Warp7 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:57 pm
If traveling is your main concern, why did you pick this mount over the AM5 or RainbowAstro? The cost?
Hi Warp7,
Rainbow is beyond my budget.
I compared the AM5 vs HEM27 and found HEM27 more favourable. I don't have it now, will post the camparison table later.
I was about to buy the HEM27 in Nov when iOptron advised me that they have rolled out the HAE27 which I naturally went for.
I owned iEQ45, iEq45Pro, Smart EQ, CEM25, CEM60 and CEM120 mounts and used them for many years with astro clubs (rough handling by students).I find the iOptron mounts offer good value for money. Their mounts very reliable and technical support very helpful. I was a beta tester for their CEM60 mounts and got to know the company's culture of continual improvement for their products. In the past 12 years of using the different mounts I encountered few defects, all were resolved very promptly and professionally. In fact I have left a CEM60 and a CEM120 mount under a tarpaulin cover in a garden for 3 years and they are both functioning well.
With such positive experience with iOptron mounts and the AM5 mount offering about similar performance (actual iOptron's HAE29 is marginally better) and both in similar price bracket, my decision to go for the HAE29 was a quite straight forward one.
Alfred