HEQ5PRO mount capacity?

[tbentley]

Can anyone tell me the useful capacity of a Skywatcher HEQ5Pro mount? I am looking at a package to get one with an ED80PRO OTA but before I start seriously looking at it I want to know whether the OTA from my 8" f6 dob will be useable with it. I would think I'll only use the 8" for visual observing but you never know.....astrophotography is as good a hole to throw your money down as any other and I believe that it's catching!
Travis

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

Hi Travis, the HEQ5 will sustain your 8" F6 scope without any problems. If you plan to add the ED80 later on down the track, then maybe it is abit overweight for it. an EQ6 should sustain both quite easily.

[Zuts]

Hi Travis,

The problem is you will start imaging with the ED80 and find that you get trailing on longer exposures. This will make you unhappy enough to want to try your hand at guiding. So you will have to put another scope on the mount. Now this could be something as light as a 70mm achro, no problem. But you may wish to image through the Newt and guide through the ED80 then as Ezy says, you may have some problems.

So you should consider the EQ6.

I image through a TV85 80mm scope. This looks absolutely ridiculous on my EQ6 mount which is overkill for this size scope. At least though if i decide i want to put a C9.25 on it and also guide then that is possible.

You can always sell the EQ5, but you should consider where you want to be next year, not next month.

Paul

[tbentley]

Thanks for the advice but I'm afraid you've both given me the exact answer I didn't want. That the HEQ5PRO will do what I want now but probably won't last me too long into the future if I do expand into astrophotography. It makes me very tempted to spend the money now but reluctant to do so. I'm confused.
I'm thinking that if anything I should just get the ED80 and an AZ3 mount as I was only thinking of this setup anyway before I saw I could get a deal. That way I can do some futher thinking/research about what I may want to do in the future so that I don't make any bad decisions.
Perhaps I should just sleep on it a few nights....
Trav

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

Hi Trav, i recalled i was in the same boat as you, whether to get the HEQ5 or EQ6. I went for the EQ6 and never looked back. you can do a search on that post and see other ppl's opinion also.

[citivolus (Ric)]

Don't rule out the used market, you may get a free mount upgrade out of the deal.

[chris lewis]

My new Skywatcher Goto [Skyscan V.3 ] HEQ5 hopefully should arrive today. I went throught he same process - HEQ5 vs. EQ6. The HEQ5 is rated at 30 lbs [13 Kgs] and the EQ6 at 40 lbs [18Kgs]. The lever arm and application has to be taken into account as well. I am mounting a Equinox ED120 on it which is a reasonably light 14 lb [6kgs] so will easliy work with the HEQ5. They weigh 52 lb [24Kgs] and 36 lb [16 Kg ] - although various sites do differ with there specs. My HEQ5 Skyscan is costing me $NZ1700 the EQ6 Skyscan is $NZ2200. To future proof the EQ6 is probably the way to go. For me I picked the lighter weight HEQ5 [ I'm not geting younger ! ] as really this will be my last combo and I will stick with APO's. The only upgrade I may make would be a WO 132 APO which the HEQ5 will easily handle. I will do some some 'basic' AP with the HEQ5 / ED120 but really I am a visual observer.

[tbentley]

Thanks all for the help. I have ordered the ED80 and AZ3 for now, with a view to going the EQ6 as my next big purchase. Don't know how long I can hold off though!
Trav