If it was me, I'd jump at it.
I found I used my refractor on the old EQ3 all the time because I could carry it outside in one go. When I sold it and got the SCT I found I got outside less than half as much.
I'm so lazy...
Oh, it has a solar filter as well. Hmmm.... (Must put credit card in the freezer)
That looks like a really nice, really portable package with an easy path to photography without breaking the bank or the back
IMHO there's no way you can live with a 12" Lx OTA on a NEQ6pro.
Been there, tried that.....
The tube weighs in a 17.1 kg, and that's before all the dangle dollys.
I sold my 8" and 10" Lx OTA's for a C9.25 (10.1Kg with dovetail) and my 12" Lx for a C11 (12.5Kg)
Depends on the EQ6 I think. My old one handled a 12" meade without much worry at all, as long as it was balanced. Brendan used to image with a big scope on his too from memory.
But then Glen had one though that struggled to get good results with my 9.25, so they are a bit of a pig in a poke.
They are a real lucky dip, but if you were headed to 12" territory and wanted to do more than planetary, I'd only buy one that had a proven track record, it is certainly at the outer limits.
It’s true Peter, it would be a good scope and it’s at a good price but unfortunately it’s not exactly what I want. I just have to wait a little while longer for the right equipment to show up. I do have my heart set on at least a 10” and I would like the goto capability and payload capacity of the NEQ6Pro. The troubling thing to be honest with you though even after all this discussion is I am still undecided. Brain is saying go easy to manage and take the advice I have been given here. Heart is saying you only live once, get a 10” LX200 ACF… talk about break the bank… (and possibly back).
Ken, yeah after reading the thread I saw last night I definitely won’t be going down the path of a 12” scope on a NEQ6Pro mount. Not worth it and I think it would shorten the life span of the mount. That said, some guys on that thread were also saying that a 10” was pushing it?? Bit surprised by that. Some were also saying that while some scopes were lighter than the recommended max payload capacity, long reflectors pushed the mount harder due to the fact that they are long and I guess “back heavy”? I would have thought that counter weights would cancel this issue out?
To do justice to a 12" scope (ie make it actually useable) you're really going to need at least an iOptron45 (will take 45kg scope) or preferably the SkyWatcher NEQ8 when it comes out (one site is taking pre-orders for this), the EQ6 variants are way too puny. The NEQ8 specs look superb IMHO if you have a big scope and are serious about astrophotography; the big question will be the $.
Regarding the 10" LX200 ACF, for a long time I have thought the same - it's compact, it's all there, it all works, and about the biggest/heaviest you can safely lift single- handed (I'm not young either) instead of messing around with DIY stuff.
So, without a 10" LX200 ACF the meantime I stay strictly visual. My weapon of choice would be a 14" f/7 dob with Argo, push-to. If I had more time for astronomy and the weather was better, I would have shelled out for one long ago. OTOH the shi*ty weather in Sydney for the past couple of years has left me with no regrets about spending the $ on a new paraglider instead (I can get airborne most weeks).
Wavy I thought the iOptron45 was a 20kg capacity mount? Otherwise if it is in fact 45kg, for a further $200-$300 I would get one for that extra payload capacity. I read that it’s also lighter than an NEQ6Pro mount so another advantage there for portability.
From what I have been reading, I think while an NEQ8 would be awesome, it would be FAR too heavy for me to move about from location to location.
So on to the Meade 10" LX200 ACF's. That’s what I was thinking, it would be the easiest to carry and is compact and still what I would consider large aperture. Got awesome GOTO capability and a very strong fork mount which could handle more equipment for my future needs. The issue with this is that for astrophotography I would need the wedge. I can’t even begin to imagine how awkward it would be to place the scope with the wedge on the tripod by myself. Anyway I’m thinking way ahead of myself here but need to consider it. Plus at $4699 brand new… the misses won’t be very impressed!
Which brings me to a scope I have been looking at today that might be the smarter option. The Skywatcher 10” f4 Carbon Fibre Newt. Being carbon fibre it would be very light for carrying around to sites as well as for a NEQ6Pro mount. It is a meter long but I think I can live with this as it is relatively cheap. So might just settle for this combo. Just one thing I am unsure on.
Oh mate, if I had a yard I would have a massive dob in a heartbeat. I’d be going straight for the Meade 16” Lightbridge, put some wheels on it and whack in an Argo, away we goooo! But I don’t. I envy you for having a 14” dob! Paragliding huh? Very interesting pastime mate. Bet you wish you could take your dob with you up there above the clouds and seeing! Last nights weather in Sydney annoyed me. Was attempting to do an all night star trail. Battery ended up dying in the 60D after 372 x 30 second images. But yeah clouds came through pretty much the entire time and spoiled it all. Plus the light pollution, the day I get out to a dark sky can’t come soon enough!
Haha no... I don't have a 14" dob, sticking with a 7" Mak. But I recall using a very nice 14" f/7 once at Mt Bowen many years ago, almost as good as using the 16" inside Crago observatory. From time to time toyed with the idea of building one like it. But no.
A 10" newt is still too big for an EQ6 IMHO, I have seen someone try this combo at Katoomba and well... he got a few shots but I suspect the load is well past what is advisable for the wormwheels - remember these are alloy about 50mm diameter and the forces are huge from a 10". Regarding the iOptron45, I was looking at the data form one earlier today and it seems to depend which page you're looking at. Dunno... all i can say is the worm wheels are much bigger than those in the EQ6 so it should support a 10" or 12" scope far better than the EQ6 could.
Haha oh dur, I just reread what you said. Yeah a 14” dob would be awesome. I’ve never seen the view through anything more than my old 12” Starfinder and it was great. Views with larger scopes must be awesome! Actually I lie, I remember seeing Hale Boop a couple months after it was discovered through the 16” Meade LX200 at Sydney Observatory. But I only got like a 15 second glimpse!
Really, you think a 10” newt is too much for the EQ6? Wow ok. I thought it would be more than enough for AP. I need to rethink this then. Maybe whack a SCT on it after all? I think the 45 in the iOptron stands for 45lbs? Just read that on the iOptron website.
Maybe a complete 10" Meade LX200 ACF isnt a crazy idea afterall? Im not too much in a rush for AP and more leaning towards visual for now anyway.
I run both a 10" Newt and a C9.25 (obviously not at the same time! ) on an EQ6 Pro not a problem!
If you are concerned about the longevity of your mount (which I am too, as to me it is the most valuable astro asset I have and I want it to last as long as I can) you can always unlock the decs and push to where you want to image and then track. This will minimise wear from goto slewing!
As always balancing is the key!
Don't take my word for it you can google images with ths kind of set up to see what kind of AP others are doing with the same gear. You could also visit your local club/assoc to speak with others and look through their gear. I guess where it gets interesting from the Newt perspective is imaging when their is a breeze.
Gav, if you could run both OTAs at the same time then I would have a NEQ6Pro by now!
You raise a good point, so I could push the scope along with a NEQ6Pro mount to help it slew to an object without having to reset its GOTO ability?
I have seen countless images and a lot of them are great. If anything I prefer the images from a Newt over an SCT. A lot of people seem to have this match of a 10” Newt on the NEQ6Pro. I have signed up to join the ASNSW, just waiting for them to approve my application so I can pay my membership.
That’s interesting Peter, the C11 is bigger aperture yet could be lighter than the 10" Meade. Celestron a little more efficient in their construction?
Also from watching countless videos on youtube of different scopes and mounts. Is it just me or does the NEQ6Pro sound pretty quiet? I mean its not silent but I think I could use slower slew speeds so its not as loud. I have watched a couple Meade LX200 videos and the amount of noise that that fork mount makes scares me! I really have to take that into consideration as well as I don’t want to piss off my neighbours with this high pitched sound at 3am!
Again, this is something I will have to see for myself. But can anyone confirm if the NEQ6Pro is quieter than a Meade LX200 fork mount? Originally I didn’t think about this but it’s something I really have to take into consideration as I need the noise levels to be very low.
I can only say I've been successfully using a C11 on a NEQ6pro for the last couple of years for spectroscopy with no issues.
I did have a 10" Lx200 - can't remember the actual weight....
The Neq6pro is noisy, like all mounts, when slewing..yes, I do think it's quieter than the ol' Lx200 Classical - I don't know about the newer Meade mounts.
Thanks for your input Ken. The amount of noise the mount makes is worrying me and might be the main deciding factor in the eventual mount I purchase. I mean it is really quiet in the dead of night. I realised this on the weekend when I doing my star trail shots. I could hear the click of my DSLR shutter echoing off a neighbour’s wall which is about 40 feet away. So can’t imagine how loud a mount would be. Again, I think slewing at a slower speed or helping it along towards the target will help.
Jason,
To do justice to a 12" scope (ie make it actually useable) you're really going to need at least an iOptron45 (will take 45kg scope) or preferably the SkyWatcher NEQ8 when it comes out (one site is taking pre-orders for this), the EQ6 variants are way too puny. The NEQ8 specs look superb IMHO if you have a big scope and are serious about astrophotography; the big question will be the $.
G'day Again
Just to make sure you are aware, the iOptron45 is actually 45 lbs this equates to around 20.5 kg's (excluding counterweight). So definitely will not take a 12" Newtonian well.
In relation to giving the mount a helping hand (i.e. push) and then letting it track, I am aware that some of our 12" newt owners on an eq6 mount use this technique. I believe Mike (iceman) may do this and may be able to provide further guidance.
Thanks Gav, nice one. I would like to be able to give it a move along if possible. Rather than waiting for it to slew at a slower, quieter speed to an object.
Went to Bintel today to actually see the NEQ6Pro. Wow is it BIG!! I was really surprised at its size. The guys in there let me pick it up to test its weight as well. It’s heavy. Not exactly something I want to be carrying up and down stairs too often. Before I went I put gym weights on a dumbbell to give me an idea of the weight but it’s just not the same. It’s bulky and not exactly easy to hold. Well at least not in my quick attempt to lift it in store. I’m glad I went into see it in person. I got to hear it too and was happy with the amount of sound coming from the mount. The guys confirmed my thinking that it’s a lot quieter than an LX200 mount which is what I thought.
And gee I have forgotten how big a 10” OTA can be when it’s towering over you. They had one on the G11 mount and it just looked huge!
So with all this in mind and me living in a second story apartment it really got me thinking that this just isn’t going to happen like I planned. I was really seeing all my plans come crumbling down around me as I realised that I have to rethink all this and heed the advice given to me. Otherwise I’m going to fall into that trap of going too big too soon and the stuff just collecting dust. So my options are… Get a HEQ5Pro mount instead and have a 8” Newt on it. That’s if it can carry the OTA plus all the other gear needed for Astrophotography. OR I put the entire AP thing on hold for a couple years and go back to a Dob.
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of going to a Dob. They had the 10” Skywatcher dob there with Synscan (very noisy but relatively quiet at slower slew speeds). It really caught my eye which I didn’t expect to happen. I almost bought it there and then! Its compact and I could easily set it up and pack it away. I could even build a small housing for it and leave it outside when stored in a horizontal position. Maybe this is the smarter option for now considering my living situation. Then after a while building my observational experience back up, I’ll get into AP and get a dedicated scope for it all while keeping a dob for visual use. I really like that idea! Not sure the misses will!
Anyway I am really surprised at today’s outcome, really glad I got to see the mounts/scopes and tested them out as I did not expect to be walking out of there with this complete back flip on everything. But I honestly think I would be doing more visual use than AP at first, hence why I think I should just stick to a dob for the time being.
Went to Bintel today to actually see the NEQ6Pro. Wow is it BIG!! ............. I have to rethink all this and heed the advice given to me. Otherwise I’m going to fall into that trap of going too big too soon and the stuff just collecting dust. So my options are… Get a HEQ5Pro mount instead and have a 8” Newt on it. That’s if it can carry the OTA plus all the other gear needed for Astrophotography..........
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of going to a Dob. ........ I am really surprised at today’s outcome, really glad I got to see the mounts/scopes and tested them out as I did not expect to be walking out of there with this complete back flip on everything. ........
Or you could get one of these:
OTA 5.5kg
mount 8.8kg
tripod 5.5kg
c/weight 5.6kg
canon 50d 1kg
Thanks for the suggestion Matt but I ended up pulling the trigger on Saturday. A little silly of me I know without trying out some scopes first hand in the field. I just could not wait any longer. I had made my mind up on what equipment I wanted based on countless reviews I read, youtube video clips watched and my past experience in the hobby. Also having attended my first ASNSW AIM Meeting last week I saw photos taken with normal camera lenses which confirmed for me that I could do lots of AP without the need for a separate AP scope.
Anyway, I decided that I want to have 2 scopes. One for visual and one dedicated for AP.
So I went out to Bintel for the second week in a row. Left home at about 10am Saturday morning, spoke to the guys there for a while and decided to pull the trigger and make the purchase. Get back home, log into iceinspace… I didn’t want to look at the classies but I did anyway… low and behold, a NEQ6Pro for sale… What did I buy? A NEQ6Pro… While I was making the purchase (approx. 11am) a second hand one became available on here. AND ITS STILL FOR SALE! The timing could not have been any better or should I say worse… Not much I can do about it now. I am more than happy with the gear I have. I gotta laugh at the timing though otherwise I will go insane.
I was really surprised at the weight of the NEQ6Pro as well. In store I carried it with the counter weights and tripod. But once disassembled it’s really not that bad to carry around. I have no trouble carrying it outside with the mount still attached to the tripod (minus counter weights). I kept all the boxes for the mount as well for when going to dark sites.
But that was not the only purchase I made. I also pulled the trigger on a 10” Skywatcher collapsible GOTO Dob. From my first visit to Bintel the week earlier, I was really impressed with its compact size and weight. Having learnt my lesson from my old 12” Meade Starfinder (cardboard tube) I knew what I wanted here and made a small sacrifice with aperture for this light bucket. It is so easy to carry around I’m so stoked that I made this purchase.
So for now I am going to do lots of wide field AP with the NEQ6Pro by mounting my Canon 60D on it. I have 3 lenses that I’m going to use for this. They are my Sigma 8-16mm, Sigma 50mm f1.4 and my Canon 70-200mm IS f4L. At the moment I am leaning towards a 8” GSO Astrograph but that will be months away I think. I have seen the couple that came up for sale this week but the misses wouldn’t be impressed if I continued this spending spree. So I’ll give it a rest for now. I will push my 60D to the limit with my wide field shots and during this time I will hone my AP skills for when the day does come and I take my AP further with a scope and CCD. But having the NEQ6Pro mount now, future proofs me for a larger scope/s down the track.
Attached are some photos of my new gear.
Really gotta thank all who commented here and assisted in my decision making.
Gav, if you could run both OTAs at the same time then I would have a NEQ6Pro by now! 
The timing could not have been any better or should I say worse… Not much I can do about it now. I am more than happy with the gear I have. I gotta laugh at the timing though otherwise I will go insane. 
