Is It Any Good? | Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Review
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- In this video I'll be explaining and reviewing what I like and dislike about the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro. A computerized Go-To Equatorial Mount that has gained some decent attention since its release.
I'll be talking about the specs of this mount, the cost, good and bad things, all with the end goal of having you leave much more informed and educated about this telescope mount in case you're looking to purchase.
Links:
Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro: bit.ly/2RCrcY9
Polemaster: bit.ly/36loLNI
Recommended Power Supply: bit.ly/2UVDEnz
PSU Adapter Cable: bit.ly/2Hw9uzd
Website: astrofarsography.com/reviews/...
==== Equipment ====
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro: bit.ly/2RCrcY9
Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro: bit.ly/2L1hyKn
Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED Pro: bit.ly/2qTd55L
Evostar 80ED Field Flattener: bit.ly/2Uuv7qV
Astro Essentials Mini Guide Scope: bit.ly/2S8Y2yn
ZWO ASI 120mm Guide Camera: bit.ly/31j7kfl
Baader Narrowband Filters: bit.ly/2Us7xvA
Astronomik 12nm Ha Filter: bit.ly/305POdZ
Rowan Belt Mod Kit: bit.ly/2DMW6EZ
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are in use. If you buy through these links then (at no extra cost to you) I get a few pennies :)
==== Contact ====
astrofarsography@gmail.com
www.astrofarsography.com
/ astroruz
/ astrofarsography
/ astrofarsography
==== Music ====
Savfk - Ultra
Original music by Savfk ( / savfkmusic savfkmusic)
Track: Sparks
Artist: Chael
/ sparks - Věda a technologie
*Chrome Users* It seems this video is having troubles playing. It could take a while to load. If that's the case please try a different browser :)
Also tried Mozilla and Opera and same...
Thanks for letting me know. I really do not know what is going on then :( it's just this video in particular
Delete and re-upload it may help
I've had my eye on this mount but I have to wait around 2 weeks for restock.. Your review came across perfectly and very clear thank you.
Excellent mount, I never had any problems with it.
Yeah same. Once I got a good power supply it was just steady sailing. Great purchase
@@AstroFarsography I recently purchased a Lead gel battery 12V / 100 Ah.
I'm thinking off getting it . I was going for CEM 60 might get this
Great review! I’ve enjoyed the smaller HEQ5 pro this year but will be looking for that next mount in 2021 as I upgrade to a mid-size refractor. Lots of folks (see Chuck’s comment below) really stand by this product. Thx again!
Excellent Review Ruzeen! Learned quite many small issues and things with this mount!
Thanks Ray glad to have helped show some things off with this mount
After watching videos about this mount, I've decided to get one for my Astro-Physics 92mm Stowaway. It will be on backorder, but worth the wait. Thanks AstroFarsography!
Good review Ruzzen, like all the others you did. They are sincere and honest. You helped me a lot. Thanks
Thanks Tiago, thanks for your patience whilst I put this together!
Just Bought this mount a few months ago and I Love it!
Amazing mounts right? Glad you're enjoying yours also!
Excellent review Ruzeen!
Thanks Tam, I do try!
Hope you guys enjoyed the review. Ideas or requests for next videos? Drop them below! 👇
Preparing for spring targets? :D
Polar alignment with PoleMaster and EQ6R Pro ... :)
It's been over a month! Stop slackin already!!! : )
Great mount for sure Ruz! Excellent review. This mount is the sole work horse of all my projects. Absolutely the best mount in its class and price point.
Thanks Aaron. Agreed very solid workhorse of a mount. I'd get a second if I could afford it. Then again, whenever I see my HEQ5 I admit I still get weak for it 😂
Thanks for the video. It helped me make the decision to pull the trigger and order mine today. :)
Love your review man. Very thorough
Thank you Garnett. Did my best!
With regards to the orientation of the mount on the Tripod on the EQ6-R PRO I simply took out the guide peg for the mount on Tripod and moved it to over so that I get the traditional clear access to the Polar scope. As I'm in the UK it's in no danger of hitting the legs. It works fine. :)
Thinking of getting one, thanks for the video
Great video , thanks for this. I've just got one second hand so thanks for the info.
Great video!!!
I was thinking on buying this mount. Now you've cleared my doubts
Thank you 😁 so do you think you'll be investing in one then?
I seriously do not regret my decision to buy one for a moment
@@AstroFarsography definitely
Thank you for your review. I have just purchased my EQ6 r Pro and although this decision was prior to seeing your review I know now I can be absolutely confident in my choice...ty
You're welcome Craig. Hope you enjoy your mount as much as I enjoy mine! How long have you had yours for?
AstroFarsography less than a week 😂 but looking forward to it. My previous mount was a EQ5 which I modified myself. I use an 8” Newtonian so maxed out on at 12kg.
Great review video. I have recently bought the HEQ5PRO but now wishing I had bought the EQR6-R Pro. May be for Christmas? CHeers
I’ve been looking everything from the AVX, CGEM II, Atlas and Sirius EQ-G, the Ioptrons. The EQ6-R just seems like the most solid well built of all of them. Belt driven. Clean looking. Quiet. And solid as a rock. I think pulling the trigger on this mount is just the way to go. Now if only all the mounts weren’t back ordered 6 months
Very good review, thank you.
It’s a bit heavy for me to carry it around but yeah its performance is very very reliable. I’ve been using EQ6R pro for 6 month , never have any problem 😃
Great job! I just ordered one with a 9.25 SCT Celestron.
Another very well thought out review Ruz, I enjoyed that and you made some very good points :) I think the EQ6-R solves a number of issues my old NEQ6 certainly had, so probably well worth paying the bit extra if people can stretch to it.
Although, what's with the Synta (Skywatcher /Celestron) power issues? It's the same old story, even my old CPC800 Edge needed an Astrolynx upgrade straight off the bat and that's nearly a 3k setup. I think we would all agree that it would be worth paying a little bit more to not need to worry about this as soon as we open the box. All in all though it's probably one of the better mass produced mounts out there, and I think people still have issues to sort out with the higher end mounts.
Thanks Chris
Yeah I think if they can stretch to this budget then the EQ6-R is a solid investment.
Not sure about the power issues. Another person mentioned they had reliably monitored a 1v drop from their PSU and the mount, which is sort of mad. I think one thing is that this comes with a cigarette lighter and not a mains adaptor really. If it came with a mains plug I think the power issues wouldn't be as apparent. Though that's not a solution and that's just covering it up lol
I love this mount so much that I have 2 of them now. Glad I have them!
Nice review very informative Thank You
This one is on my radar to eventually replace my HEQ5-pro, mostly because of the extra weight it can handle, great review Ruzeen!
Thanks!
Yeah the weight capacity was a deciding factor for sure. There was technically nothing wrong with my HEQ5, but I plan on getting bigger scopes so I needed the infrastructure. It's money well spent that's for sure
Already pretty much knew it is the one I should get, but thanks for all of the great details.
Great review! Not to even mention how much more awesome it gets when you plug in that usb cable and use EQMOD. 😊
Ah yes when it's computer controlled it's just even stronger. EQ6-R Pro with plate solving. So much fun and takes a lot of pain out of an already tricky hobby !
Just picked one up....love it!! Great value...I don't think any mount under $3k comes close to this quality.
I have the neq6 pro, but now i want this one! Damn your good reviews! :D
Haha thanks! I try and put a lot of work into my reviews :) I was tempted by the NEQ6 also! Looked beefy, heard great things about the NEQ
why do you want this one?
I bought this mount. I've had it for about 6 months now and I can honestly say I don't regret the purchase one bit. This thing is heavy, sturdy and reliable. The only think I don't like is that the latitude-adjuster can be a little bit finicky, but the sturdy trade-off is worth it. Add a guiding setup to this and you can pretty much expose for as long as you bother.
Thanks for the great review. My old CG5 AS-GT has just bitten the dust so I think this may be the best option for my new mount.
Ah sorry to hear that the CG5 has given it up. But I think you'll be very well treated by the EQ6-R Pro that's for sure!
@@AstroFarsography my new EQ6-R arrived yesterday, very impressed! Thanks again for the review and recommendation, just need to sort out what I'm doing telescope wise now, sticking with the C8 or maybe getting an 80ED too.
I bought the EQ6-R 6 months ago: it's worth the money! My version has a direct control cable from the mount to the computer USB port of the computer, using EQMOD and the ASCOM platform to operate the Planetarium software, without the hand controller.
I live in Canada. This mount works trouble-free winter and summer, always reliable, tracking down to 0.4" RMS. Apart from it's weight, I think it's almost perfect.
Doesn't play....came back, it plays now!. Thank you. Just bought the mount!
Nice review Ruzeen! Hoping to upgrade my HEQ5 to the EQ6-R Pro one day :)
Thanks mate!
Yeah that's the same path I took. It's like riding a bike doing the transition. No down time, nothing new to learn. It's just like a beefier HEQ5
@@AstroFarsography Just buy the biggest one I can afford then??
Thanks for this very useful review. At present I use an HEQ5pro & must say I get annoyed with the azimuth adjustment bolts too, seems like you turn and turn and nothing happens, then you find you have to reverse the whole affair and just keep your fingers crossed for an acceptable outcome!!! I had hoped that the more substantial looking bolts on this version would help. Would you say it is any better, worse or just the same as the 5???
cheers & please do keep up these helpful reviews
thx for the review! do you have more concrete info on tracking/guiding accuracy?
I love the azimuth adjustment bolts!
First of all, thank you for your reviews! I have watched your review on the EQ6-R Pro and the iOptron CEM70. Would either of the be an option for TAKAHASHI FSQ-106EDX4?
Excellent mount. I had a problem with one which was eventually replaced with a brand new one.
A very well made review of this mount. But for me having this mount for two months i have to say it's mediocre in performance until i manage to sort out the bugs this new mount has with my scopes but this is what you get for mass produced mounts. Here are some points that i have noticed with my eq6-r.
1. Power is everything, i have a 13.5 supply at my mount and i have no issues like the one you showed on the video, also no blinking LED.
2. The tripod with the leg on the back is of no importance, note that the tripod has another hole and you can exchange the pin of the tripod to the other side and have the one leg at the front of the mount, a good thing for this tripod is that it is short since the mount is a bit tall and have a low center of balance. But the downside is that the tripod has a very small spreader which makes the whole mount susceptible to vibrations, the solution for this is to install a spreader at the base of the tripod and anit-vibration pads. I went for the wooden tripod since i got a used Berlebach for my heq5-pro and now i use it for the eq6-r and i have no issues with tripod vibrations
3. As you mentioned the adjustment screws for the Azimuth and altitude have their issues, in my mount the az is buttery smooth but the altitude adjustment screws are sticky and i can spend at least 15 minutes adjusting the altitude when drift aligning. Maybe lube a bit the screws and reduce any issues with them.
4. The bubble level of the mount is completely worthless, i checked it with two levels i have and the mount's bubble level is way off DO NOT trust it and use your old trusty level for good leveling of the mount so that you have a less frustrating imaging session later
5. The saddle of the mount has its own issues, it's good that it can accept Losmandy and Vixen dovetails and not ruin them like the old saddles but since it is a molded saddle and not a machined one it can cause problems. More specifically the moving part of the saddle is 2mm higher that the rest of the saddle causing the scope to be a little tilted not very trustworthy in my eyes to have a scope tilted on the saddle, also the paint has a big friction factor making balancing a bit difficult since you can't move very easily the scope on the saddle. Finally the saddle doesn't grab the dovetail at its entire length thus causing flexure and loosening of the screws of the saddle during imaging, i could very easily move the scope on my mount with only a few fingers. My solution is to replace the saddle with a better one, i got an ADM saddle and the scope is rock solid on the mount.
6. Finally the axes of the mount are a bit sticky when trying to balance thus making it harder to find the sweet spot. From my experience when i belt modded and serviced my heq5-pro, and a bit of research on this issue with other eq6-r owners is that retaining rings on the Dec (the ring which is the counterweight shaft lock screw) and RA axis (behind the polar scope) are too tight and it can give significant Dec backlash along with the huge amounts of grease they have at the gears. Right now i am not doing any adjustments since the mount is under warranty but if i have any issues in the future i will service the mount to my standards.
This mount has potential for high end results but you need to solve these small issues. Out of the box the guiding was at 1.6'' which was worse than my modded heq5-pro (i can get down to 0.6'' with an rc 8') when using my ED80 and atik 383l+. After addressing these issues except no.6 i got my guiding at 0.6'' with my off axis guider. Here i also need to point out that if your guide star is out of focus the guiding will be bad i had no issues with my heq-5 but for the eq6-r a good focused guide star is important.
That's a good review. I've not actually paid attention to the bubble level yet but I can see how it may not be trustworthy. So that wooden tripod really helps? I've not personally found anything wrong with mine.
The lower centre of mass when compared to the HEQ5 has helped keep it sturdy in my time with it.
@@AstroFarsography When i imaged with my heq5 pro i had serious issues with the saddle and the tripod with dropping almost every frame. When i used a wooden tripod and a new saddle the mount transformed into something much better with almost no lost frames. This is from my own experience and is my suggestion. Granted that these upgrades cost, if you are satisfied with the end result with the factory mount more power to you but for me there is no way back to the factory tripod and saddle.
FYI tonight i did a test shoot with my RC 8 in order to check collimation and its behavior with the eq6-r. Even though the seeing was bad i was guiding at 0.8'' - 1.2'' with no dropped frames and i believe that i can go lower. Again in my opinion this mount can give high end results for its price especially for small image scales but forh high image scales you need to invest time in order to sort out the bugs.
I always thought the eq-6r might as well be the only mount you'll ever need, the only downside apart from the az bolts I see is the relatively high weight of the mount when compared to say a Ioptron CEM40.
But we're talking another kinda budget there.
The only thing I would want to see in the next iteration of this mount are a better thought out cable routing system, like the Ioptron I mentioned and a usb hub.
Yeah the iOptron is slightly different. I sort of like that styling as it's less industrial than the Sky-Watcher. I agree also that it's quite weighty. Blessing and a curse as I'm sure the weight helps stability, but suffers portability
With my eq6-r pro I just unscrewed the mount plate pin to the opposite side and now have the third leg forward supporting my counterweight.
Good work around. Have you found that to be a more stable configuration?
How does the unguided tracking errors compare to something like the skyguider pro mount? I’d like to get a better mount and still do unguided shots with my 350mm and get more usable subs.
I am having some issues with the azimuth adjustment on one of my EQR-6 Pro mounts. Any ideas? I think the "E" clip may have popped out...
Good job on picking at the faults. (really)
I've watched a few of the setup videos on this mount and I'm shocked that a "high precision instrument" has adjustments that are so brutally sloppy and course.
Ever put your hands on a set of 100-year-old surveyor's instruments? Amazing high quality and precision.
Hard to believe they also used a compass and a 100' chain with 1-foot links but here we are.
I wonder if a lithium grease on the azimuth adjustment bolts would help reduce the coarse thread problem?
Quick question.. when polar aligning to get the scope to orient rightside up does your count weight shoot up into the air and your scope points towards the ground on the Azimuth? I can figure out why this is
With the coarse Az bolts, you could drill out a spare bolt in a lathe, tap that for finer thread and use it as a sleeve adaptor to use a fine pitch bolt. You'd need a bit of thread-lock on the coarse pitch thread. I've been tempted to do this on my HEQ5 for the same reason. I just need to set my lathe up (or bring it work to do).
Yeah, aside from refabricating I couldn't see a work around. Do you find it that bothersome you'd remanufacture the mount? I wouldn't ever dream of doing that 😅
@@AstroFarsography It's got to be less work than doing a belt mod on the HEQ5. Is this mount a belt drive?
@@DavidMills_Physicist oh. See changing some pulleys and gears seems more my alley than fabrication. That may be due to my job as a mechanic and not a machinist though. Yes the pro is belt driven and rather quiet for it
@@AstroFarsography I thought it sounded like a belt drive, thanks for confirming. I've nowhere near outgrown my HEQ5, so I'll just watch your fun with the EQ6.
I need to find some clear nights and also get better at processing the data I collect.
Low voltage will cause it to go nuts and slew incorrectly or not at all. I purchased a DC-DC converter with 13.8VDC/10A output (Amazon) that I drive with my deep cycle battery. I made sure to separate the power to the mount from dew heaters and cooled cameras to avoid the voltage drop. I upgraded the wire to heavier gage too to withstand the field use it gets. The OEM power cord is OK if you are really careful. Be aware the pin-out on the connector is confusing. Don't blow it up like me (repaired). Mine is a few years old now. The leg spreader goes right thru the tripod since the threads wore away. At least it still holds the mount. I am slowly using it up. It is on M5 right now.
Just got this mount in a little over a week ago, still waiting for a nice night to get it set up. Between the pesky work schedule and limited clear skies, I haven't had the chance to use it.
Ahh I'm sorry to hear that you've not had a chance yet. I'm confident it'll be good when you do though. Did you upgrade to this mount or is it your first?
One thing that I have been thinking about doing for my Orion Atlas, is to put a Teflon washer or something so that polar alignment is much more smooth when adjusting the Az bolts.
That sounds like a really good idea! I should maybe look into that then too 🤔
With my EQ6, I will set the alignment manually and then try to revisit it about every 30 min to see how Polaris is tracking along the polar scope circle. I usually get pretty good alignment after a few tweaks. You guys have any processes that you do?
@@trifecta0074 I use platesolving with sharpcap pro and use my guide scope to do the polar alignment. Works almost like a polemaster, but you don't have to pay that much.
Can you pleas help me with the power supply. I have this scope and am having a hard time finding the right one. Will I have to connect a new end onto it to plug it into the mount. What is the name of the play? Im so confused. Thank You
Another tip with the azimuth bolts is to lightly loosen one bolt and then take the slack with the opposing bolt. It takes me only 2 to 3 minutes to polar align withing 5 arcseconds with the mount,
That's one thing I'm going to try next I reckon and see if that makes my life easier! Thanks
I had the same issue with the azimuth. I was turning and nothing happened then suddenly it jumped. Really fustrating because many times you have to go back and the same thing happens. BUT i noticed that i was actualy rotating the pin a bit till it couldn't rotate any more. So you realy need to thighten that pin(i mean reeeeealy tighten) and best is that the angle bolts/flat sides of the pin are the same. Also need to find the sweet spot of the bolt that connects the tripod to the mount. Also check/clean the surface where it rotates when it's still new. The surface is painted and after a while paint is scraped and adjusting azimuth gets harder or you need more force and start rotating the pin.
Would it also make the scope more at risk of tipping with weight is not supported by one leg?
Will it guide through the meridian for over two hour for astrophotography or does it do a meridian flip? Is there only one central hand tightened bolt holding the mount to the tripod? Is this stable enough to photograph with a C-11 SCT?
I'm looking to make a first purchase. Would I be better off to go with the HEQ5 pro. I know it's a very open question but I'd rather outlay a bit more to start than wanting to upgrade later on. I'd like to start with observing but like the idea of imagery once I've got some skills.
Is that even a good place to start?
Hi, Would this mount hold my 28 lbs CPC 1100 XLT CST OTA tube with all the camera gear?
Is there an auto-align option so that you don't have to really polar align? I have no view to Polaris.
Can you recommend any direct to MAC software for this mount for MacBook viewing only?
So you ditched power connection for the 6, in favour of the lynx Astro power supply? Or does it take the 6 cable?
Nice one mate
Thank you buddy
When did the EQ-6R Pro mount get the USB port just below the hand control and auto guider ports? I bought mine in 2018 and it does not have that port. Can you use the HC port to operate the mount from a computer or Raspberry Pi device? And get an ADM saddle for the mount, it is much better than the factory saddle, and takes about 5 minutes to exchange.
You should have covered the laptop connection as well.
The tripod looks a lot like the Celestron’s family type. My guess is that it is the same manufacturer. I remember when I first had my 2004 CG5, one of the first things everyone suggested you to do was to get the bolt that adjusts to the mount on the counterweight position, so you get the third leg of the mount in the counterweight position and avoid getting the mount to tip on the front with all your valuable gear on it. I wonder why this mount is not getting the third leg on the front to avoid a recipy for disaster .
Why USB port is not present in any Eq6 R pro mount im looking for ?
Thanks for your honest report! Good job!
Did you choose this over the cem25p you were thinking about? If so, what put you off the ioptron? Only asking because I’m seriously tempted by the ioptron. p.s. love the channel.
Hey Bryan thanks for the support. Yes see the CEM25p was too similar to my HEQ5 to justify the buy. The CEM25pc was so expensive for what it was that I struggled to justify the price of a more accurate CEM25p over everything that the EQ6-R bought to the table. Also my future plans of deeper scopes and such made the call for the EQ6-R more appealing
Ok, understand that. Only got an old EQ5 at the moment, put a set of motors on it, but it’s just so slowwwwwwww. Think her indoors would be wearing them as a necklace if I laid out that sort of dosh on a mount, but might be able to get away with an HEQ5 pro or the ioptron. Leaning towards the ioptron as it has a slightly higher payload. Have to wrap a towel round my head and lie down somewhere and hope some insight arrives. 🤪
Liking them spring loaded latitude bolts. Do they fit the HEQ5 Pro? I wreck my hands doing them up on that.
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure they're much thicker so unless you drill and tap your HEQ5, I don't think it's an option. Maybe you can ask Rowan Engineering
How about finding
Just bought one and it hasn’t arrived yet. It had the important quality of being in stock along with its other qualities
I have a feeling i'm gonna go ahead and buy one of these in the next week or two, but I feel like I need someone to either talk me out of it or talk me into it before I pull the trigger. Might be wise to at least have a telescope first, but my question is how easy/hard is it to set that on a pier. I got some utility poles I can give a haircut with a chainsaw that I think would make for a good mount. Do I just drill some holes in that thing and sink some long screws in, then just adjust with shims for the polar alignment. ?? Do you mount a plate to the bottom of it, then screw that plate down to whatever?
Overall I have to agree. But there are two points that bother me a little.
1. You can move the mount with the azimuth knobs very precisely. Its just a bit tricky at first but you can learn it like driving a car.
2. The build in polar scope is useless. For the precision it offers there is a too impactful flaw. As you know, you need to align polaris on the circle as it is shown in the app. So far so good, BUT!!!! There is no sign no nothing to know how much your RA-axis is turned.
e.g. The app tells you to put polairs at 6 o'clock on the circle but your RA is turned 90° right (of course exaggerated but you get the point), when you then put it on 6 o'clock it will actually be 9 o'clock.
Conclusion: I may be wrong, but I have not found a way to be 100% sure that the RA is perfectly in the middle. => Its not likely to be that good aligned as the scope might be able to.
Seems like a great mount, very popoular at the moment. I just hope they have better paint on the counterweights. Skywatcher counterweights always seem to rust.
Yeah the HEQ5 ones seem famous for their rust. I'll keep you posted to see if they rust or not!
@@AstroFarsography did you experience any form of rust as of yet?
@@Hasenlordify nope, no rust yet :)
Question for you. How do you think it would perform with an F12 127mm Maksutov?
I was doing lunar with a 180 f15 mak the other day. Felt fine but that wasn't deep sky
I recently got a eq6 pro mount for my telescope and I'm able to balance it no problem, but I find I'm having trouble trying to align it to the pole star I have followed all the instructions so what am I doing wrong? Please advise me.
Much appreciated
Mick Murphy
Hey Mick, congrats on the new mount. Once you sort the issues out, it's going to treat you well.
My understanding of your issue is setting the home position so it can then find the pole star? If so, then I have a video on this very issue, also setting up the EQ6R Pro
czcams.com/video/2PbXjJVLUuA/video.htmlsi=BcU8Q_gq3GfNROLc
Let me know if this helps or if you have further questions
All the best
I love my EQ6-R.
As do I. Great purchase and no regrets :)
Can u use this for visual as well? C8 at moment
Yep perfectly fine for visual. Has a handset that you can synchronise to targets etc
I'm about to upgrade from AVX to EQ6R Pro. Went back and forth in research and hear very informed opinions (people who repair or upgrade mounts) - and bang for the buck - this one is currently the best way forward. I do have one "question" or concern - the AVX has two marks, one at DEC and one at RA part - marking a "home" position. Granted, they are wide and somewhat coarse - but also very helpful when doing polar alignment (PoleMaster). Does EQ6R Pro has something similar? If not - how do you determine "home" position?
Hey thanks for the question.
The EQ6-R Pro does have arrows on its Dec and RA setting circles for coordinates and you can use them for setting your home position if needed. Me personally I would probably make a small mark on the mount with some tape or so to denote home position since the setting circles can move accidentally and as mentioned in the review the axis can also skip when transporting it. Otherwise I'd set home using the spirit level technique and that's how I'd do it
AstroFarsography Thank you for the answer! So bubble level (I had to google “spirit level” it sounded like eyeballin’ it 😄 )... one more question - all the plugs are on the RA assembly, which means all the connections will rotate (i.e. cables) - is this a problem or nuissance?
@@strelnikoff7 no problem. It doesn't cause issues either so long as you leave enough slack. You can mount all your cables up onto the tube for example and then the only cable you need to worry about is the power lead. Again, no real issue so long as you give it enough slack/spare cable to do it's thing :)
for the azimuth adjustment bolts...does it still work well if one is doing drfit alignment? I have to do drift alignment because northern view is blocked from my area.
I've not tried drift alignment at all but I can't see why it wouldn't work if you're just a bit more gentle and patient with it. Apparently it's because the peg on the mount's base comes loose a bit so tightening that might solve the issue
@@AstroFarsography thanks.
It has a 20kg payload but does that mean you can mount a 20kg instrument , or does that include 20kg of instrument and counterweights combined?
I remember it saying excluding weights. So you can mount a 20kg instrument I would say
Are you still using the mount? Anymore thoughts? Thanks The adjustment screws should be a fine thread bolts.
Hey. Yep still using this mount and still loving it. Fantastic mount and hasn't let me down
Have heard the AZ EQ6 is better, has a much better attitude adjustment on bolt instead of push pull like the EQ6 and double encoders so can manually move mount without losing alignment. An torn between EQ6 R PRO OR AZ EQ6
if price were not an issue, would you choose the eq6r pro or cem70 that you also reviewed.
Money no issue I'd probably go for the CEM70. Sure it takes longer to setup but with the iPolar built in and heavier payload capability would be better. I would need a lighter counterweight though
Thanks, note that iOptron has a 2.5kg weight for the 28mm shaft.
Your comment about no response to AZ adjustment, then a sudden move hasn't anything to do with the thread pitch. It is the AZ stop on the tripod. It really must be locked down firmly in addition to some thread lock compound. I have had this occur twice now, and after dismounting the mount, discovered that the AZ stop had worked its way lose. The machining in the thread of the tripod is fairly sloppy, allowing a lot of lateral movement in the AZ stop even when full threaded down. It takes a very firm application of torque to the lock nut on the AZ stop and even then it WILL eventually loosen if you make a habit of 'pushing/pulling simultaneously with the AZ adjustment bolts. The 'best' method I found is to just touch the AZ stop with the adjustment bolts, than loosen the one that you DON"T need to tighten to give some clearance. Then gently screw down on the bolt that needs to 'push' until you reach the adjustment point or you just begin to feel the touch of the opposing bolt. Loosen than bolt again, rinse and repeat. Once the scope is on the AZ adjustment, just snug the AZ bolts. It doesn't hurt to apply a little slippery stuff (very little) between the mount and the tripod to reduce stiction between the two.
A quick way to see if the stop has loosened without removing the mount from the tripod: snug the AZ adjustment bolts so that the mount should be locked in AZ. Grap the side of the mounts and firmly try to move it in both directions on the tripod. If the AZ stop is coming loose, you will be able to move the mount 1-2 dg regardless of having the adjustment bolts locked against the stop - that is just how much play there is in the threads in the tripod.
So far, since adopting the technique above, I haven't had the AZ stop loosen again. But I still check it every time; irritating since it could have been avoided by proper machining/thread/stock selection. I do agree that the AZ (and ALT) adjustment threads should have been finer pitched; the current pitch makes repeatable fine adjustments problematic even without the AZ stop post 'slop' issue.
The location of the AZ stop vs the tripod legs: it comes from the factory the way you reviewed it - that position is supposedly intended for use in the southern hemisphere (??). Just move the stop to the other stop location over the the 'center' leg of the tripod and you will have the 'normal' configuration.
I have eq6 r pro for about year now. I agree with everything you said but power supply issue isn't something I am prepared to ignore. After I've paid £1200 I really expect little bit more. Here is my story.
Purchased my mount spring last year. Having experienced major damage to my heq5 due to insufficient power I became very careful. My power supply is 85Ah leisure battery. I put this thing in robust box with voltage and current display. Both calibrated with good quality multimeter. EQ6 R PRO allows you to check what is the voltage mount receiving. When my fully charged battery showing 12.8 volt, readings from the mount itself are 11.8 Volt. I've picked up on this literally hours after delivery. Immediately called the seller to share my concerns with. Also I've asked them to check the voltage from power supply than connect its to the mount and take readings from mount. Guess what? Their results were exactly identical. Personally I feel more than unhappy about that. This is not normal situation. Also I'd like to point out that I've been using exactly the same power supply to run heq5 (after got it sorted out) and readings from heq5 and the battery always matched.
Sorry to hear you had this drama! So you were observing a reliable and repeatable 1v drop from the PSU to the mount? That's quite significant
@@AstroFarsography exactly. I do believe that the size of my battery giving me some kind of safety as I never managed to bring the voltage lower than 11.8 ( value of battery display) Number of devices I'm running from this battery goes to show that leisure type is right choice. Just for fun of doing it would you be able check voltage reading from mount and compare them with voltage delivered by your power supply?
@@qwertyu2387 sure I'll try and remember my multimeter, though I power from the mains. But I'll check what the lynx astro is outputting and I'll see what the mount reports sometime for you
Is the 20kg max load for photography realistic? This mount is the biggest, that i can effort. And I must decide between a 14.5kg, 15kg and 22,8kg telescope.
The product details I see state 20kg for Astrophotography. Where I've seen 14kg for visual and 11kg for Astrophotography with the HEQ5 Pro. This leads me to believe that you can load up to 20kg and it should still perform effectively. Though I know there's a mantra of 50% load, I don't pay mind to that however.
im currently saving up for the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro and once i buy it im hoping il be using it for the next 10 years and wont have to buy another mount ever again and i just have a question about that flo website that you have in the description are they trust worthy when will the be back in stock and how long did you have to wait for them to send you the mount and are they good at communicating with customers ect im hoping to buy order one by jan/march a replay would be much appreciated
FLO are a very reputable and we'll established company in the UK. I got most of my gear (and my own EQ6-R Pro) from them even before I started reviewing gear sent from them. They're really good at communication and I've never had issues with them, same as a lot of people have good experience with them :) quick at replying as well
@@AstroFarsography thanks for the response i guess il order it when i have enough money and then order it from them once they have it back in stock
It's a dilemma. I have the money to buy it,but I'm a very novicey novicey.do I buy it so that I'm future proof,or get a cheaper one to practice on. Great review by the way.
Is this what's needed to use a normal DSLR/Mirrorless with a 600mm lens? I always thought it's a bit overkill for such a normal camera setup, but then again 600mm is pretty large and the smaller mounts seem to have less accuracy, not just less payload carry weight.
For a 600mm camera lens this definitely is overkill yeah a HEQ5 Pro would work well but there is, as you say, a weigh up between accuracy and payload. You could use an EQ6R but it really is overkill and you'd probably struggle balancing it
I adjusted the dowel on mine so the weight is over the front leg, rather than between the legs. To big advantages, less likely to topple as thd front leg supports the weight, altitude back bolt does not hit the back leg and polar scope easier to use
The front leg doesn't properly support all the weight, hence why two legs are used to support the mount and balancing weights. You're likely fine though, because you're likely using it on a level surface, but you'll quickly discover the mistake in rough terrain as the mount can tip forward when positioned on uneven ground. I agree that the back leg being in the way is extremely annoying though and this led me down the same path until I learned the hard way.
@C have seen and read on cloudy nights, having the weight not over the front leg can topple easier. Have seen this happen and read it happening on cloudy nights if you have a bigger telescope. This is why 99%, of scopes have the leg to the front.
The mounting comes standard on the skywatch simply because it's in the low latitude postion, anything less than 40 degree the weights will hit the front leg, this is the only reason it comes like this and gives you the option to change it.
Think the AZ-EQ6 is better, and dual encoders so can manually go to another object and wont lose alighment, and if part of your astronomy is visual can turn it into an Alt Alz which is better for visual astronomy
Really want to watch this video, but I can't get it to play.
It is a workhorse. I am using it now with a RASA 11 and get good guiding (.75"-.85" Total RMS Error all night with not great seeing).
You've got a RASA 11 on it? Nice! I noticed that takes the entire carry capacity up though, so you're finding its carrying all that fine?
@@AstroFarsography Yeah, I couldn't pass up the deal on the V1 RASA. The mount is handling it fine, though it is slightly louder when slewing compared to my MN190 I had on it before. I do have it on a permanent pier though, so that helps.
Stars are nice and tight/round and I am sure I could get guiding even better if I adjust a few more things.
The RASA is a game changer when it comes to imaging for me. It is 10X faster than my SV80 and 7x faster than my MN190, so images are completed in one night instead of multiple nights. A single 3 hour image would take 30 hours with my SV80 setup.
@@coloradocj243 the RASA does interest me for sure I must admit. What do you do about filters or do you just use one filter per night?
@@AstroFarsography Most people buy a 2" filter slider and filters.
I first used a color camera, but last time I imaged, I used my mono camera and filter wheel as an experiment. The filter wheel is in the light path somewhat, but it doesn't seem to affect the image too bad. I can make it even better with a mask to get rid of the filter wheel edges.
Here is a 3.9 hour image I took with an ASI183MM Pro and 5 position ZWO EFW filter wheel.
www.astrobin.com/full/zybwdx/0/
And here is a 1.4 hour image I took using a color camera (ASI283MC Pro)
www.astrobin.com/full/9z1whf/0/?nc=user
@@AstroFarsography from my understanding the mount capacity is 44lbs for astrophotography. That's what the skywatcher website and several other retailers say. Not the usual 50% of capacity everyone else preaches.
Edit: didnt realize the rasa 11 was 43lbs. Still I see people get amazing work from even heq5 mounts if it's on a pier.
Hi, I know why there is a coarse thread on the azimuth adjustment. It's because it is screwing into relatively soft metal. A fine thread would be more likely to strip. There are solutions but the first one is not cheap and one would need to be mechanically proficient. It involves installing a hardened threaded insert. Maybe add a 'lazy Susan' bearing as well. Not enough room here to explain the detail, a description would be fairly complex. Maybe someone could make a kit available. A much easier and cheaper one would be to get a tin or tube of something called 'copper ease'. It's like a sticky grease but designed to allow one surface to slide easily over another, it is stiction that is the root cause of the problem. The compound is used between the brake pad and the calliper driving piston to stop brake pads squealing in cars BobUK.
Hello I have this mount BUT what is the USB port for and what cable do I need and where does the other end go and what does it do please. Kind regards Jim
Hey Jim,
The USB port on the mount is a USB2-B, and the other side is jsuf a regular usb to go into the laptop
@@AstroFarsography Oh thank you so it just powers the laptop sorry for the confusion but I just can't get it into my head why it is there?
@@jimalford203 no no it doesn't power the laptop. The USB port is just a communication port to let your ASCOM software to control the mount. The mount itself is powered through a dedicated power source
@@AstroFarsography Thank you so much I understand I have been looking for the answer plainly and eureka. kind regards Jim. Some of us just take that bit longer.
EQ6 or CM70? what do you prefer?
For every day having to carry it in and out, EQ6-R. If I had a big rig and a permeant setup then CEM70 all the time. I'd have the CEM but it's like twice the price and more awkward to setup and tear down in comparison
MOVING THE 2 BOLT AT THE SAME TIME YOU CAN GET MORE PRECISE POLAR ALIGNMENT , THATS HOW I DO
That's how I usually do it also. It's hard to illustrate on the camera and I didn't actually take any screen captures of Polemaster doing the jump about that I complained about!