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skybsd
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/01/08

EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8?
#4265072 - 12/22/10 03:12 PM

Aussie Astro community buzz suggests that the recently showcased Skywatcher-EQ-7 has been terminated in favour of another mount.

Synta's AP distributor (Tasco) apparently released the following announcement:

"Skywatcher announces that production of the EQ7 has been terminated and a new EQ8 is in design"

Merry X'Mas all

Regards,

skybsd

Post Extras:

nemo129
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/03/10

Loc: WMass

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: skybsd]
#4265130 - 12/22/10 03:31 PM

Well, that didn't last long. I love the speculation that the reason was '7' being an unlucky number in Chinese Culture. Some building in the west have no 13th floor!

Merry Xmas to you skybsd!

Post Extras:

skybsd
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/01/08

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: nemo129]
#4265182 - 12/22/10 03:45 PM

Hi Kirk,
Fun, isn't it

Many happy returns!!!

Regards,

skybsd

Post Extras:

MaciekA
member

Reged: 10/05/10

Loc: Toronto, Canada

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: nemo129]
#4265295 - 12/22/10 04:24 PM

Quote:

Well, that didn't last long. I love the speculation that the reason was '7' being an unlucky number in Chinese Culture. Some building in the west have no 13th floor!

Merry Xmas to you skybsd!

You'd be surprised how seriously that is taken, even in the west. Where I live there are dozens of buildings (including mine) no 13th floor (for the westerners), and there are no floors ending in 4 (in respect of Chinese culture, since there are many Chinese people in this area).

I haven't heard of 7 being their unlucky number, and 4 is definitely out, but I'd personally never underestimate the importance of those types of things in marketing across various continents/cultures.

Cheers,

Post Extras:

adamsp123
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 11/20/08

Loc: welshpool mid wales UK

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: MaciekA]
#4265300 - 12/22/10 04:26 PM

8 is lucky in China, so maybe it is the same mount renamed.
and number 4 is definately out!

Post Extras:

nemo129
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/03/10

Loc: WMass

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: MaciekA]
#4265340 - 12/22/10 04:46 PM

Quote:

You'd be surprised how seriously that is taken, even in the west. Where I live there are dozens of buildings (including mine) no 13th floor (for the westerners), and there are no floors ending in 4 (in respect of Chinese culture, since there are many Chinese people in this area).

I haven't heard of 7 being their unlucky number, and 4 is definitely out, but I'd personally never underestimate the importance of those types of things in marketing across various continents/cultures.

Cheers,

Maybe unlucky is too strong of a word. From the thread I read, it seems to be associated with spirits and ghosts in eastern cultures.
You are correct about the marketing aspect, numbers are free and if one has connotative association, it is just prudent to move along to one without issues, and apparently 8 is supposed to be a lucky number for the Chinese(thank you adamsp123). If it is more respectful to avoid certain things without causing undue issues...why not? The world could use more respect! Cheers!

Post Extras:

skybsd
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/01/08

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: nemo129]
#4368262 - 02/06/11 06:35 PM

Some photos of the Skywatcher EQ8 at the start of this thread at another site.

Post Extras:

orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/10/09

Loc: Singapore

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: skybsd]
#4368599 - 02/06/11 09:06 PM

8 = money to the Chinese.

but they don't consider 13 to be unlucky, so most/all buildings i've been to have a 13th floor. dunno about the US (never been there) but in my home country of Philippines which used to be a US colony, 13 is unlucky and I've never seen a building with a 13th floor.

Post Extras:

pennyandchris
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 01/30/07

Loc: Horsham, England

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: orlyandico]
#4369220 - 02/07/11 07:31 AM

Strange, cos' the Skywatcher importer was exhibiting the EQ8 at UK Astrofest over the weekend.

Very substantial looking mount. Way beyond what I want/need.

Edited by pennyandchris (02/07/11 07:33 AM)

Post Extras:

neveruseforever
member

Reged: 11/25/09

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: pennyandchris]
#4370036 - 02/07/11 02:48 PM

I have seen Synta said the new mount was never named as EQ7. Nor EQ8 probably. Because there are already some cheap mount (by other Chinese companies) named EQ7 & EQ8.

Post Extras:

Twilight
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 06/03/10

Loc: Englewood Tennessee

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: neveruseforever]
#4371406 - 02/08/11 03:18 AM

How do you get to the 14 floor if there is no 13th? Serious question.

Post Extras:

bardo
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 09/13/09

Loc: US

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: Twilight]
#4371443 - 02/08/11 04:38 AM

by elevator.

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: Twilight]
#4371529 - 02/08/11 06:16 AM

Quote:

How do you get to the 14 floor if there is no 13th? Serious question.

You hit the "up" button.

Post Extras:

borix
super member

Reged: 04/24/07

Loc: The Netherlands

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: skybsd]
#4373734 - 02/09/11 03:47 AM

Quote:

Some photos of the Skywatcher EQ8

Why do they still use this bad power connector?

All other connectors seem to be much more secure.

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: borix]
#4373822 - 02/09/11 05:58 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Some photos of the Skywatcher EQ8

Why do they still use this bad power connector?

All other connectors seem to be much more secure.

"Seem." I've never had any trouble with the power connector on my EQ6.

Post Extras:

Planemo
sage

Reged: 08/07/10

Loc: Alabama Gulf Coast

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: rmollise]
#4374057 - 02/09/11 09:09 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Some photos of the Skywatcher EQ8

Why do they still use this bad power connector?

All other connectors seem to be much more secure.

"Seem." I've never had any trouble with the power connector on my EQ6.

The power connector on my Atlas did "seem" to not hold in very securely so I just wrap the wire a few times around the very secure HC connection and then plug it in, this way the connector won't get a load that may pull it out. I would have designed some kind of clamp or screw on plug-in had I been in charge.

Post Extras:

lightyear44
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 12/29/09

Loc: Ontario

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: Planemo]
#4374129 - 02/09/11 09:56 AM

Agreed, borix. When I had my Atlas, I had a terrible time with the power shorting-out. Whenever there was any movement of the power cable, it would shutdown for a split second, and I'd have to re-do the star allignment. A little piece of duct-tape at the beginning of each session eventually solved the problem, but that was just a band-aid. The connection for the hand-controller, was executed much better in the engineering dept. -David.

Post Extras:

lightyear44
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 12/29/09

Loc: Ontario

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: lightyear44]
#4374136 - 02/09/11 09:57 AM

....In fact, I knew another fella with the same problem. -David.

Post Extras:

alpal
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/15/09

Loc: Melbourne Australia.

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: lightyear44]
#4375891 - 02/10/11 05:33 AM

Has anyone got some photos or some specs of this EQ8?

The best photo would be a side by side comparison
with the EQ6.

The EQ6 can't handle anywhere near it's rated capacity when doing photography.
An EQ8 might be the solution for a lot of people with
big Newts on Dob mounts to just put them straight on
a large mount & start taking 10 minute sub frame photos.
WOW

Post Extras:

hapo
sage

Reged: 03/06/05

Loc: Europe

Re: EQ7 is dead, Long Live EQ-8? new

[Re: alpal]
#4376010 - 02/10/11 08:25 AM

The differences between EQ7/8 and EQ6 are like between CGE PRO and the CGEM. While CGEM is a redesign of EQ6, the Eq7/8 is a redesign of the CGE PRO. EQ7/8 is very much like the CGE PRO, in dimensions and desing, except a few differences from motors and software, and cosmetic.

Post Extras:

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