Help with travel Alt/Az mount

[GavStar]

I've recently purchased a TV60 for easy travelling on flights overseas and also potentially terrestrial use in the UK. I was intending to use my Sony photo tripod to keep the overall system small and ultra-portable. However, after trying this out last night, I think its not going to be very good (particularly at higher powers, say 100x and at objects high in the sky where balance issues become significant). My first thought was the Telepod, but its doesn't have slo mo and also the tripod is probably too long to fit easily into a suitcase. My next though was a Vixen mini porta (I've got a Porta 2 for my tv85 and I like it a lot particularly the slo mo controls). However, the mini porta tripod is still long and ungainly for travelling overseas (or putting in a back pack for the UK). So I thought I could take the mini porta head and put it on a good camera tripod such as a carbon Manfrotto 190 to get a good mount, but still be ultra portable. Has anyone done this or can see any problems with this. Because of the different threads on the mount and tripod I think I would need a camera adapter for the Vixen and a 3/4 to 1/2 inch thread adapter for the Manfrotto - is this correct? Also if anyone can think of a better ultra portable AltAz mount or system, I would be very interested to hear this? Thanks Gavin

[TakMan]

I don't know what your budget is, but have you considered one of Charles Riddles' mounts from the States...? My name is down for the Nova Hitch but he also has plans for a revised Mini Hitch II now available on his website (this is designed to have a much smaller footprint than the bigger Nova, but be more 'back-pack' friendly). This is smaller, lighter yet still retains the two-axis balance system, slow motion controls and can be equiped with encoders and then either a SkyCommader DSC, for traditional 'push-to' astronomy or to a WiFi Nexus device to hook up a digital planetarium via an Android or Mac device... Just a thought...

Sorry for any typos - in Norway at the moment!

Regards,

Damian

[rowan46]

I use an alt az mount and with very little practice its amazing how easy it is to dispense with slo mo. I use this for my 80 triplet

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1795_Tecnosky-eLLe-Binomount---Montierung-fuer-Gro-fernglaeser-bis-100mm.html no slo mo though. It comes flat pack which is useful for suitcase packing and takes but a minute with an alum key to assemble at the other end. I would imagine though some kind of adaptor for your portamount would be more cost effective

[pete_gamby]

So I thought I could take the mini porta head and put it on a good camera tripod such as a carbon Manfrotto 190 to get a good mount, but still be ultra portable. Has anyone done this or can see any problems with this. Because of the different threads on the mount and tripod I think I would need a camera adapter for the Vixen and a 3/4 to 1/2 inch thread adapter for the Manfrotto - is this correct?

Unfortunately there isn't a photo tripod adaptor for the Mini Porta head, only for the Porta II head. That adaptor has a 1/4" threaded hole for the tripod but we can modify here to 3/8" to fit a Manfrotto canopy screw.

The Mini Porta head can be removed but it doesn't have a flat base as the Porta II does - this is why there's no tripod adaptor.

Cheers, Pete - Opticron, Vixen UK Distributor

[Merlin]

Consider the cheap and cheerful SKYWATCHER AZ3 mounting. I find it perfectly adequate for small 'scopes, including the PST.

[Nibor]

I use one of these for my holiday and grab and go observing - hope it helps:- http://www.teleskop-...-Anschluss.html

[GavStar]

Many thanks for the replies and advice. Useful to hear that I can't attach an alternative tripod to the Miniporta so that's one idea gone. I will check out the other recommendations. Thanks. Gavin