-
Posts
14 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Reputation
5 NeutralProfile Information
-
Location
Houston, Texas
Recent Profile Visitors
The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.
-
I like the Tenba bag the best so far. Seems much more roomy than the Pelican cases I was looking at as well. Thank you for the recommendation.
-
The Really Useful box and Wex bag are just the types I was looking for. I appreciate it!
-
Does anyone here have a case or bag recommendations for this mount and/or the tripod (Berlebach Planet)? I like to observe at a site a short drive from my house, and am looking for a more elegant solution than reusing the DHL cardboard box it shipped in.
-
Correct! I definitely want to use this mount manually for several months and observing sessions. After seeing how it handles a 120ED + C11 side by side, then possibly order the GoTo motors—and also once reviews of Rowan’s upcoming hand controller exist. I only observe from a dark site (Class 2 Bortle) several hours away from my city by car. I want to see how quickly I can pack the mount and tripod in my car and then reassemble at the site.
-
Heads up for American buyers for this mount: add about $200 or 6% extra to the purchase price, due to the import duty. DHL gives you 5 days to decide before returning the parcel back to England. The estimated total is $4100 for the AZ100 package: $2600 for mount (+ encoders + various accessories like the pier) $200 for mount import taxes $915 for tripod (Berlebach Planet) $400 for Nexus DSC Pro I bought this as a 30th birthday present/splurge for me, and I hope it lasts for many years unlike my Celestron mount.
-
@Stephenstargazer I ordered the AZ100 mount with encoders (but no motors) exactly for the reasons you described: the slow-motion controls, even with motors turned off, feel different and "have more resistance" per the manual. @swsantos I am glad you installed the GoTo kit yourself and found it easy. Had that not been the case, I would have ordered the motor kit with the mount yesterday. I even watched the YouTube videos showing how it's done. I have never used a Push-To or Alt-Az mount before, coming from an AVX. I wanted to experience what a high-end manual mount feels like with high-power views and only slow motion controls. Besides, the GoTo kit at 1200 GBP/~1500 USD is a lot of change for me. Prior to the pandemic, I remember when that amount could get you a very decent mount + tripod.
-
Thank you for the detailed explanation! Order has been placed. The amount for the tripod and mount was 3x what I had originally planned, but that is why I also missed out on the T-Rex mount when it was widely available.
-
Rowan owners, I need your advice please on which configuration would be best, GoTo or Push To. i) AZ100 + Encoders + GoTo motors or ii) AZ100 + Encoders + DSC Pro Assume you had the Berlebach Planet tripod and were dual-mounting a 120ED (20 lbs total) and a C11 (35 lbs). Magnification of targets generally from 120x-280x. I would prefer keeping the mount simple to use and set up with minimal technology--given a negative experience with an AVX GoTo GEM.
-
I stand corrected after having read that thread. Okay, Rowan AZ100 it is.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
I forgot to respond to you earlier. Thank you for mentioning a mount which wasn’t on my radar. I am physically active and young so mount head/tripod weight is not a concern for me, unless over 100 lbs. I likely will just order the AZ100 (or similar) without any motors to have a sturdy and simple alt-az mount. It’s similar to why I have Bluetooth and wired headphones. It feels good to just plug and play something in a 3.5mm jack.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
Thank you for sharing. Page 8 is key. I wanted a mount that I can pick up with the 120ED on it and start observing within seconds from my rooftop balcony. No power supply or phone or cables needed. This is 90% of my observing session due to my career. The AZ100 can function that way, but not if I order it with the GoTo motor configuration. I think I may need to buy two mounts to get what I want. An unpowered high quality alt-az for quick sessions after work and a GoTo mount for dark site trips 2-3x/year.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
I will try this. Thank you. I ordered a replacement hand controller, cleaned out all the connection points with isopropyl alcohol, and switched from lithium battery to in-wall power supply. No luck with those. The astro shop from where I purchased the mount diagnosed it and checked the connections. They suggested sending it back to Celestron since they could not identify the issue.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
From my understanding, if you order the AZ100 with encoders + GoTo motors, 1. You have the option of using it with or without electric power? 2. If so how quickly can you transition between powered and manual mode? I wasted 10h driving to and from a dark site because my AVX didn’t work, and using it manually is not feasible at higher powers. Given the enthusiasm here I think the Rowan will be my pick.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with:
-
Hello everyone. I am looking for suggestions for a replacement mount for my 120ED refractor (about 22 lbs/10 kg total with EPs and accessories). I am drawn to a manual alt-az such as the Gibraltar, and admire the simplicity, the lack of electricity/cables/hand controllers, etc. However, it would be nice to have optional GoTo capability along with tracking for high-magnification objects. Current contenders include: TV Gibraltar HD5 Rowan AZ100 NoH Mount CT-30 DiscMount DM-6 Desert Sky DSV-3 I currently have a AVX with Error Code 16/17 issues. Due to 2-way shipping and repair costs from Celestron, I am not sure what to do with it given that I bought it for $650 in 2013.
- 12 replies
-
- gibraltar
- rowan astronomy
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with: