Ideal mount(s) for a TV85

[iPeace]

Porta users: I'm not familiar with how a Porta works. I get that there are slow-motion controls, but can you also just grab the scope and move it, or is there a locking mechanism that you have to disengage, or something else?

[GavStar]

You can just grab the scope and move it - no locking mechanism 

[iPeace]

20 hours ago, Stu said:

I have had a Vixen Porta mount in the past, but always found the slo mo controls awkward to reach and not intuitive to use, so I found myself naturally grabbing the scope and moving it. I've since migrated to giro type mounts which suit me fine, but would not suit someone who prefers not to touch the scope.

As a Porta - or something else with the same features - also allows one to just grab the scope and move it - but to have slo-mo control when one wants it - it might sound like a "best of both worlds" thing to one who has not used both. I realize that aesthetics may play a part in anyone's preference for one or the other - and rightly so. I can also imagine that a quality giro type mount performs better in grab-and-move mode, having been specifically designed for that without compromise towards slo-mo. So, would one experience the grab-and-movability of a Porta as a compromise? Thoughts?

 

[GavStar]

One aspect that imo isn't so good about the porta 2 is the dovetail connection. It's not a standard vixen dovetail connection in that one side is square rather than flared like a typical one. Televue does a dovetail bar for the tv85 which is based on this old vixen design. I wasn't comfortable with the connection so after a while changed it for an apm version (they do a special version for the porta 2) and also added a standard vixen dovetail to my tv85 (which also required getting new screws since the existing ones were too long). Bit of a palaver but it now fits very solidly without relying on screws etc.

[iPeace]

6 minutes ago, Gavster said:

One aspect that imo isn't so good about the porta 2 is the dovetail connection. It's not a standard vixen dovetail connection in that one side is square rather than flared like a typical vixen connection. Televue does a dovetail bar for the tv85 which is based in this old vixen design. I wasn't comfortable with the connection so after a while changed the dovetail connection for an apm version (they do a special version for the porta 2) and also added a standard vixen dovetail to my tv85 (which also required getting new screws since the existing ones were too long). Bit of a palaver but it now fits very solidly without relying on screws etc.

I'm discovering that it's DIY that makes a disproportionately big difference in this astronomy business

Part of the charm, I suppose

Thanks for this info - invaluable to one groping around for a solution such as me

[osbourne one-nil]

Rather late in the day here but I used to have a TV85 on a Porta Mount and it was a wonderful combination...very easy to pick up and move around the garden to avoid obstacles as necessary. The weak point, for me, was the supplied tripod so I upgraded to a HAL130 which made a huge amount of difference to stability. It's not that the original was useless, but it was always a factor in focusing and just annoyed me. 

My friend now has it with her Skywatcher 80ED and loves it. 

[iPeace]

2 minutes ago, osbourne one-nil said:

Rather late in the day here but I used to have a TV85 on a Porta Mount and it was a wonderful combination...very easy to pick up and move around the garden to avoid obstacles as necessary. The weak point, for me, was the supplied tripod so I upgraded to a HAL130 which made a huge amount of difference to stability. It's not that the original was useless, but it was always a factor in focusing and just annoyed me. 

My friend now has it with her Skywatcher 80ED and loves it. 

Thanks; I'm still not decided, but the scope arrives today so perhaps inspiration will descend