Telescope Reviews: Please help me narrow down the field. $8000 limit

I too am a EE (UA, 1981); the only time there is a potential for a static disruption of the EEPROM would be when removing, burning, replacing it... which, frankly, as long as you have Gemini Level 4, V1.01 or later (which means anytime in the last 4+ years it will come that way - new now it would come with 4.105), means NEVER... And, there are risks with SW FW updates via serial (or in the case of Vixen mounts, LAN)... if there's a PC glitch DURING the flash, you are toast and unrecoverable. So, different.

It is in a highly shielded METAL enclosure (unlike Celestron, Vixen, Meade) rather than PLASTIC - which shields from interference.

The "learning curve" - I too was afraid of that, both BEFORE I purchased it (I had experience with AutoStar and NextStar, and was coming FROM a CGE). It was a complete non-issue, truly. I spent some "cloudy nights" reading the Gemini Manual first... and then it literally took me 2 nights before I was able to operate everything I EVER do on the HC w/ no peeking at instructions. Now, a scant 6 months later (with infrequent uses as those of us in New England are won't to have!), it is totally second nature... I *like* not having to futz around with all those different buttons...

And, frankly, the Celestron and Meade and Vixen HCs are 100% unusable when temps get cold; the LCD displays are non-functional. To me that is "primitive" design considering astro use cases. Gemini (and AP) use more robust HC design, not based on LCD.

Regarding "motors that stick out" - pretty much ALL mounts do that, if you compare them against, say, the "leader" in industrial design in that respect: the Vixen Sphinx...

Certainly the G11 has the "wires and motors everywhere" look (as does the Titan), and even the AP mounts do as well, though their motors are more like "boxed Appendages" than quite as "sticking out" as the Losmandy/MI-250.

Again, with the safety limits incorporated into MI-250; its a non-issue. AND there is and advantage to this approach - you can easily exchange/replace the motors w/o having to go back to the factory - if something SHOULD happen, or, if you wish to UPGRADE them to the Maxon motors to get even more capacity/torque... So, again, one man's bug, another's "feature".

Regarding Polar alignment (versus Celestron/CGE):

1) it is exactly the same procedure for all intents and purposes... NO differences from the CGE approach, procedurally.

2) but, on the MI-250, it is way easier because the actual Alt/Az adjustments are far, FAR, smoother, repeatable, and solid. I always found that on the CGE, things were a bit "hit or miss" (and I had dedicated ratchet drives for doing it!)... Much frustration.... It took me a LOT less time to NAIL my polar on the MI-250 for precisely this reason.

Never discount MECHANICAL solidity in favor of electronic convenience! A mounts first job is to be solid, smooth, and repeatable! Second (distant) is "convenience". For Polar alignment, mechanical solidity is paramount. Electronic "doodads" and fanciness are fine (I love em!), but if you can't make a repeatable, and solid, physical adjustment, you've gained NOTHING.

IMHO (and my friend with the AP1200 next door), the MI-250 is every bit the equal of the AP900/1200 series in its quality, solidity, precision, etc. Obviously, it doesn't have the capacity of the 1200. But it easily has slightly more capacity than the AP900.

Finally, and back to OP's real needs and use case: Gemini will be a total non-issue, even if it IS an issue!, because he's going to be permanently mounted, using a PC and SW to handle control, guiding, etc... so other than "parking" (which is a doddle btw), he'll never even need to touch the dreaded Gemini controller!

And, who the heck really needs freaking GPS? Certainly NOT the OP. He KNOWS where he is going to permanently mount his setup. GPS is a complete and total waste of technology IMHO for anything other than 100% noobs who don't know "where they are"!

Anyone smart/serious enough to get into astronomy at the level of a $8000 mount, at the level of doing AP, can take 30 seconds to find out what their lat/long is for where they ARE, or are going to be...

Yes, I sound like a MI-250 "fanboy", but for a sound set of reasons: it is of equal quality, capacity and capability as AP 900 for LESS money (not a lot less, but nonetheless less). And there is NOTHING else in it's range that competes/compares... You have to go a step DOWN to the new CGEPro (and it's HC still has the "don't work so good in cold weather issue - OP is in Massachusetts)... And is new/yet to be proven (which implies some future FW updates methinks)...

To go UP from MI-250, you are directly in AP1200 class/price range, or the Taks (which need a dedicated PC - maybe an issue, maybe not)... Only "close" alternative (price and capacity) might be the Losmandy Titan (with which I have ZERO experience, and hence no opinion).

It is clearly a step above ANYTHING that Meade, Celestron, or Vixen make (quality, capacity) anywhere near the price.

I haven't "played with" the Paramount, or anything more "uber" than an AP1200... but I am not regretting going the MI-250 route one iota...

(btw: I should note for the record that I was positively DROOLING over the features of the Mach1GTO - the engineer in me positively loved the concept of central through-routing of cables, etc... But, alas, it did NOT have the "future proofing" capacity I required).

I still think that OP should go either the MI-250 (new) route, or that $6500 AP900 that's out there - either would do him fabulously.

clear enough skies for us all, no matter our mounts!

--------------------
Dave

Imaging: MI-250+ADM/SBS/Optec Libra: C11Hyperstar,TMB80SS
Visual: XT10i RTP
EP: 31T5,22T4,17T4,12T4,13Ethos,10XW,8Ethos;2x Powermate,Paracorr, 1.6X Antares, Hyperion8-24Zoom
Cameras: Mallincam Color Hyper Plus, QHY8
Guider: SBIG STV eFinder
Key Add-ons: Gerbings Heated clothes, WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO#90), Speco 9"Monitor

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