Star trackers
Fourteen kilograms with GoTo, or thirteen with bearings?
Two equatorial mounts of similar stated capacity, published on opposite terms. One gives its capacity and an alignment routine that works without sight of Polaris; the other gives its bearings, its dovetail standard and what the head alone weighs.
| Compared on | Advanced VX (91519) | Messier EXOS-2 EQ |
|---|---|---|
| Payload | 14 kg, as the maker publishes it | Up to 13 kg, as the maker publishes it for the tripod |
| Counterweight | Not published by the maker. | Not published by the maker. |
| Tracking rates | Not published by the maker. | Radial deep-groove ball bearings on both axes, per the maker |
| Polar alignment method | No polar finder and no clear view of Polaris required, as the maker states it | Not published by the maker. |
| Power source | Not published by the maker. | Not published by the maker. |
| Weight | Absent from this listing | 4.9 kg, as the maker publishes it |
| Head fitting | Not published by the maker. | GP-level prism seat |
A tick means one listing published something the other did not, or published a better figure. It does not mean the product is better, and the column is not a score out of anything: a maker who says less loses lines here without losing a comparison. The two verdicts below are where the page is settled.
The one that aligns without Polaris. For an observer whose sky is blocked to the north — a wall, a building, a hedge — that single stated capability decides whether the mount can be used at all. Its own weight is not published, which on a mount that has to be carried out is an omission.
The one that publishes its mechanics. Radial deep-groove bearings on both axes and a GP-level prism seat say how the mount is built and what will bolt to it; 4.9 kg for the head says what has to be lifted. Polar alignment is not described anywhere in the listing.
Because it decides which telescopes can be attached without an adapter. A GP-level seat accepts the narrow bars that most small and medium tubes carry.
Barely. What matters far more is how much of that capacity is used: both mounts behave better at half their rating than near it, particularly for imaging.
Yes — by measuring the drift of stars over time, or by a routine that models the sky from several pointings. One of these mounts states that its routine does not need Polaris in view.
14 kg stated capacity · computerised GoTo · alignment without Polaris
A computerised German equatorial GoTo mount with a stated capacity of 14 kg and an alignment routine that does not require sight of Polaris.
Best for: Imaging from a site where the pole is behind a building
≈ $1099 / €1199
13 kg stated capacity · GP-level dovetail · 4.9 kg head
An equatorial mount head with radial ball bearings on both axes, a stated capacity of 13 kg, a polar finder and a 4.5 kg counterweight, on a height-adjustable aluminium tripod.
Best for: Carrying a serious tube steadily, with room to motorise later
≈ £539 / €568
Any figure written into the body of this page was true on the day it was written. The amount shown next to each instrument is requested from the retailer as the page loads, and it is that amount, not the text, that stands.
