy enough to knock up) and then I can have a play and take it from there.