EQ6 vs NEQ6 vs... well... EQ6

[TheCrazedLog]

Hey all:

I'm currently window shopping around for a new scope. It'll probably be some months before I actually get it as I still have a fair bit to learn.

Could someone please explain to me the differences here?

First:
https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=7350
To my mind: Big mother of a scope, tell it where to go and it goes there. The bees knees of affordable scopes. I like this one. It is singing and dancing in front of me holding a 'buy me!' sign.

Second:
https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=7348
Same as above, but older model, can't accept corrections from a guider. Thinking bad.

Third:
http://www.yorkoptical.com.au/Produc...ee3%2cUnitCost

Same as above but no dec motor (is this a bad thing? do I need a dec motor or can I get away with a RA motor?). Why is it so much more expensive while being less capable?

http://www.yorkoptical.com.au/Produc...ee3%2cUnitCost

Same as the first, except black (thats good!) and a whole lot more expensive. Why?

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-co...tm#accessories

Have to look for the EQ6Pro (search for that on the page, its the first match thats a pure mount). Looks very similar to the first, but slighty more expensive.


I suppose I should explain further my goals. I am testing whether I'd like to get into photography. I've enjoyed my visual viewing with a 10" dob and would like to start to move into photography. I'm not going all out, setting myself a budget of 3 grand. I figure I should spend up on the mount because that will make or break the thing. There is potential I would mount my dob to use for photos, so I thought I'd buy the biggest baddest meanest mount around.

What am I going to mount on it? I don't know. ED80. Mak 127 or 150. 10'' dob. I figure i buy this, I don't need to buy a mount again (until it breaks or until I crash the plane I'm carrying it in while flying out west).

Do I want GOTO? I'll take it, but if it means I can save 400 bucks out of a scope, goodbye GOTO. Working in IT, I have a very cynical approach to anything which claims to make my life easier.

On this note, I have seen some bad rumblings about the SynScan that comes with the goto. Whats it like?

Thanks!

[Moon (James)]

The EQ6 Pro is normally white. But you can upgrade a normal black EQ6 to be the same as a Pro (except the color or course). Dealers sometimes do this because they receive many scope + mount packages, but sell the scope and the mount separately. An upgraded back EQ6 is usually cheaper than a white one, even though it's the same thing.

As you mentioned, the Pro has a guide port, different hand controller and stepper motors.

Get the NEQ6PRO and an ED80 then set yourself up with EQMOD. Easy.

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

I'd go with the EQ6PRO (white). To be honest, get it from Bintel - they are an official reseller and get warranty direct from Tasco Australia (the official distributor). Andrews is $100 cheaper, but I'm wary on their warranty support to be honest, I've heard some horror stories. The extra $100 is a good investment. I got my EQ6PRO from Andrews, but back then, Bintel was like $700 dearer. I wish I'd waited 3 more months, because Bintel dropped their price to very close to Andrews. I also thought that Andrews was an official reseller at the time of purchase and didn't realise until afterwards that it wasn't. I have nothing against Andrews btw, I've had excellent support from Lee & Luke and their prices are very competitive.

I'd go the EQ6PRO version as well - the addition of a guiding port is important imho, as well as having GOTO. There are 2 axis on German Equatorial mounts - RA & DEC. The standard EQ6 only has a motor for RA axis I believe, nothing for DEC. Having motors in both axis is better imho for making tracking adjustments etc. GOTO is great - once your mount is accurately polar aligned, you can train it to improve pointing accuracy and it's nice to know a faint item is centered in your frame when you're about to take an image.

Yes, you could get the standard EQ6 and upgrade the motors etc, and it'll be a bit cheaper than the full on EQ6PRO version, but why bother? Why make life harder for yourself? I'd rather pay a few extra $ and get the full on version straight out to be honest. It saves time, figuring out how to do it all, etc. And the white version of this mount is far sexier than the black one imho.

Dave

PS this is not the biggest baddest meanest mount around. It's an entry level mount. Try checking out some of Takahashi's mounts, or Astro-Physiks awesome mounts (AP900, AP1200, AP3600), or even a Paramount ME. Far more larger, bigger loads and far more costlier, not to mention far more accurate in both pointing and tracking.

[TheCrazedLog]

Ok so the NEQ6Pro from Bintel at 2,099 with EQMod is the way to go. Dave what I meant was it was the biggest baddest mount that us mere mortals can afford . But is there any reason that York is so much more expensive? Is there something different about their mount or is it just that they are simply more expensive? Thanks Anthony

[Moon (James)]

There is nothing to stop you shopping around for price, ring them and ask if the price is negotiable. For this piece of equipment however, the warranty is important.

(By the way I also recommend to get the Pro, I edited my post to fix it.)

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Well as a user of a 10" Skywatcher Dob on a EQ6Pro mount i can tell you a few things.

the accuracy is great. when you make sure your polar aligned your accuracy is unbeliveable to the point i can put a object such as Antenna Galaxies in the middle of a canon 40d from the other side of the sky.

Your 10" will happily hold a 10"dob and a ed80 with no worries!

IMHO i use eqmod and use the pulse guide though that so the guide port is just another thing on the mount unless you have a auto guider it means diddly squat as your guiding pulses can be monitored though eqmod (eqmod is just a software that has telescope drivers that interfaces the PC to the Mount)

The main thing with the EQ6's is to make sure they are 100% polar aligned, the better you do this the more accurate they get!