Steve - www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk wrote:
I have made one mistake when it comes to mounts, I bought a Celestron ASGT
Goto, lots of problems..... After having it a year and really taking a
dislike to it I am now in the market for a new mount.
I have a Orion 80ED, 8" SCT, Canon 10d and a few other bits. I would like a
motorised mount that can be PC driven. It will be mounted on a pier that I
have already. I don't want to go mad on cost but I am willing to pay for a
good mount. Budget £1000 to £1500, less would be better though..

What should I consider based on this newsgroups experience.

Thanks
Steve



Does it absolutely have to be a go to mount? I only ask because many
people (perhaps you?) have found that go to doesn't always live up to
it's potential. Unless you are particularly interested in long exposure
astrophotography, or "speed spotting" Messier objects, it's not always
the labour saving device you might think. Even if you ARE interested in
long exposure stuff, then a simple motor drive will be a fraction of the
price and produce the same results (especially as you have a pier already).
A really good go to mount may just about fit in your budget (Vixen DX or
a big EQ coupled with a SkySensor 2000 perhaps?)... but a truly awesome
manual mount, plus a single (or even dual) axis motor will leave you
change for a nice little refractor or some big bins to keep you occupied
during those extra long exposures.

I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other. Just wanted to make
sure you'd considered every option.

Tim

P.S. I'm pretty sure Pete Lawrence does his stuff with just a single
axis motor (although to be honest, he photographs like a girl).