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Giro GR-2 mini alt/az mount - up to 4 kgs load per side

Ags

By Ags
in Discussions - Mounts

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Ags

Ags

Posted
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https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p1541_Giro-GR-2-mini-alt-az-mount---up-to-4-kgs-load-per-side.html

Has anyone used one of these? I am looking at mounts for an astro trip. It would carry a Skymax 102. To be honest, if money is no object, this mount carries twice as much and is lighter:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8256_Giro-Ercole-Mini-Altazimuth-Mount-for-Telescopes-up-to-9-kg.html

If I get this latter one, perhaps this mount could just be the one mount I need (load capacity 9kg??).

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dobbie

dobbie

Posted
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Hi Agnes the latter one would be a better option,  but the first one I have owned and it carried my 127mak so the 102 would be no problem it very well made and can be used with a counter weight which makes it ultra smooth when the scope is balanced hope this helps john.  

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iPeace

iPeace

Posted
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1 hour ago, Ags said:

If I get this latter one, perhaps this mount could just be the one mount I need (load capacity 9kg??).

I have owned the Ercole Mini, and it's absolutely brilliant. I may get another in the future. No slow motion control and it requires proper balancing which is easier with a Mak, as the focuser doesn't push the diagonal and eyepiece out and so balance is maintained.

Your main challenge would be tracking at high magnification without slo-mo. The mount is smooth enough, but you will have a learning / adjustment curve to traverse. Having done so, you will either love it, or get a Vixen Porta.

:happy11:

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Louis D

Louis D

Posted
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1 hour ago, iPeace said:

Your main challenge would be tracking at high magnification without slo-mo.

For my AT72ED and 127 Mak I started out with a DSV-1 mount and had no trouble tracking at high powers.  It moves pretty much like my Dob.  I then bought a DSV-2B so I could mount both at the same time.  It has slow motion controls, but I still find myself grabbing the handle just as often as twiddling the slow motion knobs to track.  What I really like are the altitude and azimuth brakes for when I change eyepieces.  It has very little "sticktion", even when I crank down the axes tensioners, so it won't hold position when swapping 2 pound eyepieces like my Dob will.  The DSV-1 lacked these brakes and would swing violently when relieved of 2 pounds of counterweight.

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

Posted
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If you put some Sorbothane-pads under the legs, pretty good. My only problem is I do some of my observing on a wooden-deck, and wood transfers vibration much worse than the ground itself. So I also use a 10lb. weight hanging from the center-bolt down about 16" on the mount. But on solid ground, it works well enough. But I do intend to transfer the Mak to  the "Giant Field-Tripod" that Meade uses for their LX90-series of SCT's. That's my -20F. project for this (rapidly) approaching Winter-Season.

Last Analysis: I'm always on the prowl for something better - for ALL my scopes.

Hope this helps. Everyone seems to be jumping on the 150mm Maksutov Band-Wagon all of a sudden. :p These really are excellent telescopes!

Have fun -

Dave

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Ags

Ags

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But... what about the Berlebach Castor:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p7605_Berlebach-Castor-Alt-Az-mount.html

It has a higher load capacity, it's lighter and about the same price as the GR2 as it comes with one dovetail clamp and the GR2 doesn't...

https://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=details&id=413&sprache=english:  load capacity 8 kg with load on one side and 12 kg with load on both sides

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Louis D

Louis D

Posted
Posted
On 11/11/2017 at 10:24, Ags said:

We have launch clearance for the GR2! Now I just need summat to stick it on. This is on special (95 cents off!!!!):

https://www.fotokonijnenberg.nl/berlebach-minitripod#group145

I bought a used Manfrotto 058B for $150 off Craigslist locally for my DSV-1 and now DSV-2B mounts.  With Sorbothane pads under each foot, I've got vibrations damped to about 1/2 second.  I really like that the spread of each leg is individually adjustable and that the center column can be raised to make getting to the eyepiece easier with refractors when pointing at different altitudes.  It adds only a fraction of a second to the dampening time when I do that but saves my back and neck.

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Stargazer McCabe

Stargazer McCabe

Posted
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35 minutes ago, Ags said:

:icon_biggrin:

Please let us know your findings. Reviews of these units are pretty hard to find.

I have a Mini Ercole and like Mike @iPeace says it is smooth and a joy to use. My Castor on the other hand is not. It is stiff and jerky to use no matter how well balanced, and regardless of how the friction is set on either axis. It even “sticks” with the friction completely removed. 

I have corresponded with Berlebach directly and sadly i’m told my experience is normal and over time it may ease. 

Given the reference point of the resistance free Mini Ercole i’d put myself in the “not overly impressed” Camp for the Castor 

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John

John

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2 hours ago, Stargazer McCabe said:

...My Castor on the other hand is not. It is stiff and jerky to use no matter how well balanced, and regardless of how the friction is set on either axis. It even “sticks” with the friction completely removed. 

I have corresponded with Berlebach directly and sadly i’m told my experience is normal and over time it may ease. 

Given the reference point of the resistance free Mini Ercole i’d put myself in the “not overly impressed” Camp for the Castor 

That simply does not sound right for a "Giro type" mount :icon_scratch:

Usually they are as smooth as silk with the friction locks off, especially when properly balanced on either side. 

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Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, John said:

That simply does not sound right for a "Giro type" mount :icon_scratch:

Usually they are as smooth as silk with the friction locks off, especially when properly balanced on either side. 

Agreed, sounds like perhaps it does not cope with small imbalances as well as other mounts?

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Ags

Ags

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Humph... I was starting to lean strongly towards the Castor... now veering back to the GR2 or just selling my newt and az mount, getting a Mini Ercole and berlebach tripod and starting over.

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iPeace

iPeace

Posted
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As stated, my Castor will arrive soon. As I also have used both the full-sized Ercole and the Ercole Mini, I have a pretty good idea of what I may expect. I will report on whether McCabe's findings can be confirmed - that would indeed be disappointing and would indicate that an offering from Tele-Optica might be in order.

:rolleyes2:

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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I have the mini Giro GR-2 with two dovetail plates, and it readily holds both the Coronado SolarMax-II 60 DS and APM 80mm F/6 with Herschel Wedge. Very smooth, either with both scopes balancing each other, or with just a single scope attached. I am not planning to replace it any time soon

IMAG1016.jpgIMAG1017.jpg

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Ags

Ags

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I've ordered the TS AZT6, on the basis that it's cheaper and comes with a dovetail clamp, saving me 80 euros over the GR2. It's also a kilo lighter. I will test it out on my AZ3 and get a photo tripod later.

The dual scope giro setups have got me thinking about my ideal setup. I need widefield to find targets, but at the same time like Maks... So perhaps over the next couple of years I could acquire a mini ercole, solid wooden tripod, 140-150mm Mak and an ST102 as RFT/finder. The ST102 could cover the 1-4 degree views and the mak could cover the sub 1.3 degree views.

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Stu

Stu

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8 minutes ago, Ags said:

I've ordered the TS AZT6, on the basis that it's cheaper and comes with a dovetail clamp, saving me 80 euros over the GR2. It's also a kilo lighter. I will test it out on my AZ3 and get a photo tripod later.

The dual scope giro setups have got me thinking about my ideal setup. I need widefield to find targets, but at the same time like Maks... So perhaps over the next couple of years I could acquire a mini ercole, solid wooden tripod, 140-150mm Mak and an ST102 as RFT/finder. The ST102 could cover the 1-4 degree views and the mak could cover the sub 1.3 degree views.

Kinda like a smaller version of this but with a Mak not SCT? Works very well and a lovely way to enjoy a dark sky because it is very portable.

IMG_4985.JPG

IMG_4986.JPG

IMG_4988.JPG

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