Alt az mounts with no slow mo

[TimB]

Hi. Since having had trouble with my 2 alt az mounts (gso az deluxe and porta2) and having to return both shortly after purchase I'm looking for a little advice. Both these mounts had good reviews so I think I'm just unlucky. The gso had azimuth slo mo trouble and the porta had a loose alt bearing. 

I often read more advanced users say that they don't use the slow motion adjustments much if at all. I'm not really sure how you manage without the slow motion once you have a bit higher magnification. I use a C8 and I seem to need slow motion to track objects often.

I read about the skytee and the ayo 2 as alternatives to the gso for my c8. The ayo2 has no slow motion yet the engineering is claimed to be so exceptional that I get the feeling slow motions are not needed at any magnification. The skytee is cheaper with slow motions and users say they don't need the slow motion too.

Are slow motions really needed or does it depend on whether you're using and higher magnification OTA?

Thanks for help

Tim

[Paz]

I've got an az4 and a porta 2. I find in practice I prefer the porta 2 specifically for the slow motion controls. I move the scope by hand when using the rdf or finder scope, but once at the eyepiece I use the slow motion controls for tracking and fine tuning.

With the az4 (which is a good mount) I'm OK with it up to about 100x and then it gets quite fidgety to track past that but this is just personal preference, not a criticism of the mount.

[John]

I use a Skytee II plus a 12" dobsonian (ie: no slow motions). I occasionally use the slow motions on the Skytee II but mostly not. I observe regularly at 200x - 300x but don't find tracking a particular issue. Lots of practice helps I guess !.  I do use wide and ultra wide angle eyepieces mostly but also some regular 50 degree field of view ones as well.

I think the key is to have a mount that moves smoothly when it's gently nudged but also enough "sticktion" to stay steady when it's on target. I use the "nudge then let drift ..." approach rather than trying to constantly keep the target in the centre of the field of view.

I do also have a driven equatorial mount but it does not get used as much as my undriven alt-az mounts.

[Cjg]

You get what you pay for, had I known now the hassles I've had with my Porta, I'd have not bought it.  I'd expected a much better build quality than the Celestron mount, but mine has proved to be anything but. I've an Ayo Swiss Vamo incoming next month, it will sit atop a Manfrotto tripod which and be more portable, stable and reliable than the Vixen. 

Have found that the Slo Mo controls useful / helpful with fainter objects in that you can slowly track up / down and from side to side helping with averted vision, but having used a dob a few years ago, I'm hoping to adapt and manage without them.

There are others who have had a better experience with the Porta, and one or two with Televue mounts that struggle to point their scope straight up and manage without Slo Mo controls.

Good luck, 

Chris

[TimB]

Thanks for the prompt advice. Think I'll try my luck at another gso az deluxe mount. I think I need the slow motions given the intrinsic high mag of my catdioptic c8 and 127 mak. All the reviews I found were good for this mount. I used to have an 8 inch dob and had loads of trouble centering anything then nudging it. Maybe dob bearings have improved beyond a few inches of jerky teflon. 

Cheers

[JG777]

Currently I use a Sabre AZ on Berlebach UNI18 so no slow motion but you begin with a rock solid and quality foundation. All my scopes once balanced move nice and smooth with gentle nudging so have never felt the need for slow motion controls.

[TimB]

Maybe gentle nudging is the acquired skill and not frustrated tapping as I had with my dob. Just seen the long handle you can attach to the ayo2 to help with fine control. Looks like a good simple idea.

[iPeace]

Well this is a very personal thing. I have used Ercole and Ercole Mini, GSO, Vixen Porta and Losmandy AZ8. All have worked well without mechanical issues.

I do like slo-mo for high magnification but also for the fact that it keeps the scope immobile - no surprise loss of balance. You can of course engage the clutches to keep the scope from moving, but this then requires that you disengage them again in order to move the scope. The Ercole Mini was the nicest one without slo-mo, perfect amount of resistance to keep the scope on target but still very smooth - obviously suitable for smaller / lighter scopes.

And now, the scope I use most - the TV-60 - is so compact that I don't need slo-mo at all, just an alt-az mount by Gitzo, designed for birding, with a single clutch knob which locks both the altitude and the azimuth axis at once. Pretty much ideal - use one hand to loosen and tighten the clutch and the other to aim the scope. Very relaxing.

[Moonshane]

I have been happy with the Giro mounts I have used (Giro 2 and 3) although for larger scopes, a counterweight whilst not strictly required, does make the movements smoother.

[Louis D]

I've been using a DSV-1 for a few years now, and it tracks very smoothly with gentle pushes/pulls on the included handle.