Over the years, what's your progression of mounts?

[g__day (Matthew)]

I was wondering how people have chosen and walked a path of increasingly capable mounts, what they have learnt, where they are heading next, how they allocate their budget amongst mounts vs OTAs or CCDs etc and what functions or features they most value in a mount?

I'll start with my journey.

Scope 1 - a simple 6" Newt on an eq3 mount, served as an entree
Scope 2 - a five inch MAK on an eq3-2, later added motor drives

bought a CG5 goto mount and moved the MAK to it, moved all of this onto solid wood pier - bit unsturdy, then migrated it to a heavy duty steel pier - super solid

Scope 3 - a 80MM Megrez refractor piggy-backed on the MAK on the CG5
Scope 4 - a C9.25 with the Meg all on the CG5 on the steel pier.

Now I'm happy with this scope walk, but I see the end of my journey may be a C14 and/or a large APO - before or when I retire in a decade or so. So the next step in my plans is a better mount that could eventually handle a C14. This puts me at the top of the mid-range gear (CGE or G11), or the bottom of the high-end range (a Tak or better (financial shudder)). Unfortunately I doubt even the Vixen Atlux could handle my end scope well, so I must think a NJP or EM400, a Titan, a AP 900 GTO or a MI 250 if I wish to buy just one mount platform to support where I think today my OTA journey will end. Otherwise I could two step it to a much less capable or expensive mount, eventually sell it and move to a higher calibre mount only when I really need it.

Decisions, decisions - if I ever get the wealth to do it!

Have others thought this through and worked out what they'd like to be able to do? It seems if you want to go into the aperature arms race - beyond 10" and you're headed for major expense on your mount - especially if astro photography is your goal.

If you had to buy better than a G11 / CGE - what would you get and why (say below a Paramount ME - cause I doubt I'll ever afford that dream without a lottery win)! Secondly would you move directly to your end mount, or two step it by first getting a mount that can handle a C9.25 + 80mm ED for astrophotography, then sell all that when if you could afford a 5" APO and/or a C14 SCT?

Most interested in peoples thoughts!

[74tuc]

For me the decision was easy - EM400 mount to carry a 35KG load - specification on tracking accuracy and low periodic error.

Points to note if considering heavier mounts:

1. The EM400 mount's operation gives cause for concern when manual operation is used in the high speed(24V) mode. The motors are merely started and stopped - starting is fine, the motors "wind up" under full power (slowly because of inertia limiting the acceleration) But when you stop? well that's another matter! The motors stop but the load wants to continue and as a result the whole pier torques - not a good thing for the gears. In the automatic mode the TEMMA-2 system emulates (sort of) a slightly under damped control system and seems to work reasonably well.

2. Ideally the mounts controlling medium loads,(50 - 100KG), should be run with high speed DC servo motors (with in built tachometers) and the pointing critically damped with the appropriate feed back (position & velocity for pointing and acceleration for tracking). Price to buy? I'd hate to think. But this is what I would design for a customer.


Jerry.

[Robert_T]

Hey G-day, I reckon this journey is mainly one of how big your wallet is and how many other competing commitments wants a piece of it's cash.

I would have started with a G-11 if I could justify the cash to the family, but I couldn't... these things, and those above them, are for most of us, seriously large financial outlays. Hence I've ended up with much the same as you... a pier mounted EQ5 to carry a C9.25. Of course as my pursuits are purely planetary imaging I can also get away with a less salubrious mount... but the cost again is realy what's holding me back.

cheers,

[g__day (Matthew)]

I play fun and games in my mind - viewing whatever I buy of good quality I can resell for a decent amount when I need better.

That and I'd rather have debt then die rich!

[matt]

Originally Posted by g__day

I'd rather have debt then die rich!

I have the same fiscal policy!!!

[ving (David)]

umm... wobble-o-tronic, dob, starfinder EQ, soon heq5....

[Octane (Humayun)]

Ian,

My first scope was the Meade LX90 LNT, bought in December last year.

I then added an ED80 into the mix.

I've just sold the LX90, and only just today ordered the Losmandy G-11 with Gemini.

I am a happy man, at least until the Paramount ME and a 12.5" RCOS become a financial reality.

Regards,
Humayun

[Striker (Tony)]

8"Dob - Meade LX200 fork mount - EQ6 with skyscan - Losmandy G11 with gemini.

Next will be paramount ME or max robotics but dont tell the wife...lol
That will be some years away.

[gbeal]

Vixen SP, then a GM8, then a G-11, then Tak EM200, and now an AP600E. (I basically have taken lessons from Striker, LOL).
All were good, but as you get bigger scopes, more stuff to hang on it, plus your expectations go up, you seem to want better, which means more cost.
As a comparison, I have a scope which cost about US$300 to build, and the mount cost way over 10 times that. Maybe the ratio is a bit slanted in the mount direction, but................

[Harb]

Dunno what the latest will be, but I can tell you at 11 years old , I burried a railway sleeper in the standing up position and then drilled 3 holes in the top and hammered my tasco 3 leggerd tripod into it.........never did get it back out when we moved!!

[foehammer]

Started of on a table top for my 40mm (dont laugh)
Then an alt-az for my 50mm..
EQ-2 for the 4"
and now a busted CG5-GT for the 8" ...

[jase (Jason)]

Interesting thread... I've gone from a GP-DX to a Titan. Considerable leap in both capacity and capabilities. Due the possibility of moving OS for a few years, I'll probably downsize to a G-11, AP600 or EM-200 for some portable imaging in the northern hemisphere. No intentions to sell the Titan yet - may set it up for robotic operations while OS. If I stay in AU, then will probably invest into some quality optics to match the Titan's abilities. The humble C11 seems a waste on such a mount.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Started out 22 years ago with an EQ mount I made from Galvanised pipes, T pieces and elbows to hold my home made 4.25 reflector. I learnt how to make this mount from a very old book called 'Telescope Making'.

20 years later I progressed (regressed?) to my GS 12' Dobsonian with chipboard base, then 12 months later thanks to Bert I obtained the Monster EQ I have now.

And in a few weeks time I get my HEQ5 Pro with V.3 Synscan.

[Don Pensack]

GEM, no drive 1963-1970 4.25" Newtonian
GEM, clock drive 1970-1972 4" refractor
Alt-Az (photo tripod) large binos 1977-1985
EQ, no drive 1982-1985 4" SCT
GEM no drive 1985-1986 5" newtonian
EQ, no drive 1985-1989 90mm Mak
Alt-Az, electric drive 1989-1992 90mm Binos
GEM, clock drive 1986-1992 6" newtonian
GEM, clock drive, 1992-1993 6" newtonian
Alt-Az (Fork), computerized GoTo 1993-2004 8" SCT
GEM, clock drive 1997-2004 5" Mak
Alt-Az (Sky Window), binos 2003-now 80mm Binos
Alt-Az (Dobsonian), with digital setting circles 2004-now 12.5" Newtonian
GEM, computerized GoTo 2004-now 5" Mak