Orion EQ-26 Motorized Equatorial Telescope Mount and Tripod

It all started when my EQ-3 mount's flimsy aluminum legs each encountered a failure. So I set off to find a replacement mount that was sturdier.My first consideration was the EQ-13. I was accustomed to manual pointing and did have the add-on RA clock drive for my EQ-3. But the EQ-13's add-on drive was unavailable anywhere I looked. Other GEM mounts with built-in drives were at least $900 USD. So I decided to step up to the EQ-26 for just under $700. Although my existing telescope only weighs 10lbs, a larger scope would be a consideration down the road. And I didn't want to have to order yet another mount when that happened.The mount shipped in two boxes. Both shipped promptly the day after I placed the order, and arrived in good condition. There was no included instruction sheet in either box. However, I was able to quickly locate a PDF version at Orion's website.Assembly was straight forward. I had the whole thing put together in under 30 minutes. My first impression was that it was rock solid! I was able to balance my small scope using a single counterweight. So the other one that came in the box went on the shelf for use with a heavier telescope.I had researched ahead of time and learned that an external 12V power supply would be needed. Since I observe from my back yard, I opted to save money and get a plug-in 5 amp power supply rather than a portable unit. Powering up for the first time went exactly as expected with no issues.Even though I had no experience using a polar scope, I was able to get great polar alignment on my first try. Yay!It took me a little while to get used to driving the scope with a hand controller. I'm still a bit awkward with it, having only one night of use under my belt. I've been pointing my scope by hand for so long, that it's become second nature to me. Manual pointing is possible on the EQ-26 if you simply unlock the RA and DEC switches. Once set on each target, the drive perfectly tracked dead center in the eyepieces for several minutes on end. I didn't notice any backlash or periodic errors during my observing session. It also held steady each time I swapped eyepieces or accidentally bumped the telescope.I've read in other reviews that people complain that the drive is always on while the mount is connected to power. I found that there is an off position between the N/S drive direction selector on the hand controller. Perhaps I have an updated unit. Or perhaps the other reviewers simply didn't notice it.I understand that Orion is working on a GoTo addition to the EQ-26. For me, part of the enjoyment of observing is locating targets myself. So I probably won't be interested in a GoTo upgrade. But I think it's great that one is being worked at this time.Overall, I am extremely pleased with this mount!

Very well made, all metal great quality. Smooth movement, low noise. We’ll worth what I paid and then some. The only thing that they could have done better was to make it GOTO, but that’s in the works. For what others spend on just the mount, I got the whole setup! Orion means quality!

I bought this mount to replace the non-motorized Orion SkyView Deluxe EQ mount that I’ve had since the ‘90s (RA motors are no longer available for it, and I have been unable to find anything compatible.)This mount, the Orion EQ-26 is fantastic! The tripod legs are very sturdy, and the RA and Dec motors swung my 6” reflector around with ease. The Vixen style dovetail makes it a breeze to remove your scope when transporting and setting up the mount. The included hand-held controller can slew as fast as 800x sidereal rate, or as slow as 1.25x sidereal rate, which is great for finding objects and fine-tuning them into the center of your field of view.If there were anything that I would have liked to have been included with this mount, it would be:1) a built in dim red light to illuminate the reticle on the polar alignment scope.2) an option on the hand-held controller for solar and lunar tracking speeds.Neither of those things were dealbreakers for me, but they would have been nice additions.All in all, this is a very good equatorial mount, and I couldn’t be happier with it!