SCANS

Hi Ags, not that I'm aware of. Even if you could do a firmware upgrade like on the GTi/Gte versions, there isn't anywhere to mount a counterweight bar. There might be a way to modify one of the saddles to receive one, but that would reduce it to single scope capacity while only gaining one kilo over the 5kg GTi payload limit. Sure, that's 20%, but it doesn't seem like it would be a particularly elegant solution compared to a GTi. I suppose one might be able to craft some sort of wedge like Celestron does for the NexStar SE scopes, though for the trouble and risks such a solution might pose for the gear, it's questionable what they'd gain by doing so, verses just getting an actual EQ mount with sufficient capacity.

Yes. I've done that several times when I just want to get going without bothering to align. Tracking isn't as accurate and using goto for subsequent objects seldom hits the mark, but that isn't a big deal, I just centre the new object, hit the 'point and track' button again and enjoy the view. It's really nice on unsettled nights when I get a break in the clouds and I've grabbed my scope, rushed outside, turned on the mount and started viewing within a minute or two.

Hey Sharpe! I just ordered an ST102. Should be here Friday thus guaranteeing a week of cloud. Similar to Cjg, it will be paired with a 6SE. Will be mounting the two on one of those funky new SW AZ-GTiX mounts that I purchased from FLO . . . huge props to them from me too - awesome customer support even for the other side of the Atlantic! Will let you know how it goes. P.S. Kudos to the SGL community for the helpful constructive discussion about these scopes. Such supportive and knowledgeable advice keeps me motivated. Greatly appreciated 😊

Yep, they can be rotated. Haven't tried it with mine yet as I'm still in info overload as I explore refractor options for ours, but someone else did. They said you just loosen the three grub screws on the left saddle and you can spin it around to match the right side. Easy way to gain a few more grams of payload capacity.

Hey Stu, the left side mount has three hex screws that might be able to be loosened so as to rotate that clamp per your idea. I'd just as soon not mess with mine, but it certainly looks like it could be done.

Another magical thing about this little mount is that it seems to have weather defying properties. Contrary to the disclaimer that FLO affixes to their packages, ours did NOT contain clouds. In our first week of ownership, we had four nights of pretty good seeing, including the day it arrived 😁

I had the same thing with the NexStar mount and the 6SE, but like you, hardly noticeable with the AZ-GTiX. Probably not payload related because our entire OTA only weighs 4.47kg. Might be magic 😁

Yeah, that one 1kg is a 20% gain and with the ability to load the other side with another 4kg of gear, it becomes a viable option for a lot of systems that were just on the edge with an AZ-GTi. If it helps, our 6SE CST rig weighs 4.47kg complete with dew shield and everything else that we use for our EAA sessions, and it tracks well enough for 20 second exposures using an ASIair. It might even do 30 seconds, but I haven't had any targets in the right place in the sky to warrant trying that yet.

Definitely some shift when I touch my SE6 to focus, but perhaps not quite as bad as the NexStar mount. The good news is that it calms down within a second or two and it never interfered with my ability to getting our camera to focus at high magnification. Perhaps the design of the tripod dampens the effect somewhat? Or maybe it's just a matter of perception being influenced by the excitement of having a new mount? Not sure, but it isn't an issue for me. YMMV 👍

Maybe, but one would presumably lose the use of one of the sides. Balance could become an issue too. That said, never underestimate the pioneering spirit of astronomers and our will to experiment 😁

It's awesome!!! Received one from FLO on Wednesday. Nice addition to our kit. It handles our 6SE CST with ease, tracks well for EAA, and the 'point and track' function is brilliant. Plus with dual encoders (Freedom Find), I can disengage the motors anytime to guide it myself. Still working out how to control it via ASIair though. They link up just fine over wifi, but tracking and goto from the ASI app are a mess, so I must be missing something in the alignment process, but considering that this is only my third night out with it, I'm not overly concerned with that. For now, SynScan does the job for alignment and tracking and the ASIair just goes along for the ride.

And one more reference to consider: 110 Things to See With a Telescope, by John A. Read and Chris Vaughn https://www.amazon.ca/110-Things-See-Telescope-Stargazing/dp/1777451752 Read is an astrophysicist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where he operates the Burke-Gaffney Observatory at Saint Mary’s University. The book is an easy to use guide to observing the Messier list. I received a copy for Christmas and will be using it for my own quest to complete the list in 2022. Good luck to all on your own quests in the year ahead.

Yes, a few outdated references, but the advice holds up extremely well. Great resource with all the key recommendations that I’ve found helpful all in one place. My only issue is with binoculars. Personally, I don’t get the attraction, but so many experienced astronomers recommend them strongly so I won’t refute their advice. Still, in my case, I’ve yet to find a pair that I can adjust properly to see through them clearly with both eyes open. And I’ve tried many pairs. Thus, I’m very content with my scope, a red dot finder and my lowest power eyepiece. But get a good finder. I upgraded mine to a Baader SkySurfer III and can now star hop with ease. Another thought: if you’re determined to jump in and just buy something right away, I don’t think a beginner could go too far wrong in purchasing an 8” dobsonian (or 6” if their budget is tight). I’ve only had mine for a couple months, but all my research pointed me in the same direction, and it really is an amazing device.