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Startravel 102 Vs tripod?


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1 hour ago, skywalker said:

Would I be able to use a Startravel 102 on a basic camera/binocular tripod?

Not likely.  The OTA alone weighs over 5 lbs.  Add a 2" diagonal a 2" eyepiece, and you're up to nearly 7 pounds.  The problems with an ordinary photo tripod with a heavy telescope on it are multiple.  The flimsy legs will wiggle and vibrate for several seconds every time you touch the tripod head or OTA.  By the time they settle out, the object may have moved out of the field of view at higher powers.  The head on ordinary photo tripods are anything but silky smooth.  Most jump and jerk as you move them.  Centering an object can be maddening as a result.  Fluid heads are smooth, but won't generally stay in place at high altitude angles.

For reference, I mounted my AT-72ED which weighs about the same as the Startravel 102 on a DSV-1 mount on a Manfrotto 058B Aluminum Triaut Tripod.  Even with this setup, I had to put Sorbothane pads under each tripod foot to dampen vibrations.  This setup has smooth motions and is rock solid.  So yes, it is possible to use that telescope on a camera tripod with the proper weight bearing characteristics and a proper astro mount.  Would I call that setup basic, no.

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2 hours ago, Dave In Vermont said:

An AZ4 would be a far better mount if it had control-cables. As is it would magnify vibrations to a likely intolerable extent.

Maybe a Vixen Porta II instead?

Dave

I reckon an AZ4 would cope with a Startravel 102 quote easily. Plenty of people use them with that sort of scope, and larger I believe.

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The AZ4 is a brilliant simple tripod. I use it with a Skywatcher 150P Newt and sure there's vibrations when moving between objects but they damp out very quickly.

When nudging to keep an object in view it's barely noticeable even at high magnification. 

Really is a super little thing and very manageable as a chuck and go system. 

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How basic a camera tripod are you talking about?

I ask as I used an ETX-70 on an adaptor plate that allowed me to fit it all on a camera tripod and I used it happily for about 8 years. Now the ETX is rated at 5.9lbs and the plate is a chunk of 1cm thick steel, then a small amount for batteries and eyepiece. Overall, if Meade are correct, I had easy 6.5lbs or 7lbs on it.

OK not the most stable and the tripod was not the cheapest, neither did it cost me a lot, but it worked.

Reason I stopped using it was that I found a dedicated ETX tripod and mounting from Scopes and Skies at £20, or £25 one day (may have been less). So I decided that a proper one built for the scope was a better option.

Treat it as a get-you-by option. As in cannot get a mount for a month and want to look at xXx this weekend, then stick it on the tripod and give it a go.

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1 hour ago, skywalker said:

The tripod I have is a is a Velbon CX 440.

 

You would be better off with what has been already mentioned above or buying and 'modding' a surveyors tripod and attaching something like a Giro mount. Also have a look at AstroBoot http://www.astroboot.co.uk/AstroBoot

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19 hours ago, skywalker said:

The tripod I have is a is a Velbon CX 440.

I have a generic version of that one that came with my ST-80 package 17 years ago.  It flexes like crazy, has a head that sticks and jumps; but it works great as a light stand when I'm doing portraiture photography.  Other than that, I've not found a good use for it in still photography, videography, or astronomy over the past 17 years.  I suppose you could mount a video camera on it for static shots.

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