domstar

Hi Dominic,

First of all, I'm really quite happy to be contacted this way, and you're not bothering me! ☺

I would prefer slow motion controls on an altazimuth mount and have even considered designing something simple that can be added to my AZ4. I might one day get round to doing it! When Vixen first brought out the Porta Mount I bought one as did several other local astronomers. At the time I was using a Televue NP101, which is by no means an unwieldy scope, yet the Porta couldn't hold it steady enough. I tried everything, from ensuring all its parts were secure and tight, including its mechanics. I even tried a better tripod, but to no avail. Each time i touched the scope, or a breeze blew on it, the mount vibrated like a tuning fork. After a year or so I sold it. Interestingly, the other local lads also sold their Porta mounts because of the same reason. When the Porta ll was released, one of the lads bought one, but the same problem remained. He then tried some other similar design, though not Vixen, yet it too was no better. 

By comparison the AZ4 was much more solid and once properly adjusted for tension, can be used at reasonably high powers with just a gentle touch. I would definitely prefer slow motion controls but not at the expense of solidity. Unfortunately, most AZ mounts either don't use slow motion drives or are too heavy, some needing counterweights, which kind of defeats the object of an easy to carry grab and go mount.

If you have a Porta Mount and it doesn't bounce around, then don't let what I've said influence you. For me, the Porta took too long to settle down, 6 seconds or more, and was easily set in motion again by either an accidental touch or a gentle breeze. I generally use my AZ4 as a grab and go set-up, or for when I feel like low power sweeping around. Last year however, I was unable to get Mars from my observatory and so had to use the AZ4, yet I managed track the planet and powers approaching X300 while sketching, without much of an issue.

Often I will use my Vixen Great Polaris equatorial, which is mounted on a permanent pier, for high power lunar and planetary observing. It has slow motion drives! ☺☺☺

When I first started out in astronomy at the age of 18, there was no where near the number of available mounts and scopes as there are today. As a consequence most observers, unless they had great wealth, had to make do and mend, often constructing their own mounts. To some extent i suppose i still a bit of a dinosaur in this regard, and am happy with simple things. Today I have the two mounts mentioned above and one scope that performs well on most things, so I'm quite content. Images attached! ?

I hope this answers your questions Dominic, but you can ask anytime.

Kind regards Mike

Thanks for your full reply. You're right-the AZ4 is beautifully solid but on my first go I deeply missed the slow motion controls that my Bresser Skylux had even though moving from target to target was wonderful. My dilemma is whether to send the az4 back and get an Explore Scientific Twilight 1 while I can still return it without a reason, or keep it and learn. My thought was that you have such a nice scope on it that the mount must be decent and a bit of practice is all it takes. 

I need to do some thinking.

Thanks again.

Dominic

p.s. beautiful observatory/set up