Travel or Grab and Go mount for 80mm ED OTA.

[Guest]

I have just spent a week in Swanage.There were several very good dark and clear night skies before the Moon rose earlier.I took full advantage by testing my new 200mm Newtonian. I am coming back to Swanage later this month and have decided to leave the setup down here.This gives me to opportunity to concentrate on building a travel or grab and go setup. I have an older blue colour Skywatcher ED 80mm f 7.5 telescope. I have used it with a large Manfrotto photographic tripod.But this has limitations as the telescope cannot be pointed to the zenith. An AZ 4 mount would work well I know.But it is quite large to transport.I have be looking at the Skywatcher AZ Discovery setup.The tripod does not look to be anything near the 1.75 inch diameter of the EQ5 tripod. Also there is the new AZ5 Delux mount with height extension.Just wonder if I could buy the mount and extension and fit it to may Manfrotto tripod.Has anyone else had any experience of such mounts? Even goto would be considered if portable enough.

Thanks

Martin

[DRT]

I use a Giro GR-2 mini alt/az on a Tele Vue photo tripod with my Lunt 50 Ha and it works really well. The GR-2 has a 3/8ths thread in the base so screws straight onto a photo tripod and would probably work with your Manfrotto.

[ronin]

Likely up at the limit but the Skywatcher AZGTi Wifi one seems to be getting good results. It is goto and wifi as you will have guessed but appears compact. Scope being on the side it should point at the zenith. Weight wise it appears that it will take something like the 80ED.

Tripod mentioned has had a few comments about solidiity but that would be one of the compromises, or sort out another option for the tripod bit.

Back to the question about the extension: The mount I mentioned has an extenion that is purchasable seperately at around £25 that may fit the AZ4 - you would need to ask FLO for details as they are likely the only place to be able to tell you for sure. Sort of they go and try put one on the other, then let you know.

The bad news is they cost money.

[davyludo]

Hi Martin,

I recently purchased the full AZ5 package (mount, extension and tripod). The mount and extension are really good, however I found the tripod a bit wobbly which became really annoying once over 100x mag. The AZ5 head and extension both use a 3/8 fixing so I'd imagine they'd attach to your existing tripod. The AZ4 head is an M10 fixing so it might not go on your photographic tripod without some sort of adaptor. 

I've actually altered my 1.75" steel tripod (AZ4 / EQ5) and use that with the AZ5 head and extension. However I am trying to find a more portable option for taking away on trips.

Hope that helps.

Davy

[DRT]

46 minutes ago, ronin said:

Back to the question about the extension: The mount I mentioned has an extenion that is purchasable seperately at around £25 that may fit the AZ4

The extension comes with the AZGTi but can also be bought separately. It has 3/8th threads at both ends so can't be fitted to an AZ4 without modification.

[Guest]

Just bought an AZ4 mount.