Telescope Reviews: Why an EQ?

You know Bob, these things can be as simple or as complex as you make them.

You did not really say what kind of refractor you were going to get, or what your intended purpose was.

If the scope is small and you are a purely visual observer, there are a number of simple Alt-az mounts on the market that will do fine.

On the other hand, a GOOD alt-az mount for a larger refractor can become VERY expensive, and often, you STILL need to resort to counterweigts to keep it balanced. So, if you are going to have to manage counterweights anyway, the difference between the Alt-az and the GEM are not so great in terms of setting up.

A GEM mount doesn't NEED to be complicated to use.. You can buy a basic GEM (CG5) for LESS than a decent quality Alt-az mount and get the benefit of slow motion controls and single control tracking.. You don't need to accuratly align a GEM to get the benefit of the design. If you just plop it down and do a rough alignment, you can easily keep a target centered with just the RA slow motion control. YOu now don't have to worry about clutches and center of gravity shift when changing from big eyepieces to small ones.

And for only a LITTLE more money, you can get a Go-to GEM (used LXD55s sell for less that $250). This way EVEN IF YOU DON'T USE the Go-to, you STILL get tracking and electronic slow motion.. This helps you prevent touching the telescope so that when viewing at high powers you aren't always waiting for the telescope to settle every time you touch it to re-center your target. And you get the benefit of multile slew rates for times when you wish to just sweep the sky. I use my 6" Refractor on a giant GEM, and half the time I use it, mostly I have a very low power eyepiece and I am sweeping.. The GEM lets me make very controlled sweeps.. I sweep about 30 degrees of declination, then move the scope a couple of minutes in RA, then make another long sweep. None of this requires precise alignment or anything.

And of course if you get the Go-to, it COMES with the equivilent of Digital Setting Circles BUILT IN! If you add these to an Alt-az, you will spend MORE ON THE EQUIPMENT to upgrade an Alt-az than you would spend just BUYING a GEM mount.

And of course there is Go-To.. When I use my big refractor for Double Stars, I can do 20 in an hour. I don't have to star hop or hunt and peck around the sky.. I plug in the coordinates and the scope goes to the target.

So, You can still get great value out of a GEM mount even if it is not Go-to.

All that being said? If you don't want to MESS with it, then that is an entirely different issue. Just buy the best Alt-az you can afford and be done with it.

Good luck with the decision.