[Floyd]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Hi Floyd,

That thread was by me. I did have some teething troubles with my PMX. But I must say Bisque got on it and handled it for me.

Thanks for responding, Greg. Did you find that Bisque responded to you quickly or did they take their time? I'm glad that Bisque got the issue sorted out for you, but I just feel a bit worried because an issue like that should not happen to a $9000 mount.

I see they dropped the price to $7995. That is very competitive.

Indeed. That has what gotten me interested. I had my sights set on AP900's successor, but of course AP hasn't really said when that is going to be announced. I love the PMX's features, it seems like a modern and incredibly capable mount. The AP900, in comparison, just feel a bit dated. No through-the-mount cabling and no USB hub on the saddle. It has also has lesser payload capacity than the PMX. On paper the PMX is no doubt superior.

Would I get one again? Well I love my PME mount, it really is a gem.
PMX so far is not in the same league in that I would regard it as a lovely mount but it may require/may not require some fiddling to make it smooth. I suspect this is all behind SB now as I got one of the first out. Not a good purchasing plan to be the first as the bugs aren't yet full sorted.

It may or not be behind them, the SB forums do show threads with some folks having issues. The PME was legendary and that was the only reason I was considering a PMX (I don't own an ME, but I have read extensively about it and it seems that really was a great mount!).

I think a mature system like AP900 would be tempting next time around but now its working I quite like the PMX. Its very sophisticated and part machine, part software. I think I would especially at $7995. AP900 is more than that isn't it? If it were $9,000 I would lean to pay a tad more and get an AP1200 or whatever their larger unit is now. It would be a bit more but you would be guaranteed 2nd to none performance. AP really is the standard in this hobby. Nobody does it better.

My main concern is that I really need my next mount to last me at least 10 years. I know if I buy the AP900 today it would still be supported a decade later. I would love an AP1600, but it's a bit out of my league and it is also quite large. I need the mount to be portable.

I would get an AP1200 used (that was such a great size, why did AP have to go and discontinue it?!) but buying used also has it's issues. I am in a country with barely any astro gear and if I buy used online the seller usually is a bit concerned as well. Retailers and manufacturers are usually more understanding.

I guess it boils down to: do you folks feel the AP900 is a good value - even if it's replaced this (or next) year? It is, by all accounts, a stable platform on which one can rely on. Remote use is of no concern.