Is there such a thing as a portable, usable, manual EQ mount?

[iPeace]

Yes, yes, I realize it's a matter of definition of terms ("portable", "usable"), but I'm just wondering, having browsed through some of your adventures with mounts - assuming one does not want to drive the mount with a motor, but just move it about manually, is there such a thing as a portable - possibly "grab-and-go" EQ mount which performs when using smaller scopes (up to 7kg, perhaps)? Considering dipping a toe in the murky waters of EQ, perhaps...

[Bizibilder]

The EQ5 will carry up to 9KG for visual work.  It is light enough to carry in one hand (with the weights off!).  It is equipped with hand operated slow motions to both axiis in the non-motorised version.

The alternative would be a Dobsonian - not an EQ mount but "push to" altazimuth. 

[Stu]

I'm not sure I could see the benefit of a manual, totally undriven EQ mount for visual. It's just more hassle, weight and confusion vs an alt az.

That said, I have just picked up a used Vixen GP mount. This has dual axis drives and tracks in RA. It is pretty light and portable, plus easy to set up. It's rated to 7kg and I use it with the Tak FC-100.

As a committed alt az observer, why did I get it? Purely for higher mag observing of planets, the moon and for solar work. If I am star hopping for DSOs, I will always use the alt az as it is much more intuitive for me, but having powered tracking for planetary observing means I can concentrate on viewing rather than nudging the scope. I'm very pleased with the mount.

[Mak the Night]

1 hour ago, iPeace said:

Yes, yes, I realize it's a matter of definition of terms ("portable", "usable"), but I'm just wondering, having browsed through some of your adventures with mounts - assuming one does not want to drive the mount with a motor, but just move it about manually, is there such a thing as a portable - possibly "grab-and-go" EQ mount which performs when using smaller scopes (up to 7kg, perhaps)? Considering dipping a toe in the murky waters of EQ, perhaps...

FLO used to sell one of these but it appears to be unavailable. It's the only 'portable' EQ mount that I could think of.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-tabletop-eq1-geq-mount-with-ra-drive-and-multi-speed-hand-controller.html

I tried to reply earlier but forgot the new site can't handle more than one person replying to a post.

[Stu]

Here is my setup, in use today for solar at SGL11 ?

[iPeace]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

I'm not sure I could see the benefit of a manual, totally undriven EQ mount for visual. It's just more hassle, weight and confusion vs an alt az.

That said, I have just picked up a used Vixen GP mount. This has dual axis drives and tracks in RA. It is pretty light and portable, plus easy to set up. It's rated to 7kg and I use it with the Tak FC-100.

As a committed alt az observer, why did I get it? Purely for higher mag observing of planets, the moon and for solar work. If I am star hopping for DSOs, I will always use the alt az as it is much more intuitive for me, but having powered tracking for planetary observing means I can concentrate on viewing rather than nudging the scope. I'm very pleased with the mount.

Excellent comments, I'm certainly not yet decided on getting an EQ mount (driven or undriven), and I'm doing well with my alt-az. I'm educating myself (or rather: you are doing the educating) as to what's available and what the advantages might be. At the moment, I'm thinking in terms of what could improve my viewing of planets at higher magnification (diagonal, eyepieces, smoother mount), so only having to track in RA presents itself as a possibility, I suppose. However, the tracking itself is not much of an issue, so perhaps diagonal quality, using the right eyepiece, focusing and dampening are higher on the list.

[iPeace]

27 minutes ago, Stu said:

Here is my setup, in use today for solar at SGL11 ?

That looks The Business! Love the colour of the mount. Hope you've enjoyed SGL11 and make the most of what's left of it.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have a Vixen Great Polaris mount as well (over 20 years old now). The EQ5 is a clone of that venerable mount. I take it almost everywhere. A motor set (even just RA drive) makes it much more versatile. Personally, I find star hopping in RA and Dec much easier than alt-az, because the movements coincide with the scales on my star atlas, and do not depend on sidereal time. The motions are the same regardless of whether the target is just rising in the east, transiting the meridian, or setting in the west. For visual, I just set the altitude of the polar axis to 53 deg, level the mount, and point it north. That is accurate enough for visual and planetary/lunar/solar imaging.