Ioptron IEQ45 Equatorial Mounting

The new iOptron iEQ45 Goto mount will available from July-August 2010 throughout Europe.

To get on the waiting list,please place an online order. No funds will be deducted from your card until the mount is ready to ship but this will enter you into the order system and orders will be dealt with strictly in date order.

iOptron have designed this mount with the astro imager in mind. The iEQ45 is the lightest mount in it's price range, and it's very easy to carry, weighing only 25lb (11.4kg). The iEQ45 weighs 5 to 7 kg less than other mounts in this price bracket. If you divide the payload by the weight of the iEQ45 you get a ratio of 1.75 which is the best ratio on the market for a mount in this price range, exceeding other mounts costing 4 to 5 times the price.

Another important feature making this mount suitable for field use is the low power consumption due to the unique low friction drive train. The mount consumes approximately 0.2A while tracking, so you don't have to lug a truck battery around. A built-in 32 channel GPS receiver and a precision levelling bubble make setup quicker and easier than any other mount we've heard of - and the SmartStar GOTO system is gaining a great reputation for rapid setup.

Precision DC servo motors deliver smooth torque to the drive train to reduce backlash to negligible levels, for very smooth auto-guiding and accurate tracking, making the iEQ45 perfect for long exposure astro-photography at a reasonable price.

IEQ45 feature highlights:
•Specialized astrophotography mount ideal for entry-level and experinced astrophotographers.
•20.5kg / 45lb Payload yet only weighs 25lb / 11.4kg - less than any comparable mount on the market!
•Easy-to-use SmartStar controller with large multi-line backlit display, large object database, and a USB port (flash upgradeable).
•ST-4 autoguiding port capable of reverse guiding with auto-protection.
•Periodic error correction (PEC).
•Ultra-accurate tracking with temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO).
•Gap-free structure for both R.A. and declination worms.
•Built-in 32-channel GPS.
•#8406 controller with Advanced SmartStarTM GoTo Technology and heating mechanism.
•Lowest working temperature: -20oC.
•RS232 port, with commands compatible with LX200.
•RS485 new command set completely open for user-defined control of the mount.
•Fits with both Vixen and Losmandy-type mounting plates.
•2 inch heavy-duty stainless steel tripod legs.
•Precision DC Servo motors for smooth torque, and accurate tracking.
•High 0.09 Arc sec resolution encoders for increased pointing accuracy.
•Thick 28mm Counterweight bar with zero flex.
•2x 5kg Counterweights included - a total of 10kg.
•Calibrated polar scope with dark-field illumination.
•Easy polar alignment procedure, allowing for fast and accurate polar alignment.
•Low power consumption - as low as 0.2 A while tracking.
•Optional pier.
•Comes standard with: 2 x 5kg counterweight, AC adaptor, 12V DC car plug adaptor, USB cable, RS232 Cable and USB-to-RS232 Adaptor
Technical specifications:

£1,599.00 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Payload 45 lbs (20kg)
Mount Weight 11.4kg
Payload / Mount Weight Ratio 1.75
Right Ascension Worm Gear 216 Teeth (Gap-free)
Ø130mm
Declination Worm Gear 192 Teeth (Gap-free)
Ø115mm
Motor Drive Type Precision DC Servo
Encoder Resolution 0.09 Arc Seconds
Latitude Adjustment Range 5-70°
Azimuth Adjustment Range ±6°
Counterweight Bar Ø28mm
Counterweight included 5kg x 2 Total 10kg
Field Tripod 2" Stainless Steel (8kg)
Polar Scope Included - dark-field illumination.
Ascension Axis Ø50mm
Dovetail interface Dual Vixen / Losmandy
Power Consumption 0.2A (Tracking) 1A (Slewing)
Power Requirement 12V DC (11-15V), 2 Amps
Transmission Synchronous belt
Level Indicator Precision Bubble
GPS Internal 32-channel GPS

Available July-August 2010 at this introductory price.

Skywatcher HEQ5 Skyscan Pro

The HEQ5 Skyscan Pro has been specially designed as a high precision mount for both small and larger telescopes.

It features engraved setting circles, a latitude scale, built in pole finder telescope and a retractable counterweight shaft.

The worm gears are pre-loaded with ball bearings for smooth tracking and slewing.

The Skyscan goto controller has a 13,400 object database including complete Messier,NGC and IC catalogues. The positioning accuracy is up to 1 arc minute and the Skyscan has both an autoguider socket and periodic error correction (PEC) for imaging without having to manually or autoguide.

£725.43 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

HEQ5 Pro Mount
2 x 5KG counterweights
Illuminated Pole finder scope
Retractable counterweight shaft
Complete with dovetail
Skyscan goto controller
heavy duty tubular metal tripod
High quality quiet stepper motors with 800x slewing and 0.144 arc second resolution.

Skywatcher NEQ6 SKyScan Pro Mounting -

The NEQ6 Skyscan Pro mount is the next generation of professional quality mountings from Skywatcher.

Now features both standard Skywatcher 45mm Saddle Plate and enlarged Skywatcher 75mm Saddle Plate.

Featuring the a heavy duty EQ6 Pro mounting driven by the Skyscan goto controller with it's built in 13400 object database.

The EQ6 Skyscan Pro is easy to use and features a novice friendly menu system.

The mount includes engraved setting circles a latitude scale and an illuminated pole finder telescope. The retractable counterweight shaft aids portability.

The precision worms are pre-loaded with ball bearings for smooth tracking and slewing.

The mount also includes an autoguider socket and periodic error correction (PEC) for unguided imaging.

£889.00 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Power Supply: 12 VDC 2Amp
Motor Type: Microstep driven 1.8° stepper motors Resolution: 0.144 arc sec (or 9,024,000 steps/rev.)
Slew Speeds: 2X, 8X, 16X, 32X, 64X, 400X, 500X, 600X, 800X Gear Ratio:
Tracking Rate: Sidereal, Lunar, Solar.
Tracking Modes: Dual Axis, R.A. Tracking.
Alignment Methods: One-star Alignment, Two-star Alignment, Three-star Alignment.
Database: 25 user defined objects. Complete M, NGC, and IC catalogues. Total 13,400 objects.

Telescope Mounting: Tube Rings.
Mount Type: German Equatorial.
Tripod: 2in Diameter Stainless Steel Pipe.
Tripod Weight: 7.5Kgs
Tripod Height: 85-147cm.
Slow-motion Control: R.A. & Dec (motor controlled)
Counterweight Shaft Material: Stainless Steel.
Mount Weight: 16Kgs
Counterweight Shaft Daimeter: 1.8cm
Mount Height: 41cm

SKywatcher HEQ5 Syntrek Mounting

The new HEQ5 SynTrek is effectively a hybrid of the standard HEQ5 and the HEQ5 PRO SynScan. It is basically a standard HEQ5 but with a pre-installed PRO SynScan motherboard and stepper motors, and supplied with its own unique SynTrek hand-controller.
The SynTrek hand control is designed for the purpose of providing a simple slewing and tracking control. The small and versatile SynTrek hand control provides automatic tracking of celestial objects as soon as the power is turned on. The user-friendly interface provides quick access to many other functions the SynTrek has to offer.
The HEQ5 and EQ6 SynTrek mounts can be upgraded to computerized SynScan system by simply changing the hand control to SynScan hand control (prod.code 948). See HEQ5 and EQ6 Pro mounts for specifications for the mounts and details on the SynScan hand control.

SynTrek Hand Control
Power supply: 11 to 15V DC 2Amp
Motor type and resolution: Microstep driven 1.8 stepper motors. Resolution: 0.144 arc sec (or 9,024,000 steps/rev.)
Slewing speeds: Guiding speed, 4x 8x, 32x, 64x, 800x
Guiding speeds: 1x, 0.75x, 0.5x, 0.25x
Gear ratio: 705
Tracking rates: Sidereal, Lunar, Solar
Tracking Modes: RA tracking

£633.48 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Celestron CGEM Mounting

Celestron's CGEM mount sits neatly between the Advanced Series CG-5 and the CGE, offering the portability of the Advanced Series and the precision of the CGE.

New innovative All-Star (patent pending) Polar alignment procedure. All-Star allows users to choose any bright star, while the software calculates and assists with polar alignment. Another great feature that is sure to please astroimagers is the Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PEC) which will allows users to train out the worm gears periodic errors. The mount retains the PEC recordings.

The CGEM will track objects well past the Meridian (imaginary line passing from North to South) for uninterrupted imaging through the most ideal part of the sky. The CGEM mount has a robust database with over 40,000 objects, 400 user defined programmable objects and enhanced information on over 200 objects.

General Features
CGEM Computerized Equatorial Mount
Ultra sturdy 2" steel tripod with Accessory Tray
Payload Capacity of 40 lbs

Computerized Mount Features
40,000 object database with over 100 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200 objects
Proven NexStar computer control technology
Flash upgradeable hand control software and motor control units for downloading product updates over the Internet
New "All-star" Polar alignment uses any bright star for a quick and accurate Polar alignment
Software Features include: Mount Calibration, Database Filter Limits, Hibernate, five Alignment Procedures, and user-defined slew limits
Custom database lists of all the most famous deep-sky objects by name and catalog number; the most beautiful double, triple and quadruple stars; variable star; solar systems; objects and asterisms
Permanent programmable periodic error correction (PEC) - corrects for periodic tracking errors inherent to all worm drives
Custom database lists of all the most famous deep-sky objects by name and catalog number; the most beautiful double, triple and quadruple stars; variable star; solar systems; objects and asterisms
Steel worm gear and 90mm pitch diameter brass worm wheel
Drive Motors - Low Cog DC Servo motor with integrated optical encoders offer smooth, quiet operation and long life. The motor armatures are skewed to minimize cogging which is required fro low speed tracking.
Internal Cable wiring for trouble-free setup and transportation
Designated six-pin RJ-12 modular jack, ST-4 compatible guide port
Autoguide port and auxiliary ports located on the electronic plate for long exposure astrophotography
Double line, 16-character Liquid Crystal Display Hand Control with backlit LED buttons for easy operation of goto features
RS-232 communication port on hand control to control the telescope via a personal computer
Includes NexRemote telescope control software, for advanced control of your telescope via computer
Precision machined 40mm diameter steel Polar shafts supported by multiple tapered roller bearings and ball bearings.
GPS-compatible with optional CN16 GPS Accessory
Secure power plug ensures that the Mount's power source is not accidentally disconnected

£1,235.00 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Mount : Computerized Equatorial
Tripod : Adjustable, Stainless Steel
CD ROM : NexRemote control software with RS232 cable
Power Supply : Car battery adapter
Tripod Weight : 17 lb (7.71 kg)
Mount Weight : 41 lb (18.6 kg)
Counterweights : 1 x 17 lb
Motor Drive : Low cog DC Servo motors with encoders, both axes
Computer Hand Control : Double line, 16 character Liquid Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit LED buttons
Payload Capacity : 40 lb (18.14 kg)
Latitude Range : 15-70 degrees
Slew Speeds : Nine slew speeds
Tracking Rates : Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes : EQ North and EQ South
Alignment Procedures : AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align, 1-Star Align, Last Alignment, Solar System Align
Software Precision : 24bit, 0.08 calculation
Database : 40,000+ objects, 100 user defined programmable objects. Enhanced information on over 200 objects
Power Requirements : 12 VDC 1.5 Amp
GPS : Optional CN-16 GPS Accessory
Total Weight : 75 lb (34.02 kg)

Accessories for G42 Mounting

See variations for a list of accessories.

see variations

Technical specs:

Skywatcher EQ3 Pro Synscan Mount

Sky-Watcher offers simple solutions for users who would like to attach their smaller telescope to a convenient computerised system but do not wish to deal with the weight of the HEQ5 or EQ6 PRO mounts. The EQ3 PRO SynScanTM mounts use the same Go-To system found in the HEQ5 and EQ6 PRO SynScanTM. It allows you to point the telescope at a specific object or even tour the skies at the touch of a button. The SynScan™ Computer includes a massive 42,900+ night sky objects in its extensive database.

The EQ3 PRO SynScanTM mount is a perfect instrument for novice visual observers and imagers to enjoy astronomy with minimal setup time and in-depth knowledge of the night sky.

PLEASE NOTE: The Motor Control box supplied is designed to clamp onto 1.75” Diameter Stainless Steel Pipe tripod legs. In this instance the Motor Control Box should be attached with either cord or Velcro (Not Supplied)

Positioning Accuracy up to 1 arc minute. Accuracy enhanced by software collimation error (mount mechanical error) compensation.
Stepper motors with 1.8° step angle and 64 micro steps driven.
Slewing speed up to 3.4°/sec (800X).
Guiding speed selectable from 0.25X, 0.50X, 0.75X, or 1X.
42,900+ Object database containing complete Messier, NGC, and IC catalogues.
Quiet Operation

Periodic Error Correction.
PC compatibility.
Upgradeable hand control via internet download.
Maximum Payload e.g. Explorer-150P/PL Reflector or Evostar-120 Refractor
Supplied with Aluminium Tripod & Accessory Tray

£392.35 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Skywatcher SYNSCANTM AZ GOTO COMPUTERISED ALT-AZIMUTH MOUNT & STEEL TRIPOD

The exciting new Sky-Watcher SynScan™ Alt-Azimuth Go-To Mount is a precision engineered instrument that will allow you to easily find and enjoy viewing night sky treasures, such as Planets, Nebulae, Star Clusters, Galaxies and much more. The SynScan™ AZ hand control allows you point your telescope at a specific object, or even tour the night sky at the touch of a button!! The user-friendly menu system allows automatic slewing to over 42,900+ objects. Even an inexperienced astronomer can master its variety of features in a few observing sessions. Telescope OTA’s attach via a standard Sky-Watcher/Vixen dovetail bar fitting. Lightweight and portable.

Maximum recommended OTA examples: D102/F500 Refractor (Startravel-102), D130/F650 Reflector (Explorer-130P), D127/F1500 Maksutov (Skymax-127)

Main Features:

SynScan™ Database: Total 42,900+ Objects, including Complete M, NGC, IC & SAO Catalogues
Alignment Method: Two-star or Brightest star alignment
Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) feature
Unknown Object Indentification feature
Pointing Accuracy up to 10 arc min
Tracking Rates: Sidereal, Lunar, Solar
Slewing Speeds: 1.0x, 2.0x, 16x, 32x, 64x, 128x, 400x, 500x, 600x, 800x
Tracking Mode: Dual Axis Tracking
Quiet Operation
Motor Type & Resolution: DC Servo Motors. Resolution 0.8923 arc sec or 1,452,425 steps/rev
PC Compatible: can be used with popular Planetarium Software.
SynScan Handset Firmware upgradeable via the Internet
Power Requirement: 12v DC Power Supply (Tip Positive) or AA Batteries (not supplied). Sky-Watcher 7Ah or 17Ah Power Tank Recommended.

£223.76 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Skywatcher SkyTee Altazimuth Mounting

The new and revolutionary heavy-duty alt-az mount recently introduced by Sky-Watcher represents a significant improvement over previously available AZ mounts. It is in a category of its own. It features a heavy-duty precision CNC machined body, dual-parallel telescope attachment points employing a standardised Sky-Watcher/Vixen dovetail mount, and two exceptionally smooth and stable, manually articulated axes of motion. This allows the user the ability of operating two telescopes at the same time - great for sharing the skies with others! In addition, it is made with an attractive glossy black powder coated finish and chrome accent pieces, which highly compliment the appearance of Sky-Watcher Equinox PRO-Series telescopes. The mount extends to a maximum height of 158cm and the maximum recommended loading would be an Sky-Watcher Equinox-80 OTA mounted on both sides.

£244.98 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Skywatcher EQ5 Skyscan Goto Mount

The EQ-5 is well known as a decent budget mount with surprisingly good stability and tracking for a small mounting.

It is now available with the Skywatcher Skyscan goto controller and stepper motors to provide full goto performance and an autoguiding port.

This mount will be a good choice for portable imaging with a small APO or other short focal length telescope.

The very sturdy EQ5 Equatorial mount provides excellent precision and stability and a host of other useful features for the serious astronomer. The mount rests firmly on a large, adjustable stainless steel pipe tripod with accessory tray. Supplied complete with a bubble level, latitude adjuster with micrometer scale and an azimuth polar-alignment adjuster. It also features engraved aluminium setting circles and manual slow motion tracking controls. An optional polarscope is available for aiding in polar alignment.

£489.41 inc. VAT and delivery

Technical specs:

Skyscan V 3 Handset
High Precision Stepper Motors
Micro Stepping
Slew Rate .5x to 800x Sidereal
ST4 Type Autoguider Interface
Backlash Compensation
Periodic Error Correction
PC Interface
1, 2 and 3 star ALignment
Pointing Accuracy up to 1 arc minute