Skytee 2, your experience and thoughts please...

[chiltonstar]

1 hour ago, John said:

. I've managed to adjust most of the backlash out of my Skytee II now but there is still a little to get used to.

 

 

...ditto. A half hour play and mine is now nearly backlash free. It's better on the vertical axis than the horizontal one (load bearing in my case), presumably because I'm not using any counterweight.

Chris

[Alan White]

Well as a final update folks.

The AYO riser to match was £170 and the upgrade for encoders in the future was a return to factory job.

Too much Wonga for my taste and pocket.

Soooo after much soul searching I have parked an alt  az upgrade from the AZ4 for now.

 

As much as a surprise to me as it will be you, my old hankering for an equatorial mount has won out,

I bought a used very nice Vixen manual GP2 off Abs. Await arrival, will fit on my cg-5 tripod nicely.

I will in time fit tracking motors, perhaps even the uber expensive Vixen ones.

 

Thank you all for your input and help, sorry it was for a tangential result!

[Stu]

36 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Well as a final update folks.

The AYO riser to match was £170 and the upgrade for encoders in the future was a return to factory job.

Too much Wonga for my taste and pocket.

Soooo after much soul searching I have parked an alt  az upgrade from the AZ4 for now.

 

As much as a surprise to me as it will be you, my old hankering for an equatorial mount has won out,

I bought a used very nice Vixen manual GP2 off Abs. Await arrival, will fit on my cg-5 tripod nicely.

I will in time fit tracking motors, perhaps even the uber expensive Vixen ones.

 

Thank you all for your input and help, sorry it was for a tangential result!

I feel like I've just sat through an episode of Location, location, location where they end up buying a house not shown to them and that's completely different than they specified in the first place  

I jest, of course  

I'm sure the GP2 will be very nice, I have a Vixen GP which actually I enjoy very much despite my love of alt az mounts. I did have one with iOptron Goto on it, which is excellent, but I mainly just enjoyed the tracking ability when viewing planets, and being able to pan around the surface of the sun or moon so I reverted to the old MT1 motors. I'm also going to use some long floppy remote cables and see how I enjoy those.

[DRT]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

my old hankering for an equatorial mount has won out,

I bought a used very nice Vixen manual GP2 off Abs.

     

Well, I don't think any of us expected that outcome - or that @Stu was such a big fan of daytime TV

You really should try an Alt-Az mount. If you want a rough idea of how it goes just set your GP2 to zero degrees, balance the scope and release the clutches

 

[John]

Sometimes it's good to think laterally - the results are often pleasantly surprising

 

[Alan White]

12 hours ago, Stu said:

I feel like I've just sat through an episode of Location, location, location where they end up buying a house not shown to them and that's completely different than they specified in the first place  

This was how I felt as well, I was as stunned by the result of weeks of thought and questions, really thought I was going AYO!

[parallaxerr]

Just now, Alan White said:

This was how I felt as well, I was as stunned by the result of weeks of thought and questions, really thought I was going AYO!

There's still time!!!

Mine still hasn't arrived

[Alan White]

6 hours ago, parallaxerr said:

Mine still hasn't arrived

I am sorry that is the case for your new arrival, clearly the anticipation will be worth it.

I can see I will get a quality alt az at some time in the future.
I first looked at the Skytee 2 for tracking /slow motions, I have decided I want driven tracking over ease of use at the minute.
The AZ4 remains and will do so still I think for grab and go duty.

I have been through the wringer coming to a final point of decision.
This has been aided by all you good SGL folks, thank you.
 

[Alan White]

As a further update......

The GP2 was a great mount but I do prefer alt Az with the AZ4, but wanted better quality.

The GP2 now has a new home with another SGLer.

I ordered a new Giro Ercole in black from Markus at APM yesterday.

Sometimes you need to go on a journey to find what you like or dislike and some journeys are rather complicated.

So daytime tv ending, you bet.

 

[iPeace]

20 minutes ago, Alan White said:

As a further update......

The GP2 was a great mount but I do prefer alt Az with the AZ4, but wanted better quality.

The GP2 now has a new home with another SGLer.

I ordered a new Giro Ercole in black from Markus at APM yesterday.

Sometimes you need to go on a journey to find what you like or dislike and some journeys are rather complicated.

So daytime tv ending, you bet.

 

Ending? A new series begins!

Be prepared to invest some time and patience in getting used to properly balancing the assembly and tweaking the clutches to get it just so. The Ercole is superb once you're in the zone. Getting there can be a short reminder of how it was learning to ride a bike, but as with a bike once you've learned you never forget. And go as fast as you like.

[Alan White]

Just addded the ADM Tak 6 clamp x1 for the minute to the mix with an order to FLO.
Oh how I await Mr Postman next week.

Now off to sell my soul for a new focuser!!

[John]

9 hours ago, Alan White said:

As a further update......

The GP2 was a great mount but I do prefer alt Az with the AZ4, but wanted better quality.

The GP2 now has a new home with another SGLer.

I ordered a new Giro Ercole in black from Markus at APM yesterday.

Sometimes you need to go on a journey to find what you like or dislike and some journeys are rather complicated.

So daytime tv ending, you bet.

 

Interesting move. I have both a Giro Ercole and a Skytee II at the current time. I can't decide which I like the best, rather surprisingly

 

[iPeace]

5 minutes ago, John said:

Interesting move. I have both a Giro Ercole and a Skytee II at the current time. I can't decide which I like the best, rather surprisingly

 

Even after your recent mishap with the SkyTee?

You may well need an AZ8.

[iPeace]

Like this one.

Sort of.

[John]

1 hour ago, iPeace said:

Even after your recent mishap with the SkyTee?

You may well need an AZ8.

The Skytee II is fixed now and performs a little better than it did pre-accident

I thought the Ercole would be markedly better in performance than the Skytee but thats not really been the case. They a both different in their execution and both have substantial capacity but I've had equally enjoyable sessions with both and neither has drawn ahead of the other one, so far.

 

[Alan White]

Mike

Has your scope got a red anti collision light on the end?

Is that AZ8 that tall?

[iPeace]

53 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Mike

Has your scope got a red anti collision light on the end?

Is that AZ8 that tall?

Amusing effect of a street lamp in the distant background.

[Alan White]

Giro Ercole has just been delivered by DPD from Markus Ludes and APM Telescope,
wow what a well packaged parcel.

The mount looks very nice, well made and lighter than I expected as well.
Now to fit the ADM unit and play at balancing the scope.

Well here it is out of the box...

Something is making me grin a big grin just now 

[Alan White]

Well that was easier than I thought.
ADM Saddle clamp fitted, what a nice bit of kit.
Rough balance achieved, had been set up for AZ4 though so was very close.
Silky smooth motion and hold scope in far better place than I was achieving before, woo hoo.

Now clouds please part and give me a sky view, please, please, please. 

and they did for a plain solar disk, you get what you ask for hey...

The Giro is silky smooth with the ED100, no counterweight etc. but I am unsure if I need it to be honest.