Ercole Giro

[StarryEyed]

I returned the mini not quite right and bumped to the bigger head. Quite a bit bigger. About the same weight if you include the weights with the mini. I never weighted them. Better all round in every respects. I had a lot of fun hopping around with this last night the 30mm APM UFF making it child's play and I did feel like a kid again.  Can hold the scope steady whilst swapping eyepieces and refocusing. Should last longer than my fifteen year old EQ5 which I still have and will use for high power with its motor. But this is a tremendous amount of fun.

[RT65CB-SWL]

I use my Tele-Optic Giro a lot more than my Vixen GP.

[StarryEyed]

I was quite surprised how intuitive an AZ is for star hopping after so many years using an EQ. I guess I will end up the same way.

Edited September 19, 2019 by StarryEyed

[Stu]

2 hours ago, StarryEyed said:

I was quite surprised how intuitive an AZ is for star hopping after so many years using an EQ. I guess I will end up the same way.

Very nice mounts, I use my FC100 on one quite frequently too. If I'm doing Lunar, planetary or solar observing I use my Vixen GP, but my brain doesn't compute star hopping with an EQ so I use the Ercole for anything else. AltAz is much more intuitive for this I think.

[StarryEyed]

Compute is the magic word.

[John]

Another big fan of alt-az mounts here and, after a few false starts, the Giro Ercole as well

[Alan White]

Another Alt-Az user here, really enjoy using them.
I once owned a new Giro Ercole and stupidly sold it on in a fit of madness.
As you can tell I wish I still had one.

Good luck with it, enjoy it in use.
 

[Stu]

16 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Another Alt-Az user here, really enjoy using them.
I once owned a new Giro Ercole and stupidly sold it on in a fit of madness.
As you can tell I wish I still had one.

Good luck with it, enjoy it in use.
 

Been there, done that, bought another 🤣🤣

[Alan White]

11 minutes ago, Stu said:

Been there, done that, bought another 🤣🤣

I am always tempted to Stu, but I also hanker for an AYO as well.
The Grass is always Greener!

[Stu]

The AYOs are nice too. Perhaps don't have quite the same 'hewn from a solid lump of metal' feel as the Ercoles, but do have the benefit of being able to spec encodes for push-to if wanted. They are similarly stable in use though I think.

[jock1958]

Love the Alt Az mounts - ie no messing around and more or less instant star gazing. 

My Giro Ercole is back in its box just now whilst I play around with the Skytee 2! 

Edited September 19, 2019 by jock1958

[Stu]

8 minutes ago, jock1958 said:

My Giro Ercole is back in its box just now whilst I play around with the Skytee 2! 

Traitor... 🤣🤣🤣

Sorry, just joking. I would love to try a SkyTee 2 at some point as they really do seem to have a good reputation for stability despite the built quality not being up to the Ercole. Perhaps it's the slow mo controls that help?

[Alan White]

7 minutes ago, jock1958 said:

Love the Alt Az mounts - ie no messing around and more or less instant star gazing. 

My Giro Ercole is back in its box just now whilst I play around with the Skytee 2! 

I replaced my Ercole with a Skytee 2 and instantly regretted it, very different levels of engineering I thought.
You may of course think differently.

[John]

I'm on my 3rd Ercole. It took me a while to work out how to get the best from them !

I also have a Skytee II and while it's build and finish are not near the Giro Ercole standards it does hold my longest and heaviest refractor more steadily than the Ercole does.

 

[jock1958]

42 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I replaced my Ercole with a Skytee 2 and instantly regretted it, very different levels of engineering I thought.
You may of course think differently.

I agree that the engineering on the Ercole is on another level, however I missed the slo mo controls and more forgiving nature of the Skytee when swapping eyepiece and balancing. No doubt the Ercole will be coming out to play in the near future. 

[johninderby]

Primitive and crude though it may be the Skytee just plain works. Had a couple of Giro mounts but only have the Skytee (TS equiv.) now. I simply like using it better than the Giro. Now a Skytee engineered to the same standards as the Giro would be a winner. 👍🏻

[jock1958]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Traitor... 🤣🤣🤣

Sorry, just joking. I would love to try a SkyTee 2 at some point as they really do seem to have a good reputation for stability despite the built quality not being up to the Ercole. Perhaps it's the slow mo controls that help?

I know, I know yeh it’s the slo mo controls and it’s rustic charm blah blah 😂 I haven’t given up on my Ercole honest! 

[jock1958]

23 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Primitive and crude though it may be the Skytee just plain works. Had a couple of Giro mounts but only have the Skytee (TS equiv.) now. I simply like using it better than the Giro. Now a Skytee engineered to the same standards as the Giro would be a winner. 👍🏻

I think there is - the Losmandy AZ8 but you will need extra cash 💵 🙁

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, jock1958 said:

I think there is - the Losmandy AZ8 but you will need extra cash 💵🙁

I think you are spot on, @iPeace has one and talks very highly of it.
Must say it is an option in my future too when and if funds were available.
 

[iPeace]

2 hours ago, johninderby said:

Now a Skytee engineered to the same standards as the Giro would be a winner

 

1 hour ago, jock1958 said:

I think there is - the Losmandy AZ8 but you will need extra cash

 

4 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I think you are spot on, @iPeace has one and talks very highly of it.

Having used the Ercole and having read a few less than positive reports on SkyTees in the wild, I dearly wanted an AZ8 and have enjoyed it immensely.

Thing is, I'm not convinced it actually does anything more than a SkyTee. Granted, the AZ8 will not fall apart - which is quite a boon for those who have gone through a few SkyTees - but if you do manage to find a good SkyTee and keep it in working order, the price of an AZ8 is very tough to justify...

[johninderby]

Have looked at the AZ8 and thought maybe someday but the TS-AZ5 I have now works so well. Seems better set up than the Skytee II and no problem with backlash. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by johninderby

[John]

I still think there is a niche for a heavy duty alt-az mount somewhere between the Skytee II / Ercole and the top end ones such as the APM Maxload / T-Rex / DM6 etc.

 

[johninderby]

Maybe it’s time for something new in Alt Az mounts. Magnetic brakes to control resistance perhaps and a remote with the slo mo knobs and braking resistance knobs on it. Of course that would mean drive motors but simple low powered ones would be good enough. 

Or maybe just the regular clutches with the motorised slo mo controls on a remote.

Hmmmmmmmm 🤔

Edited September 19, 2019 by johninderby

[djpaul]

Yes i like this idea 😀

4 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Maybe it’s time for something new in Alt Az mounts. Magnetic brakes to control resistance perhaps and a remote with the slo mo knobs and braking resistance knobs on it. Of course that would mean drive motors but simple low powered ones would be good enough. 

Hmmmmmmmm 🤔

 

[djpaul]

Anyone here care to share their thoughts on the Altair Sabre mk2 ?