EQ Mountings

Equatorial Mounts: The Indispensable Basis for Deep-Sky Photography In the world of astrophotography, the Equatorial mount (EQ) the absolute gold standard. Whereas a standard tripod or Alt-Az mount merely follows the starry sky in a simple left-right motion, an EQ mount is designed to precisely mirror the earth's axis. By accurately aligning the mount with the celestial pole (Pole Star), the telescope rotates in a natural arc with the stars. This not only eliminates object motion, but also prevents ‘image rotation. This process is essential for those who want to achieve exposure times of several minutes to capture the faint structures of nebulae and distant galaxies on Telescoop.nl.

Choosing an EQ mount is all about mechanical tolerances and drive stability. A small deviation in the gears (backlash) can already lead to blurred stars at a focal length of 1000mm. This is why at Telescoop.nl we only select mounts that have earned their spurs in practice. Whether you are working with a light apochromatic refractor or a heavy Newton telescope, the right equatorial mount is the foundation of your success.

The Evolution of EQ Technology: From Worm Wheel to Strain Wave Within our range of EQ mounts in 2026, we make a clear distinction between the two main drive technologies:

  • Classic German Equatorial Mounts (GEM): The familiar workhorses such as the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Whether the heavy EQ8-R. These mounts use precision worm wheels and counterweights. They offer tremendous mass inertia, making them ideally suited for fixed setups in an observatory where stability against wind gusts is crucial.

  • Harmonic Drive / Strain Wave EQ Mounts: The revolution of recent years. Mounts such as the ZWO AM5N and the iOptron HAE-series use technology from robotics. These mounts have virtually no gear backlash and can support impressive weight without the need for heavy counterweights. This makes them the preferred choice for the mobile astrophotographer seeking top performance in a portable package.

Maximum Control: GoTo and Autoguiding Virtually every modern EQ mount on Telescoop.nl is equipped with an advanced GoTo System. With a database of tens of thousands of objects, the mount will take your telescope to the desired nebula or galaxy at the push of a button. However, for the very best results, we recommend the integration of Autoguiding. By using a secondary camera that sends small corrections to the EQ mount, residual tracking errors are corrected in real time.

The result is a setup that can expose continuously for hours with sub-arc second precision. When combined with accessories such as the ZWO ASIAIR or a Electronic Pole Finder, achieving perfect polar alignment has become a piece of cake. At Telescoop.nl, we are at your service with technical advice to perfectly match the carrying capacity (payload) of your mount to your telescope and camera, so that your view of the universe remains undisturbed.