Travel mount for Maksutov

[Linda]

Hi.

Next time I am traveling on vacation to southern Europe by plane, I want to bring along my telescope, a 5" Maksutov. It's just that the EQ3 mount is not so very portable. We own a good light weight (carbon) photo tripod, which I want to use for observing during such a vacation. I have used this tripod in autumn 2015 in the time before my EQ3 arrived. The conclusion was that the video head on it is not strong enough for my telescope. As soon as I pointed the scope upwards, it sunk further backwards. Also, the video head doesn't have slow motions controls, which I missed. Therefore I want to use the tripod, but I really need a better mount to replace the video head.

I was thinking of this mount, which is more or less affordable and light weight:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p725_TS-Geared-Head-and-Alt-azimuth-Mount-for-photo-tripods.html

It has a limit of 4 kg which should just be enough for my scope including finders and eyepiece. Has anyone tried it in practice and knows whether it really is strong enough to look at objects near Zenith? I am a little affraid that it might give the same problems as our video head.

Or can you recommend other mounts that can be mounted on a photo tripod and that are suitable for bringing along in a plane? I also see those tiny mounts where the scope hangs on one side, but they often require a counter weight.

My husband wandered whether there didn't exist some sort of couch surfing system for borrowing a local telescope.

[chiltonstar]

I use a Vixen Porta 2 with my 5" Mak as a grab 'n go - it works well. Worth looking at.

Chris

[Stu]

I would look at a Mini giro type mount, small and light but with excellent load capacity

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

+1 for the mini-giro. I have one on a carbon tripod which handles my (hefty) SolarMax-II 60mm Double-Stack and my APM 80mm with ease.

On a heavier tripod, it would probably support my C8 as well

[Linda]

So that mini Giro really works without a counter weight? Interesting.

[Linda]

26 minutes ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

+1 for the mini-giro. I have one on a carbon tripod which handles my (hefty) SolarMax-II 60mm Double-Stack and my APM 80mm with ease. 

 

Thanks.

What does the 80mm scope weigh (circa)?

Edit: found it: 3,5 kg, so it is pretty similar to my scope.

 

I see in the specifications of the Giro mini:

 

♦ Weight: 1.9 kgs only

♦ Payload up to 2.5 kgs without balancing or max. 4 kgs per side

♦ Fits to all photo tripods with 3/8" threads

♦ Even under full load, it can be moved easily and smoothly

 

That suggests that I would need some kind of balancing. My scope is appox 3,5 kg.

[Linda]

1 hour ago, chiltonstar said:

I use a Vixen Porta 2 with my 5" Mak as a grab 'n go - it works well. Worth looking at.

Chris

Thanks, but it is a bit pricy. If the Giro mini works, that would be more attractive to me.

Is the giro doesn't work out, then it is a good alternative with good load capacity.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

47 minutes ago, Linda said:

Thanks.

What does the 80mm scope weigh (circa)?

Edit: found it: 3,5 kg, so it is pretty similar to my scope.

 

I see in the specifications of the Giro mini:

 

♦ Weight: 1.9 kgs only

♦ Payload up to 2.5 kgs without balancing or max. 4 kgs per side

♦ Fits to all photo tripods with 3/8" threads

♦ Even under full load, it can be moved easily and smoothly

 

That suggests that I would need some kind of balancing. My scope is appox 3,5 kg.

My SolarMax-II 60 DS is heavier and it works fine, as does the 80mm F/6 even with 2" Amici prism and Nagler 31T5 (a.k.a. "Panzerfaust"). Balancing would perhaps improve it further, but I have had no issues yet.

[Merlin]

I use the cheap 'n' cheerful AZ3 mounting, with an added small counterweight, for my SKYMAX 90 and 102mm/f.5 refracto. The AZ3 is rigid and extremely light. 

 

[Linda]

5 minutes ago, Merlin said:

I use the cheap 'n' cheerful AZ3 mounting, with an added small counterweight, for my SKYMAX 90 and 102mm/f.5 refracto. The AZ3 is rigid and extremely light. 

 

I haven't found the AZ3 head separately. And we already have so many tripods at home (4 or 5). 

But the whole AZ3 mount and tripod are a good bargain.

[happy-kat]

This may interest you

 

 

[chiltonstar]

9 hours ago, Linda said:

Thanks, but it is a bit pricy. If the Giro mini works, that would be more attractive to me.

Is the giro doesn't work out, then it is a good alternative with good load capacity.

There's little difference in price here (UK) between the two mounts. note that the MiniGiro doesn't have a slow motion movement on the alt and azimuth axes - you will probably need this with a Mak because of the long focal length and small FoV.

Chris

[Linda]

13 hours ago, happy-kat said:

This may interest you

 

 

Yes, indeed. Are these knobs slow motion controls?

[Linda]

8 hours ago, chiltonstar said:

There's little difference in price here (UK) between the two mounts. note that the MiniGiro doesn't have a slow motion movement on the alt and azimuth axes - you will probably need this with a Mak because of the long focal length and small FoV.

Chris

Good point. When I still used the phototripod and videohead, the lack of slow motions controls was one of the very annoying issues.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The lack of slow motion controls on an alt-az mount need not be a problem if it is really well balanced, and has smooth as silk motion. I built a sturdy alt-az mount for my scopes using wood and Telfon disks, and I could easily use my C8 (2030mm focal length) on it. Photo and video heads are unbalanced, because the altitude axis is way below the centre of mass, causing them flop around, unless you tighten them, which makes them stiff, and causes overshoot.

In the case of the mini-giro, the altitude axis runs through the axis of the telescope, and you simply ensure that the centre of mass of the scope lies on the axis by sliding the dovetail along the clamp until the scope is balanced.  When properly balanced, the mini-giro behaves and moves much like a Dobson

[happy-kat]

The link I gave from reading Michael's post above it looks like those two head adaptors are creating a mount like what is being described above. I thought because the ball head would fit your existing tripods that was a bonus.

[Mr Spock]

Yesterday I bought the lightweight porta mount FLO have on offer. I'm going to fit my 80ED to it so I'll let you know how that goes. It's arriving today It's only for low power use so should be adequate for my needs.

I tried the 80ED on a photo tripod and it was too top heavy and difficult to manoeuvre - just as you found.

[Mr Spock]

Here's the ED80 on the Vixen Mini Porta. Thr tripod is a bit flimsy but good enough for what I need. Altogether it's very light.

[Linda]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Here's the ED80 on the Vixen Mini Porta. Thr tripod is a bit flimsy but good enough for what I need. Altogether it's very light.

Thank for posting it. But I can't see the Vixen Mini Porta head for sale separately, without the tripod.

After reading all this, the choice for me is between a mini Giro and the extra photo equipment that Happy Kat linked to.

I am also going to DIY a solution for fitting my Tento 10x50 on a photo tripod, by making a copy of a wooden Berbelach binocular holder with rubber strap. That could also be a backup plan for the holiday when bringing along a telescope is a bit too much fuss.

[happy-kat]

Sorry I forgot to reply, the twiddles on the ball head just release the tension so you can more the ball head, the little twiddle  near the bottom is the tension on the pan for the base. It is really well made I bought one, I have the pan head in my wish list.