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Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:56 pm
by Don Quixote
I have a 10 inch Meade SCT. It weighs 30 lbs.

I am not asking about the economy per se, but pure functionality considerations.
Thank you for any advise you may have.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:20 pm
by Bigzmey
Mark, are you looking for manual or Go-to?

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:23 pm
by Ozman
I wouldn't trust it to an EQ5 class of mount. I would probably look at this one. https://www.highpointscientific.com/tel ... unt-s30300

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 8:42 pm
by Graeme1858
My Celestron CGX mount is supposed to be able to handle 55lbs and it works very well with my 9.25 SCT. Very sturdy, belt driven, good control, fairly easy polar align and goes 20 degrees past the meridan before it flips. Needs a 5A 12V power supply though.

Regards

Graeme

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 pm
by Gulf Coast Guy
Either of those AFAIK have the necessary ASCOM drivers PHD would need to pulse guide. Assuming you have a yen or plans for AP.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:49 pm
by JayTee
Both of those mounts are mainstream mounts and are fully supported by their ASCOM drivers. They both work very well with PHD2.

JT

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:55 pm
by depratnt
I’d suggest a CEM60 with the 60lb payload
Cap. It’s an amazing mount.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:07 am
by Don Quixote
Bigzmey wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:20 pm Mark, are you looking for manual or Go-to?
I am looking for both go-to and manual in this first evaluation. I do believe I want to be able to do AP eventually. This is not the highest priority at this moment but I am thinking I would be foolish not to accommodate this possibility as I make this decision.
At this point I have nothing realistically that would serve well even for good visual with a minimalist motor drive without go-to. When I want to star hop I will probably do this with the kit I now have on hand with smalker glass.

I am thinking that if I want AP in the long term I will need something that will carry at least a 60 lb payload.

I appreciate all of your inputs. I hope this post will fill in some of the blanks in my question.

There are several mounts I have looked at but I will appreciate input from others who have actual experience with this catagory of payload pn specific mounts.

I am by serendipity in posession of this big scope. I want to take the best advantage of my opportunities.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:29 am
by Ozman
Don Quixote wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:07 am
Bigzmey wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:20 pm Mark, are you looking for manual or Go-to?

I am thinking that if I want AP in the long term I will need something that will carry at least a 60 lb payload.
If you're thinking DSO AP with the SCT, then you're probably right. But I wouldn't be thinking of DSO AP with the SCT, I would leave that to a lighter refractor with a much shorter focal length. I would be doing planetary AP with the SCT, but that can be done on a lighter capacity mount.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:44 am
by Don Quixote
Ozman wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:29 am
Don Quixote wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:07 am
Bigzmey wrote: Sun Jun 30, 2019 6:20 pm Mark, are you looking for manual or Go-to?

I am thinking that if I want AP in the long term I will need something that will carry at least a 60 lb payload.
If you're thinking DSO AP with the SCT, then you're probably right. But I wouldn't be thinking of DSO AP with the SCT, I would leave that to a lighter refractor with a much shorter focal length. I would be doing planetary AP with the SCT, but that can be done on a lighter capacity mount.
This is the kind of input I need Oz. Thank you. You have hit the nail on the head. I am aware that DSO AP is not best done with this type of rig. Lunar and planetary would be the prime targets for this rig.
As this is the case would a rig that would accommodate planetary and Lunar with this F10 sct also serve with a fast frac for dso? I am thinking it would, but maybe I do not need as much "heavy" as I am supposing.
I suppose I am looking for a mount that would serve both worlds. Is this possible?
I am thinking I have outstripped my present capacity for this big heavy 10 incher. Am I mistaken in this? Even so...I am not sure I want to rely on the LXD 75. I have been looking at the G11GT. Is this overkill?

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:55 am
by Ozman
That's why I suggested the EQ6-R Pro. It is enough mount for good visual and planetary AP work with the SCT and plenty of mount for a substantial APO or ED refractor for DSO AP including later add ons like a guide scope and autoguider. And on sale now it's less than $1350.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:46 am
by Don Quixote
Ozman wrote: Mon Jul 01, 2019 12:55 am That's why I suggested the EQ6-R Pro. It is enough mount for good visual and planetary AP work with the SCT and plenty of mount for a substantial APO or ED refractor for DSO AP including later add ons like a guide scope and autoguider. And on sale now it's less than $1350.
Sweet. Thank you again !

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:51 am
by Star Rider
If you're not opposed to buying used, check A-mart. I have a CGEM & CGEM-DX, They are fine mounts and can be had for a decent price as the newer mounts are coming on line. Your 10" Meade will ride fine on a CGEM and go to is really nice when your cruising around in the evening. But that's just my opinion .

Clear skies,
Bob

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:10 pm
by DMouse
I started off with an HEQ5pro with an 8 inch Newt on it and that did a very good job. I upgraded to an EQ8 but found it didnt do all I wanted of it, ie track satellites, ISS, and wasnt that reliably accurate. So I bit the bullet and bought a Paramount MX+. I know it is very expensive, but does everything well. Works reliably, quietly and consistently night after night, no issues.
So, thats my mount upgrade story. Good luck with your choice and clear skies

Paul

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 5:20 pm
by Don Quixote
Thank you all again.
And thank you Bob on the used option. I will look into that for sure.
I would love to have a Paramount but it is beyond my reach right now. I have studied them in the past.

Re: Can anyone advise me on a mount

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 6:13 am
by OzEclipse
Hi Mark,
Only just saw this thread. I was travelling when you posted and I wasn't keeping an eye across all the boards.

If you want to do both AP and visual, I'd recommend something like an AZ-EQ class mount. If you can handle the 35lb head of an AZ-EQ6 I'd recommend that.

Jumping into prime focus with a 10" SCT on any mount is a big ask. I'd recommend the same as OZ, that you use the mount for AP with small refractors or wide angle, standard or telephoto camera lenses.

For visual observing, an AZ-EQ 6 GT in ALT-AZ mode is much quicker & easier to set up, no polar align required and then quicker to align for GOTO and eyepiece heights are a bit more comfortable especially if you have a young grandson looking through the scope. The handsets are supposed to work quite well and there is lots of online support. Then on those occasions when you want to do AP, tilt the Polar axis and polar align. There is also the free EQ mod AP software support.

The other thing you should consider is because a mount does last a long time, how you will go handling that mount weight as you get older.


My Takahashi EM200 Mount is basically an EQ 6 but with no AZ and no handset. So while I love the drive precision of the EM200, I have to do an accurate polar align every time, then use Skyfi and Sky Safari to do a one star alignment.

Cheers

Joe