PaulB

Hi Shaun,

Thanks for the reply. I have done that so we will see whether it works. I have a C9.25 OTA that I want to use. And I am convinced the MT-II Pro will carry the weight. The issue I had was both clutches not being tight enough to hold that weight. I will do some testing on the next clear night, to see whether my pointing accuracy has improved. Now both clutches are good an tight

Good evening Peter,

Yes. The Horizon 8115 is a better tripod than the one I have.  And yes. The 102 will attach to the tripod. The thread is a standard tripod thread. 

Rock steady. Yes. But you would be advised to buy a something similar to the one in the link. So you can keep the object centralised, without the need to move the pan a tilt head, of your tripod.

http://www.altairastro.com/Micro-Adjustable-Geared-XYAZ-Head-for-Guide-Scope-Polarie.html

I think FLO will also have something in stock that will do the same thing.

I would definitely consider buying a good quality eyepiece. Skywatcher produce some good eyepieces. But the one's that they supply to get you started. Tend to be cheap.

If you want a good allrounder. Than a Zoom eyepiece is ideal. I own a Vixen LV 8-24mm. Which is a very good all rounder.  Ideal for the Moon and bright planets. Skywatcher do a nice  8-24mm zoom eyepiece. But they are not cheap. Typically £50-60 pounds.

Saturn. Well that's a tricky one.

With the planet now getting lower in our sikes. I have not had any really good views.

However. Jupiter which is now nearing opposition. Should give you hours of enjoyment at the eyepiece. You will see the GRS together with numerous cloud belts and other features.

Once you get familiar with your telescope. You might want to consider a small GOTO mount. Then you can really begin to enjoy using the SkyMak 102.