Alt-Azimuth Deluxe Mount and Others

[Jon65]

Hi All,

I am considering an alt-az mount in the near future.

There is certainly a lot of choice now compared to a few years ago and therefore difficult decisions to be made.

I intend to mount a SW 150mm F5 reflector as a grab 'n' go on one and have read a few threads on this forum regarding the Skywatcher SkyTee-2 Alt-azimuth mount and AZ4 mount.

I came across the link below (GSO Mount) on the Orion Optics site and it seems ideal with the advantage stated;

"If you try to point the instrument at the zenith (90° up) the instrument will collide with the tripod of the mount.. Ours does not have the same problem."

Anyone on here used one.

I''ve read the AZ4 will have the above problem with a 6" reflector mounted plus it will be on the weight limit.

Anyone know if the Skywatcher SkyTee-2 Alt-azimuth mount would also have this problem on a tripod.

I have a short version Vixen pillar mount knocking about that once had a Vixen GP eq head and was wondering if the Sky Tee would fit on it.

There is also the Vixen Porta II Mount to be considered.

GSO Mount

Thanks

Jon

[andrew63]

Hi John

Just bought one of the orion mounts, it is very sturdy and you can mount it at an angle for better overhead viewing. With the poor skies had no chance to use it yet. This is a photo with my 4" ED refractor.

regards, andrew

[Jon65]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your reply.

I think if I get an Alt-Az mount it will be a decision between the GSO from OO or the Skywatcher Sky Tee 2. Though I'm in no rush at the moment.

I take it there is no issue with balance of the scope if the arm is angled to point the scope directly overhead and there is plenty of clearance from the tripod legs.Whats the FL of your 100mm refractor.

cheers

Jon

[great_bear]

I myself have been very, very tempted by this GSO mount recently. How does it feel weight-wise? Would you think twice about carrying it up a steep hill?

[Jon65]

Jeremy,

They weigh 6.2kg and can take up to a 7kg ota.

With a 5kg 150mm F5 reflector attached its a large grab n go at 11kg in total weight.

Though a 102 or even 120mm ST refractor should be very manageable.

Jon

[Cloudwatcher]

The GSO mount looks good,has it's own tripod and is certainly lighter than the SkyTee 2 but I think the later more versatile........ dual mountings with separate clamps........ you can mount two scopes and look at two different parts of the sky at the same time,if you see what I mean.

I have had an 8" S/Newt pointing at the zenith with no problem.......... don't have a picture but heres one of the mount with a 6" and 4" refractor in place. The 6" weighs 10kg and the 4",pointing at zenith,7kg approx.

[Jon65]

Hi Cloudwatcher,

Thats a great set up.

I have to consider £258 for the GSO v £384 for the Sky Tee 2 (p&p inc.for both).

I see what you mean by it being versatile,I reckon the Sky Tee 2 is worth the extra outlay over the long term, and to have no concerns about weight.

I can see my new SW 150mm reflector on one side and a 127mm Mak or a 102mm ST refractor the other, that would be nice..........

Jon

[andrew63]

A lovely setup, the more standard az4 porta or orion alt all do roughly the same thing. I use mine with 4" ref at F9 which is getting a bit long for thses mounts as these tripods are small which is the compromise for portability. The eyepiece position in a long tube refrac is low, but a compromise i can handle.

I like the mount over the AZ4 i owned as its more versatile. You can mount the head up or at an angle, which is also secure which helps for overhead with good gap to legs. But it can also be mounted to the right or left, so it will be useful for left sided mounted scopes such as the C6 or C5 - if you mount these to the right az4 and porta the finder will be at the bottom of tube and focus at top as some people have found!

My AZ4 froze on altitude axis so it went back but i feel all 3 mounts do a good job for grab and go. When the stars come out again i'll post my thoughts. But the mount is ok to use with a F9 refra but not ideal - would not want to use it with an F11, but is perfect for a F7 refrac short tube 6" relfector and C5 C6 xlt - which i may well use on the mount in the future.

andrew

[Druid]

Apologies for bumping this old thread, but I have some new info to add.

I received this GSO alt-az mount, also known as the Astro-Tech Voyager, a few weeks ago. Mine is the TS branded version.

Last night, one of the pivots attaching the spread to the aluminium tripod came off. I wasn't doing anything especially violent to it at the time, just spreading the legs before putting my scope on it.

I tried reattaching but the threading in the holes through the thin aluminium legs was trashed, so the four small screws holding it on would no longer gain purchase.

I've since found at least two other people posting saying they've had exactly the same problem on Cloudy Nights and some other forum.

I'm currently debating whether to try to fix it, probably by getting a different tripod, or just giving up on it and getting a different mount.

APM list a Berlebach Uni-17 tripod as a recommended alternative on their site for example, but there's a good few mm of play in the head also, so I'm not sure that it's worth the effort unless that's fixable.

[allen g]

google "DiscMount" by Tom Peters. It has repeatedly reported to be the best Alt-Az set up and great for grab n go. Look at the DM-4 model.

[rowan46]

google "DiscMount" by Tom Peters. It has repeatedly reported to be the best Alt-Az set up and great for grab n go. Look at the DM-4 model.

I looked at the disc mount a while ago but that price

[Druid]

Yeah, mental prices for DiscMount (and the T-Rex) and no UK dealer as far as I could find.

If you're going to spend that much, might as well look at AZEQ6GT ...

I've been looking at Giros, Unistars and Skytees too.

[ibraidwo]

I recently bought a Skytee II.

Great mount, however my F11 4" frac is very low when looking straight up - I am considering a pillar extension. You also may need to move the tripod around (again when looking close to the zenith) else the eyepiece end could touch a tripod leg.

I rarely point my scope straight up though and there is no problem with my ZS66 on the other clamp.