I am in a dilemma with the recent demise of my Celectron AVX mount (it had issues, but I took it out trying to repair it).
With the very helpful nod of my CFO, I am in the market for a nice, reliable economical mount to use with my Explore Scientific ED102 (about 14-15 lbs with guider, camera, and
Of course, with long lead times in some cases, I have found that some mounts are available.
I am looking at two right now. The Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro and the Ioptron GEM28.
I have not heard anything bad about either mounts (contrary to the AVX). The price range of $1250-$1300 is good for me. At 66, I really don't want to drag a heavier mount outside if a mount like I described will get the job done reasonably.
I am not looking for perfection, just good reliability and consistent performance. Some periodic error is acceptable and sounds much better than random high frequency spikes in
Does anyone here have any experience with either mounts?
Thanks a bunch for any comments/advice you can give me!