Sky Watcher EQ8-R Pro Mount Setup and Review
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- Опубликовано: 26 ноя 2021
- Are you thinking of getting a bigger mount? Have you been wondering if the Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro is the one for you? In this video you can watch me set my one up, I'll show you the key features it brings and let you know what I think of this 50kg capacity observatory grade mount from Sky-Watcher, having used it for a while now.
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What a wonderful Mount!! I need one of these for my Observatory.. Someday!! Congrats Martin!! Great video showing off this Beast.
Great video thanks for making it. It helps me a loooot since I always read how heavy it is and how impossible to set it up for one single person I'm really happy to see you doing it alone and with ease so I'm not scared anymore of buying this baby
Thanks for that. If you are fit and well and able to move it around, then go for it. I know it was intended for observatories, but I set mine up every session. It’s a good workout!! I love this mount. Y
Hopefully you will too. Clear Skies.
Thank you Martin for taking time to make this video , well done and an excellent bit of kit ,,
Thanks for taking the time to comment! Clear skies.
What a fantastic mount that is !! Great video Martin and if I was in the market for a mount with that payload it would be the eq8 r pro
Why do you need that payload, man? It is 120 Lb. What telescope are you going to use? With sheeit seeing in cities, anything above 10” is waist of money. You could get injured even before putting telescope on it.
Thanks for the very well done, extensive and, practical review. That's what I needed to cross the Rubicon!
Thanks Pierre. Glad you found it useful. Clear skies!
Great review! Clear skies!
❤ lov this video, helps me a lot setting up 🤓
Hey Martin! - this was a great video, brilliant job showing this mount! :-)
I love my eq8 and find it to be such a confidence inspiring & solid mount. the only drawback, as you mentioned, is the weight! For my sessions I like to carry the mount and tripod out all in one and save some setup time, but it's really making me want an observatory at this point so I don't have to do a 5am deadlift session to bring everything back inside when I'm done, haha!
Thanks for sharing! :-)
Thanks for your comment. Wow…how do you carry it all in one? Must be around 50kg!
im making a backyard pier, sick of that 5am deadlift session, especially without a warmup have tweaked the back a couple times given how awkward it can be to grip on my portable pier tripod lol.
@@martinsastrophotography I take a deep breath and hope for the best haha! :-D
Best EQ8-R video I've ever watched! Congratulations, really good! And thank you, its a really good help to know what to expect with that mount.
Two questions:
1- Do you usually mount and dismount every night?
2- how far is the distance between two feet (from one to another)?
Thank you for a so detailed video!
Thank you so much. Yes, I set up each night and pack away when I’m done, which sometimes is the following morning after I wake up! It’s a good workout!! Distance from the centre of one foot to the centre of another foot is 90cm (in other words the three tripod base supports are positioned at the corners of an equilateral triangle with side length 90cm). Clear skies.
Sweet set-up, Martin! I've just grabbed an iOptron CEM70G and RASA 11, before stocks are depleted again...so great to have a larger capacity mount! Best of luck with the new gear...looking forward to seeing the results!!
Thanks. Good luck with your new gear too!
This is smart move!
Good review. Very nice mount, I’m envious.
Salut Martin,
I really appreciated your clear exposé. Very professional.
Merci Jean-Claude!
Wonderful. Thank you
Thanks you creating this Martin, this is by far the best EQ8R video I've seen. Quick question. How long is the weight bar? I'm in the process of building an obsy - currently have a EQ6R and I'm guessing I need to consider this :-) - Great video - thank you.
Many thanks for the great feedback! The counterweight bar is 425mm long, excluding the thread that engages into the head of the mount, but including the anti-drop stopper that screws into the other end to save your toes.
Very nice post!
Thanks!
Just ordered one so this was especially useful.
You will not regret it! Clear skies.
Just started some weight training as the mount won’t have a static home 😊
@@crm114. Very wise!
very informative video, and very nice setup. i hear ppl talking about backlash problems with this mount. this was an older version problem , or it still is? how about your EQ-R pro? and do you know how well it will work with ASI AIR? clear skies!
Thank you. Yes, like all worm gear based mounts it can suffer from backlash. I have managed to tune out the worst of it, but it is a very fine line between low backlash and binding, so great care is needed, and I have found that good backlash tuning can turn into binding when the outside temperature gets significantly colder. I still love this mount, and use it a lot, but it is not perfect. No doubt before too long a harmonic drive mount with this kind of capacity will become a reality, and when it does I will want one!! As for ASIair, I don’t have one, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work fine with this mount.
Very nice! Would be interested to hear about your guiding error achieved with this mount :). Thanks. Enjoy!
Hi John. I have seen 0.36” rms on multiple occasions. Pretty impressed with that!
Thanks for the very informative Video! Has anybody experience with the possible More transportable Berlebach mount? Greetings Herbert
Martin, I see where this is headed: first, larger OTA; second, larger mount; third, backyard pier and observatory. Cement pouring starting in the spring?
It’s a logical progression isn’t it. Sadly where we live at the moment is just not suitable for an observatory so might need to insert retire and move house into the sequence prior to cement pouring!!!
Excellent video! Looking to upgrade from a Celestron CGEM and I think it’ll be the eq8-r. A few places selling these in the UK, would you recommend any shop in particular?
Thanks. Honestly…at the moment…the one that has one available!!! I waited an age, then suddenly there were two, and the next morning there was only one so I bought it! RVO, FLO and Widescreen Centre are all good. I have never used Tring.
My EQ8 arrived today, so this is just what I need! Thanks Martin. When I ordered it, I didn't know it had through mount cabling. Does this mean I don't need the Pegasus Ultimate Powerbox any more?
Great stuff Stuart! Enjoy. I don’t use a Pegasus Ultimate Powerbox, so it’s hard to answer this question. I connect a 13V 5Amp supply to the through-mount DC power input and I connect my primary mirror fans, dew heater and Camera DC supplies to the other end of the saddle. All works fine.
I have one on the way.
I am really impressed with the Auto Home. Is it possible to AH with the SynScan App either on a phone or from a Laptop?
I don’t know about the SynScan app. EQMOD is missing this function sadly.
Nice looking mount. Is there somewhere we can see the images you have made with it? Thanks.
Sorry for the very late reply! Only just saw your comment. I post my imagery on my website at www.martinsastrophotography.com but most of those images were taken using the HEQ5 mount. You wouldn't see a difference if I re-took them on the EQ8-R Pro as the performance is about the same...just has a MUCH larger payload capacity and nice through-mount cabling. Clear skies.
Nice telescope 👓🎓🔭
Great video Martin and what a beast of a mount. Can I ask how it compares to your EQ6 on guiding numbers? What are you getting with the EQ8?
Thanks! I have seen 0.39 arcseconds RMS from the EQ8-R Pro. I do not have an EQ6-R Pro….I borrowed it to make the video….but I can ask its owner for you what he has achieved.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks Martin. I have an EQ6 R Pro which I have managed 0.45rms at best. I am pushing it since I bought a large newt OOUK CT10. Can only get between 0.7 and 0.9 and sometimes it goes over 1” if there is any wind. I am sure the EQ8 R PRO will handle that with ease
@@Astrobloke There are so many variable at play that it is virtually impossible to make a meaningful comparison. And even if you could, the manufacturing variation from one EQ8 to another or one EQ6 and another would render the result meaningless anyway. I would think of the EQ8-R as a higher payload equivalent of the EQ6-R and assume no improvement in guiding accuracy. If you then get some, it’s a bonus.
@@martinsastrophotography i agree with what you are saying. The size of the Newtonian and total weight of the tube with camera etc just means the EQ6 is on its limit and struggling at times. My thoughts are the EQ8 with its higher capacity and sheer bulk and sturdy build will be able to handle the load a lot easier and guide at a level that will work better for my image scale
Thank you, this is very helpful.
Mount 55Lb, tripod 65Lb. You are strong man. I could buy this only for remote dark site observatory. It’s cost almost as used AP1200 or new MYT. Hmmm.
Yes, it is very heavy! It is both good and bad….Good for load capacity and stability, but bad for my back!! One day I hope to have an observatory to put it in.
Hi, thanks for the video. Where can I download the latest version of EQMOD to use the EQ8 on the computer?
Type “EQASCOM Sourceforge” into Google and follow the links. Remember to install the ASCOM Platform first before you install EQASCOM/EQMOD.
Hi Martin. Great video. I'll be placing my order in the next few weeks. I was wondering what length your Polemaster cable was? All the best. Graeme.
Hi Graeme. Thanks for that. It’s 0.5m (USB 2.0 Type A male to Type Mini B male)
@@martinsastrophotography Thanks Martin. I've just thought of a follow on question. In the skywatcher specs it states the aux power sockets are 2.0mm 5.5mm. Is this correct as I've also see elsewhere the sockets are 2.1mm. Pretty much all the hardware I'm using currently is 2.1mm (camera, dew straps and so on) which seems to be the industry standard. Is it likely I'll have to rewire my observatory when I get the EQ8R ? All the best. Graeme
@@graemejackson7056 It’s a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm connector. I purchased the Silicone power cable from Lynx Astro via First Light Optics. It’s very good.
@@martinsastrophotography Again, many thanks Martin.
@@graemejackson7056 Just to be clear…the 5.5x2.1mm connector is for the through mount power. The Lynx Astro cable is for the mount itself and has a different connector (2-way with screw collar).
This is the exact mount and telescope I am looking to buy, how much error in guiding/tracking are you seeing in your imaging? I’m looking to mount my canon R5-C camera onto the celestron edge hd11 with a filter ring and a few other things all on top of the eq8, but tell me, how precise is it? What camera sensor do you use? How wide is a pixel on your camera sensor?
The best I have seen is 0.39 arc seconds rms. However there are many variables to consider like seeing, manufacturing tolerance etc… so this does not mean you will achieve this on any given night. I have experienced anywhere from 0.39 to 1.2 arc seconds rms over a number of different nights. I use the ZWO ASI2600MM Pro camera, which has 3.75um pixels.
Wonderful explanation on this mount. I should be getting mine on Dec 26. I quick question...at 10:55, you talk briefly about the USB port (USB 3.0 Type B connector), where are you plugging that one into? I am assuming that your a plugging that one into the imaging computer. Am I correct?
Hi Earl. Thanks for that. How exciting!! You’re going to love it! Yes, that’s the through mount USB connection. There is a 4-port USB 3.0 hub in the saddle that is fed from this cable. So it’s connected to the PC for control of the camera, filter wheel, guide camera and focus motor.
@@martinsastrophotography Wonderful...I'm currently debating on moving from the ASIAIR-Pro to a laptop.
@@Hebert6615 I haven’t used the ASIAIR. I have always used Sequence Generator Pro. I wouldn’t change. It’s a personal thing I think. Personally I have no interest in operating my equipment from my smart phone.
@@martinsastrophotography I understand what you mean. I have read that there are some functions/settings that the ASIAIR can't deal with that are available with a PC/laptop. Thanks for the video...I know I'll be watching it over and over while I wait for mine to come it.
@@Hebert6615 did you mean “can’t deal with”? If so, I heard the same, although I can’t remember which functions they were…I just remember they were things I can do in SGPRO that I can’t do without.
Will it track past the meridian for 2 hours or more or does it automatically flip like some other mounts when it reaches the meridian? The Asto-Physics GOTO mounts will go through the meridian without a flip, so wonder if this will do the same.
If you want it to, yes. It depends what you have mounted on it and if/when it hits the pier/tripod. One of the real benefits of through-the-mount cabling is that you can leave it to do a meridian flip on its own without fear of cable snags. Personally I would never leave it running 2 hours past the meridian without a flip, but that’s your choice.
Hi Martin. After purchasing an EQ8 R PRO myself, what a beautiful mount it is. On the usb3 , my one will not pick up any cameras at all. Dies tour definitely work for cameras? I wondered if there is a fix or update available for the mounts that don’t
I have had some issues, but after trying a few different cable I now have a 5 metre USB 2.0 cable running out from a USB 2.0 port on the PC to the hub on the mount. This hub feeds my focuser, main camera, guide camera and Polemaster, although I always disconnect the Polemaster after polar alignment. The mount runs on a totally separate ISB 2.0 cable. I always check on Device Manager that everything is connected successfully before I run up my applications and connect. When I use a filter wheel, the USB connection for that comes off the hub on my ZWO ASI2600MM Pro camera. I avoid USB 3.0 PC ports and cables like the plague…USB 3.0 only supports very short cables. I hope this helps.
@@martinsastrophotography thank you Martin. I will look at using usb 2.0 and see if that works. Although isn’t the hub connection at the bottom of the mount usb3 b? How have you connected a usb 2 to that if i can ask.
@@Astrobloke Yes it is. I have a 5m USB 2.0 Type A male to Type A female extension cable from the USB 2.0 port on the PC, and then a 1m USB 3.0 Type A male to Type B male cable from the end of the extension to the connector on the mount.
@@martinsastrophotography hi mate. Just wanted to say thank you for your help and info on this. I did a follow up video on the EQ8 and included these details and gave you and your channel a shout out. Clear skies
@@Astrobloke Thanks very much. I will take a look.
The usb hub works fine if I connect on it my Zwo 294?
It should do, yes.
After a few sessions with my EQ8-R, I'm enjoying the mount (mostly). One concern is dec backlash. While my guiding stats aren't too bad (0.5-0.7 total RMS arc sec with an off-axis guided 8" SCT), PHD2's Guiding Assistant reports a backlash of around 4000ms which is huge. I can only feel a very small amount of play in the dec axis of the mount so I'm reluctant to try and adjust the gearing. I'd be interested to know what other have observed for backlash with this mount.
Interesting. I have not ventured inside my EQ8-R yet, but I know I will eventually and I look forward to learning more about it through that experience. I don’t have a backlash issue at the moment, so while it is under warranty I will leave it alone. You could try biasing the balance a bit in declination, which might help with the backlash impact on your guiding. But only a little to avoid stressing anything.
Thanks for the reply. I’m not totally convinced that PHD’s assessment of the backlash is accurate as my calibration data look fine.
@@crm114. have you tried a star cross test? Very simple way to tell if you have a backlash problem. It’s in the menus on PHD2.
I was just reading up on that and it’s on my to do list the next outing. As a matter of interest have you used PHD’s GA to measure your backlash and if so what value did it report?
@@crm114. I have, but a long time ago and not on the EQ8-R. I have it on good authority that manufacturing tolerance variation is the dominant factor in performance of new mounts. So on that basis what number I get on my kit is no indication of what you will get on yours I’m afraid.
Martin
Turned on EQ8 today for first time pressed
Auto slew home
lots of numerical lat/long changes on screen but mount didn’t move at at ? What am I doing wrong ?
Sorry if this is a silly question, but we’re your RA and Dec clutches closed? Before you power up the mount, open both clutches and put the mount in a position about 10 degrees off the home position in both RA and Dec. Lock both clutches then power up and command the Auto slew home. You should see it move in both axes, one after the other. If you don’t the mount is faulty.
@@martinsastrophotography ha ha no they were open . The problem with these clutches the mount has huge labels saying do not add any pressure so I was really no sure how much pressure I should add to ‘lock’ them . Ok I’ll follow your instructions - thanks martin !!!
@@goldenthepot6361 You can lock the clutches pretty firmly. Glad it’s sorted.
@@martinsastrophotography thanks again Martin for your help , Zuben
Just got mine, it's quite a beast. One issue I'm having is that the through-the-mount USB3 connection is unreliable. I have an ASI2600 camera connected via the hub to a laptop and it will work for about 10 min and then the connection will drop. Supplying power to mount makes no difference as does changing the cables. Have you had any camera connection issues?
Yes! I have the same camera and I had a lot of trouble at first with the camera connection dropping out. I have found a particular arrangement of USB ports and cables that seems to work reliably. First thing is that I use a USB 2.0 port on the PC, not a USB 3.0 port. From this port I run a 5m USB 2.0 Type A male to Type A female extension cable (made by UGREEN) and then a 1m USB 3.0 Type A male to Type B male to the mount. On the output side of the saddle I use the ZWO flat USB cable as supplied with the camera. I also unplug my Polemaster after polar alignment to reduce loading on the USB. It seems to work reliably now. Note that not all usb cables are the same, even if the spec seems identical. You might have to try a few different cables before you find something that works reliably. I hope this helps.
Thanks very much for the detailed reply - glad it’s not just me. I’ll do some experimenting. It’s a pity Skywatcher can’t get this right on a mount of this calibre.
@@crm114. No worries. I actually don’t think it is Sky-Watcher’s fault. I think it is the inherent limitations in the USB serial data interface and its limitations relating to cable length and cable quality, all of which is outside their control.
Maybe, but the fact that I can insert 2 cheap USB3 hubs between the camera and computer and get a reliable connection suggests that the problem is solvable.
@@crm114. That’s interesting. Maybe you can fit them inside the mount!!
The bit I am worried about is how fast can this very expensive and bulky mount be disassembled and rushed inside during an unexpected shower.
Better to have a cover standing by. Much quicker than disassembly.