Light weight tracking mount ?

[SAW]

Hi,

Anyone make a light'ish mount that would hold two refractors ideally but one would be ok I suppose, doesn't need GoTo just tracking for lunar/solar/sidereal. Would need to hold a 60mm and 100mm refractors.

Thanks.

Edited July 24, 2019 by SAW

[Cosmic Geoff]

Ioptron? Check their catalog - I'm sure they do something like that. It'll be a GoTo - any new mount that tracks is a GoTo these days.

[MilwaukeeLion]

Meade Coronado EQS works well. Weighs in at 16 lbs.  Comes with 8.5 lb counter weight, battery operated clock drive and manual slow tracking controls. I use it with 3 scopes, PST for solar, ED80 for lunar & solar and Omni XLT 102 for lunar, solar, planets.  Images below are from this morning, supposed to only handle 5 lbs of scope weight max. With the 102 on it plus wedge & camera I have 13 lbs on it plus 8.5 lb counter weight.  Tracks all day/night long. On 4 D batteries have nearly 24 hrs on it running. Still haven't changed batteries.

I did a little work to improve performance. Took apart removed factory grease, applied new grease. Adjusted tension on dec & ra bolts. Adjusted worm gear alignment.

[SAW]

I've edited my original post as tbh I'm not sure I'd use two scopes at the same time on the same target ?

Tonight I was using my Fornax Lightrack II with a Tak FS-60Q and while the mount is one of my favourites it's really not suited for making fine adjustments at high magnification, it's probably going to be ok for some whole disc lunar or solar viewing/imaging but tonight on Jupiter it was so difficult to get Jupiter in the centre of the eye piece ! and it's great when using a dslr and lens, so I do really need something that will have some sort of fine adjustment either from slow mo controls or a handset but needs to be lighter than my HEQ5.

I've been looking at the Vixen Advanced Polaris SM (AP) Motorised Modular EQ Mount and the Explore Scientific iEXOS-100 PMC-Eight. Any views on these mounts, I know the Explore is very new.

I do like the Vixen plus I can use it on my Berlebach tripod if I change the top fitting. 

I find myself wanting something much more grab and go as I just like to spend a little time observing lately, I really need to be in the imaging frame of mind to set the HEQ5 up for an evening which tbh is normally only weekends due to work unless I know I can leave it until the morning.

Thanks.