"Steve - www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk" wrote in message
...
Hi

After continued problems with my Celestron ASGT eq 5 mount and having it
repaired twice I have now given up on the idea it will ever work well. I
am now considering getting a Losmanday G-11 mount from Venturescope, far
more money than I would like to spend but I am willing to spend the
money if I am getting a good mount.
The AS-GT, can work quite well, but to my mind you are overloading it.
Though Celestron do supply it with very heavy scopes on it, it is only a
slightly improvement on the old CG5, and for my money should be rated at
about 20 to 25lbs max capacity. For photography, well under this. I'd
wonder if weight was a contributing factor to your failures?.

What are the opinions of this group on this mount and is it worth the
cost. £1995 I was considering GoTo but I have a PC and use Starry Night
and Guidedog so I guess I don't need the goto part. Main use is for
astrophotography. Scopes mounted on it will amount to 26lb in weight inc
accessories, they quote 36lb capacity. The whole lot will be mounted on
concrete pier in an observatory.
The G11, is a 'class up', in terms of mount. The periodic error is now
good (for the last couple of years, a new process has been used to machine
the worms, which improves the error significantly). The actual maximum
load capacity of the G11, is 60lbs, not 36lbs. 36lbs, is the weight of the
G11 head itself!. Though for most mounts, I'd normally say that you should
only aim to use about 50% of the 'rated' capacity for photography, the
G11, has proven very successful for some users at nearer to 75% of the
rating. Though you don't see yourself 'needing' the goto, the Gemini, adds
smoother movement of the scope itself, and superior tracking. Properly
balanced, the G11, is a fine mount. It is probably the best 'value for
money' in this class. A good supply is essential with this mount (as with
any really).

Anything I should watch out for?
It might be worth getting yourself an extra counterweight. It is better in
general, to have a heavier weight 'close in' to the mount axis, than a
lighter weight further out on the arm. Depending on how far out your loads
are placed, an extra weight, may be worth having.

Best Wishes