johnnyp

Some great replies so far thanks chaps. I have much to ponder ,but that's the best part for me

@Victor Boesen  thank you ,very useful info.

how did you find the scope without the counterweight and bar for the azt6? ..even with the ED72 I find alot smoother with it added. I only really use my azt6 for low power views.(I have a azgti for higher power observing)  What's the vibrations like at lower powers ?.

Cheers

John 

Hi all.  

I currently own an evostar 72ed. I've got it mounted on a azt6 travel mount with counterweight and I like the set up. I mostly use it for wide field low power stuff and occasionally as a spotting scope.  I'm after abit more aperture though, and was thinking of an st102 startravel as its not much heavier than the ED72, and I'm thinking I won't suffer too much chromatic aberration with mostly using it for low power wide field.  My other thought was to treat myself to a starfield 102ed for Christmas if it's worth it ?. My thinking with that is that I get the best of both worlds (aperture and no CA), but the azt6 may be at its limit, and I do want to keep using that particular mount. Decisions decisions. 

Your thoughts please ? 

Thanks in advance

John 

On 23/12/2021 at 00:53, Andrew_B said:

I treated myself to a Scopetech Mount Zero a few weeks ago and I couldn't be happier with it. Very lightweight and simple but surprisingly sturdy and a real joy to use.

Like other posters have said, it is sensitive to the balance of the scope but it's easy to tell if that needs adjusting because you can feel that it takes more effort to move the slow motion controls in one direction than the other. It's also worth taking the time to adjust it to your liking which can be done via the clutches and also by adjusting the brass nuts on the ends of the slow-mo mechanisms. Be subtle and take your time with it because you only need tiny adjustments of a fraction of a turn to find the right level of friction and to take out any slack in the mechanism, but it's easy to do with a couple of 13mm spanners and makes a real difference to the smoothness and accuracy of the mount.

many thanks for the insight. its very useful and appreciated. looking forward to receiving mine now

3 hours ago, KP82 said:

Slew by hand in the azimuth is very smooth, but could be a bit stiff in the altitude if you leave the clutchers in a position that allows for both slow motion and nudging. If you mainly use your small fracs for widefield sweeping, I'd say loose the altitude clutcher a little further. Just make sure you have the scope well balanced to avoid the nose or the tail hitting the mount/tripod by gravity when you let it go.

The zero isn't without any shortcomes. I believe it's designed primarily for 60 - 100mm refractors (most popular type of scopes in Japan I've heard). If you mount a 5 - 6" reflector/cassegrain on it, the azimuth clutcher knob could get in the way when you try to view some targets closer to the horizon.

thanks for this. I only plan to mount my evostar 72ed on it so should be no problem for this mount. nearly time to pull the trigger

7 hours ago, KP82 said:

I've had my zero for about 6 months now. It's very well made (typical japanese quality) and light weight. I use it for my 80 f/6 triplet on a modified ES ST-1 tripod with a pair of ADM slow motion knobs as a quick grab'n'go setup. If cool down isn't factored in, the whole thing is ready for use in less than 5 mins.  I also replaced the stock saddle with an ADM one as I prefer something that properly clamps onto the dovetail rather than relying on a single bolt.

The zero requires proper balance in the altitude axis if you want to keep the clutcher slightly loose (in the user manual it is advised not to over tighten the clutchers anyway) so that both slow motion and nudging can work at the same time. I used to have an Altair Sabre v2. Despite its very good build quality, smooth bearings and friction clutchers I still couldn't live without slow motion (at high mag), therefore I sold it.

this mount is starting to sound perfect for what I need. lightweight and no need to fiddle with clutches all the time. abit pricey for what it is but you only live once I guess. how smooth is it to slew around by hand?  many thanks for the feedback it's very useful 

14 minutes ago, Elp said:

Probably 1-2kg maybe a bit more, you'll also need a separate saddle, I used the William Optics one.

many thanks. Will defo look into this more. 

anyone with experiences of the scopetech zero? 

cheers 

John 

28 minutes ago, Elp said:

"what didn't you like about the starwave mini az?"

The friction clutches are a little lightweight so it kind of feels on or off. The cubo in comparison you can tighten to your liking so it holds the telescope in place yet still move it slowly if you want with the friction from the clutches.

ah that's makes sense. I don't think it will be for me then. I'll look at the tecnosky abit more. what does it weigh? 

9 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

I have my ST120 mounted on an AZ5 with a stainless steel tripod and it is up and ready in a couple of minutes, it is very steady and the slo mo controls are very smooth.

are you able to slew the scope without unlocking the clutches?  sounds like a nice set up either way

5 minutes ago, Elp said:

Azgti isn't too time consuming to setup, especially in altaz mode and with a crosshair reticule eyepiece, the mobile control and goto make it so much easier to use even if the goto can be off sometimes, I found it to be one of the best purchases for me anyway.

I literally observe  for 30 minutes maximum most of the time and am unable to leave the scope out for extended sessions. hence it doesn't work for me. our if interest, what didn't you like about the starwave mini az? 

47 minutes ago, Elp said:

The starwave mini has clutches so you can tighten both axis but I didn't find them very intuitive to use, I liked the appeal of the small mount but I sold it due to no use. For the same application I now have the tecnosky cubo which is much more heavy duty and precise tightening and easy to point. If you're used to slow motion controls however it might not suit you, an az5 may be better.

that technosky cubo looks nice is it available in the UK? 

39 minutes ago, Elp said:

Or even better an azgti.

thanks for the reply. I already have an az gti and I dislike the set up time involved. too much hassle for my observing habits and doesn't get used anymore,hence looking for something quick and hassle free to set up. as it happens I'm using a small dob mount for my 72ed which is from a zhumell 100mm reflector. it's ok but it won't go to zenith and its abit jerky in use. slow mo is not totally necessary but I like the fact that the scopetech can be slewed manually and also use slow mo without adjusting the clutches 

On 23/11/2021 at 16:25, Franklin said:

Depends if you have or intend to get other scopes that could benefit from a 2" diagonal. One will work with the 72ED but it will add weight and so too will a 2" eyepiece. A 1.25" diagonal paired with a 1.25" 24mm 68deg type eyepiece will give a 3.8deg field which is very good.. A 32mm plossl will give a similar FOV as well. 

I have the Baader 32mm T2 prism diagonal which can use 1.25" and 2" nosepieces.

I see you have a 24mm Hyperion, that can be used in either size diagonal.

thanks for the reply. I have gone for a 1.25 inch diagonal to save on weight.

hi all. just acquiring parts for my evostar 72ed. I have narrowed it down to either the scopetech zero or the altair astro starwave mini az. the scopetech has the advantage of slow mo, but if any users of the starwave can comment on how easy it is to track targets then that may influence my decision. 

Im looking for something lightweight and intuitive to use. I plan to use it with an innorel carbon fibre tripod. 

any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated 

kind regards 

John 

Hi All

I very recently received a skywatcher 72ed. The scope has a two inch visual back. My question is, should i buy a 2inch to 1.25inch reducer and buy a 1.25 diagonal? Or just buy a 2inch diagonal (which has a reducer with it) and use my current 1.25inch eyepieces?

I'm aware that the 2inch eyepieces will give a bigger field of view above a certain focal length, but is that the only benefit?

I currently don't have any diagonals to use.

Thanks in advance for any pointers or advice.

Cheers

john

On 29/03/2020 at 11:44, Cornelius Varley said:

The original firmware is on this page. just above the AZ-GTi eq mode firmwarevg

Thanks for the reply. Should have mentioned that I found it earlier this week. Doh ! 

Posted this in mounts but no responses so thought I'd post it here. I'm looking for an older version of the az gti software. One which enables the telescope to be mounted on the left side. 

Cheers 

John 

Hi all. Can anyone tell me how to find an older version of the az GTi firmware ? I'm looking for a version that requires the telescope mounted on the left. 

Cheers

JP 

Just got myself one of these Bluetooth modules for the virtuoso. A bargain at £19 delivered to the UK.