Moving to push-to alt-az, and need help choosing

[jadcx]

Hi

Having finally accepted that I'm just not finding or making the time to set up my gear for imaging, I've been moving towards a predominantly visual setup with some reasonable consideration for quick(er) setup times and portability.  So the NEQ6 is out (want to buy it?) leaving me with just the AzGti for now.  I like it a lot, but it's not really designed for regular manual movement, and I'm looking for options.  My wishlist so far is:

• An alt-az mount
• Push-to capability (I'm leaning towards a Nexus DSC)
• Loading is currently quite light, the FS-60CB is teeny, and the 90mm is around 5kg
• Some future-proofing would be nice, so maybe a load of up to 12kg would be good (that 150mm refractor might still be mine one day)
• Budget  - I'd like to not exceed £1500

 

As for mount options, I'm not so sure:

• AYO II with encoders looks very appealing
  • Looks great, good portability
  • Should I be concerned about the encoder being *only* 5000 ticks per revolution?
• Digi II
  • Yes the Ayo II does what I need, but while I'm buying something, I could get this and never look back
  • It is heavier, and bigger, and more expensive than the Ayo II
• Obviously I've looked at the emerging details of the Rowan AZ100
  • It's beautiful, but seemingly not so portable, and is perhaps more broadly overkill for my needs
• DSV-3
  • Seems like a potential fit, but it's US based and so a bit go a hassle to get over to UK
• DM-4
  • As DSV-3 for being US based
• • 8kg loading which is OK for now but not future proof

I keep going round in circles, so I'm hoping that some of you will have opinions and expereices which can help me narrow this down.

J

 

[John]

The Rowan AZ100 is certainly portable - the mount head weighs 8.5kg. I can move the Berlebach Unit 28 tripod and the AZ100 head around in one piece fairly easily. I would not want to climb a flight of stairs with it though. Otherwise it would tick your boxes well I would have thought.

 

 

 

[Saganite]

The Rowan AZ100 + encoders + Nexus DSC is available fromFLO  @ £1490 ,  is nicely inside your budget, and as John has said, it seems to tick all of your boxes....

Edited November 1, 2019 by Saganite

[johninderby]

Just did a quick carry test of the TS-AZ5 with a 3.5kg weight and Berlebach tripod which weighs the same overall as the AZ100 without a weight. Quite easy to carry around and no problem carrying it upstairs, at least for me.

I would class the AZ100 as portable although you wouldn’t want to carry it too far.

[jadcx]

Rowan AZ100 - and it has the slo-mo controls... it *is* tempting.  From the pictures I've seen it just looks a bit... big.  I know that at 8.5kg it is portable although that's considerably more (yes, admittedly for more of a mount too) than the Ayo II or even the Ayo Digi.

It's probably a good option and I likely need to let go of my fantasy of a mount and scope that fits in my rucksack.  I don't even know why that fantasy exists, because apparently the Uni-18 is going to magically levitate to wherever it is I'm heading 😕 😂

[johninderby]

Would probably fit in an SAS backpack. 🤔

[jadcx]

3 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Would probably fit in an SAS backpack. 🤔

Ha ha ha - does it come with the SAS man to carry it too?

[John]

Depends on the size of your rucksack ........