Speedmaster

Yeah that’s quite a dig up!!! But I thought the title was perfect. question is simple: what photo tripod would you recommend for a skytee 2? I already have a manfrotto element which is I believe given for an 8kg charge. Not enough I think would be for a C8. Thx

Thanks to all of you for your valuable inputs. To be more specific, here is how I use the mount. I believe I know the basics: alt lock is never engaged in a session. Only for blocking the scope when changing EP or installing/uninstalling the scope. The clutches are there to adjust the friction on both axis and therefore to give more « weight » to the movement and to block some movement due to slight unbalance . For me, the problem is with the alt axis. The az axis is very smooth. I use only a very slight adjustment on the clutch. The alt axis clutch is never fully loose. More often is pretty tight because of this unbalance with the bino. with a diagonal it feels much more light and only requires a small touch on the clutch. With the bino it can have a small touch on the clutch but as it approaches zenith it needs more and more pressure on the clutch. Which I understand is normal because of the large offset due to the bino. Anyway movement by hand is fluid and smooth but not THAT smooth as with the clutches totally loose. But do some people really achieve perfect balance with all clutches off, at all angle And without any additional weights or accessory? Don’t think so… Slo mos are used without much problems (and only when alt lock is disengaged). With clutches loose (when It can) and with clutches tightened to keep the scope balanced. Is there a range where they work better? Damping adj are always in the 0 position (position just before feeling the blocking of the thread) Only issue I found with slo mo is some stuttering on the alt axis when the adjusters are set to this 0 position (almost tight). When I fully tight both, the stutter is gone but I get a small dead zone where I turn the slo mo wheel but I get no movement. I have to keep turning it to have movement.

Thanks for your reply. Indeed the planet is a beautiful piece of kit and looks solid as a rock. It is my next upgrade for now the uni is doing a fine job. i had a look and tried your 45 degrees tip. It is ok but still not “plug and play”. What do you mean by “if the mount is properly adjusted”? Do I need to adjust something, how do I know what to adjust? It is used but was used with care. I also tightened a bit the alt clutch while balancing. Also balancing with a bino (baader maxbright 2) is much more sensitive than with regular diagonal/ep. Balancing changes dramatically as you reach the zenith, so it is never “perfect” throughout the entire alt axis. mount’s behavior is a bit strange/difficult/different from what I’ve been used to. The giro ercole for ex was less painful to set and to use, but also had much less features. What I understood with the Rowan is that you can’t have your telescope perfectly balanced and have that buttery smooth movement you get when you loose the clutches.

Hi. I’m in north east so not so good skies thanks to all of you for your kind words

hi to everyone here. beautiful set up with that ioptron 😉 my AZ100 sits on a UNI 18, feels quite sturdy to me. But wonder how the planet would feel...(yeah i love wood) Anyway i put my hands on a used AZ100 with DSC pro a few weeks ago and so far it worked very well. But as i'm just starting with that beautiful mount, i'm seeking for advices and tips because it is not that user friendly as other az mounts i tried. First the balancing seem absolutely criticial with this mount and a bit hard to get. it is so smooth that even the slightest movement of the scope forward or backward on the saddle unbalances the scope (Altair 125edf). I had to "invente" new techniques to get the balance done 😄 and still not perfect yet. How do you do yours? Just note that i have no cw and that my scope is on the right side of the mount. thx

Hi everyone, i've been reading this forum for a while now, being a regular FLO customer (not so since brexit tbh) and also gathering info regarding the Rowan AZ100 and other mounts and scopes. Stargazing is international and from my home in france, i enjoy reading reviews and tips from the Uk, US, and everywhere where i can understand the language 🙂 I'm not an astrophotographer per se, but only a sky photographer 😉 (moon, sun, milkyway) for now. Looking fwd for my first real AP once i get the proper gear and knowledge. But my first enjoyment is to just observe In the meantime see you all in the forum!