Hi Robz,
Quote:
Originally Posted by robz
So, for planetary viewing at occasional high power (depending on seeing and/or weather), the MEADE 12 INCH LX2OO OTA with a star diagonal with a chunky eyepeice and maybe a small findersope or Telrad, mounted on the EQ6 PRO should be fine?
Am I correct in the assuming this ? 
Cheers,
Rob.  |
From my experience with this mount, for visual observing I think you will be fine mass-wise -- so I'd answer that your assumption is correct.
As others have already tentatively suggested, I'd venture that your expectations as to the degree of "stability" this mount provides may be a substantial part of the problem -- ie you are expecting too much.
Virtually any mount will show some vibrations and wobble when the 'scope is touched, bumped, breathed on or focused etc. If you are prepared to spend 10x what the EQ6 cost new, you will probably halve the wiggly tendency. If vibrations etc damp out in a second or so after touching etc, then that is the most you can reasonably expect for a mount without spending substantial five-figure sums. What surface are you using it on? This can have an effect. Are you using vibration suppressing pads under the feet of the mount (cheap and work pretty well)?
The EQ6 really is an excellent mount for the money and is very hard to beat in the price range. Remember, moderate or high magnifications greatly magnify even the most minute movements in the mount/'scope. For visual use, I think it will carry a 12" Schmidt-Cassegrainian with a heavy ep and usual bibs and bobs quite acceptably (in my books anyway).
Imaging is a different bucket of fish. Others have already offered the correct advice here (but I'll re-iterate here for completeness) -- this weight when you add a set of rings, guidescope, imaging device etc etc etc would be very close to the engineering design limit of 20kg, if not over. The long focal length the 12" Schmidt-Cassegrainian has also complicates things very considerably. The EQ6 is a capable if not good imaging mount (outstanding for the price), but I'd be whacking no more than about 12-odd kg on it all up -- preferably less than that. As Houghy said, it will perform in a perfectly acceptable fashion with a fast (say f/4.5) 8" Newtonian, & guidescope etc etc for imaging.
Best,
Les D