looking for a tripod mount head for a 70/900

[MimasDeathStar]

I love my scope, but I cant help but feel life may be easier if I added another mounting option to my eq1 setup because I'm finding star hopping a bit of a challenge and I'm perhaps not as disciplined as I could be when it comes to polar aligning for quick sessions!

My scope is a Meade Polaris 70/900, its not very heavy at all, but it is quite long. I'm lucky because it has a standard sky-watcher style v-shaped base.

I do have an extra heavy weight tripod, and a lighter carbon travel tripod. I'd really like to use one of those if possible. The heavier tripod has a video head but I found that using the 1/4 attachment on the scope meant the scope had a tendency to "wander around" on the mount when panning. And I didn't really get on with the video head, it seems to... wallow... a bit., sort of feels a bit spongy and a challenge with the narrow FOV - certainly not as good as the EQ1.

I have seen the AZ pronto which looks perfect - but it does mean buying another tripod which seems like a shame as I already have a tripod or two lying around. The AZ4 and AZ5 seem a bit overkill for my lightweight setup and I'm not sure they'd work with my tripod. If I could utilise one of my tripods rather than buy a new one, then that would be one less thing to take on holiday!

I have seen the Omegon AZ Baby mount which looks amazing https://www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-without-goto/omegon-mount-az-baby/p,49753 but I haven't seen any reviews for it, maybe it is quite new. I did find one picture of someone mounting what looks like a 90mm or so frac on it so I think it would work - but I'd love to hear what other people do, especially when looking for a nice lightweight compact setup.

Once again, many thanks all.

Edited November 14, 2019 by MimasDeathStar

[Alan64]

You could make a pipe-type alt-azimuth mount-head for one of your tripods, and from plumbing/gas supplies...

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/582383-show-us-your-pipe-mount/

 

 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

If your spare tripods are 3/8s photographic fittings then the AZ Pronto will bolt straight on and as your dovetail is fixed underneath your telescope, rather than on the side, a good option if you want to avoid awkward finder positions or the need for tube rings. You could contact a retailer and ask if they will split the package and supply a mount only?

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[John]

A really sturdy photo tripod might work OK but as you have said, the 70mm / 900 is a long scope and these tend to pose more challenges for both mount heads and tripods than short tubed scopes of the same aperture, even if the long tubes are not very heavy.

Most travel / lightweight setups involve a short tubed scope which can be handled by a portable mounting arrangement.

 

 

[CanesVenatici]

On 14/11/2019 at 21:13, MimasDeathStar said:

I have seen the Omegon AZ Baby mount which looks amazing https://www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-without-goto/omegon-mount-az-baby/p,49753 but I haven't seen any reviews for it, maybe it is quite new. I did find one picture of someone mounting what looks like a 90mm or so frac on it so I think it would work - but I'd love to hear what other people do, especially when looking for a nice lightweight compact setup.

I recently bought one of these mounts and it is very nicely made. It is basically a 2" / 50 mm Teflon disc mount, about the same size as the TS AZT6 but with an easily accessible, top-mounted azimuth knob. It uses plain bearings and apart from some internal washes is made entirely out of machined aluminium alloy. I guess some would like to see roller bearings or some such, but there is no room for slop anywhere in the AZ baby's design and everything fits together very snugly.

This mount has actually been around for over 10 years, and is machined by the Liu Xiaoyi brothers in China, who used to sell it direct as the Astroslew AIM. (They also did a version in stainless steel, plus a much larger version.) Now the astroshop seem to be their main distributor, who sell it with a generic but well-made Vixen-compatible dual clamp. (TS sell the clamp as their XL Premium Dovetail for 65€). XL is about right, as it is rather oversized, being rated for 20kg against the much smaller mount head, rated for 4kg.

If it matters, the clamp is now silver anodised, rather than the black shown in astroshop's photo, but the mount is still anodised black. Only Issue I had was that the two M8 mounting bolts for the rail clamp sat a little proud of the surface of the clamp, so I replaced them with 2 M8 stainless bolts that I had filed down couple of mm.

I have found the mount to be very smooth in use, and I have it fitted to a Manfrotto 190X tripod, which lacks the option to set the extension at 90 degrees but is more rigid as a result. It only carries a Tecnosky  AC 62/520 (the same scope as the Orion Starblast, Vixen A62SS and Baader Scopos 62 - essentially a Long Perng S520M) but it settles down within a second or so, unless the central extension on the tripod is raised too high.)

It would have liked to test the AZ baby alongside the TS AZT6, which is a bit cheaper, but had to choose one so went for the more 'engineered' look of the AZ baby.

If you want some more reviews of this mount do a search for the Astroslew AIM.

[MimasDeathStar]

13 hours ago, CanesVenatici said:

I recently bought one of these mounts and it is very nicely made. It is basically a 2" / 50 mm Teflon disc mount, about the same size as the TS AZT6 but with an easily accessible, top-mounted azimuth knob. It uses plain bearings and apart from some internal washes is made entirely out of machined aluminium alloy. I guess some would like to see roller bearings or some such, but there is no room for slop anywhere in the AZ baby's design and everything fits together very snugly.

 

 

 

This mount has actually been around for over 10 years, and is machined by the Liu Xiaoyi brothers in China, who used to sell it direct as the Astroslew AIM. (They also did a version in stainless steel, plus a much larger version.) Now the astroshop seem to be their main distributor, who sell it with a generic but well-made Vixen-compatible dual clamp. (TS sell the clamp as their XL Premium Dovetail for 65€). XL is about right, as it is rather oversized, being rated for 20kg against the much smaller mount head, rated for 4kg.

 

 

 

If it matters, the clamp is now silver anodised, rather than the black shown in astroshop's photo, but the mount is still anodised black. Only Issue I had was that the two M8 mounting bolts for the rail clamp sat a little proud of the surface of the clamp, so I replaced them with 2 M8 stainless bolts that I had filed down couple of mm.

 

 

 

I have found the mount to be very smooth in use, and I have it fitted to a Manfrotto 190X tripod, which lacks the option to set the extension at 90 degrees but is more rigid as a result. It only carries a Tecnosky  AC 62/520 (the same scope as the Orion Starblast, Vixen A62SS and Baader Scopos 62 - essentially a Long Perng S520M) but it settles down within a second or so, unless the central extension on the tripod is raised too high.)

 

 

 

It would have liked to test the AZ baby alongside the TS AZT6, which is a bit cheaper, but had to choose one so went for the more 'engineered' look of the AZ baby.

 

 

 

If you want some more reviews of this mount do a search for the Astroslew AIM.

That's so useful thankyou! I've just bought one as it happens and it arrived earlier in the week. I was surprised how heavy duty the whole setup was. I had a play with my Skymax 102 on it and there is zero slop of backlash - as long as you get the tensioning just right. I agree that the vixen clamp is a real monster considering the low weight rating of the unit.

I have been considering fitting a counterweight bar like the Altair Mini mount seems to carry but I can't seem to figure out what thread I need. I tried the rod from my Meade Polaris 70 (which I think is just a generic eq1) and while the diameter seems about right the pitch of the threads was not... You wouldn't have any idea would you?

Thanks again!

[CanesVenatici]

Sorry, for my needs the AZ baby is fine without an extension bar. I am sure that the astroshop could tell you.

[MimasDeathStar]

On 23/11/2019 at 12:39, CanesVenatici said:

Sorry, for my needs the AZ baby is fine without an extension bar. I am sure that the astroshop could tell you.

Thanks - I emailed them it's a M12x1. 5 fitting, slightly different from EQ1-6 which is M12x1. 75 apparently! 

[CanesVenatici]

Just a quick update for anyone considering the AZ Baby. When I first got this I assumed that it used plain bearings, but I have just had a mind to clean and lubricate the internals, and it is actually fitted with an intenal roller bearing on each axis, with the teflon discs forming the counter-bearing on the outside. (What I thought was  a plain bearing was just the pressure plate for the adjustment knob.)  I'm still very happy with this little mount!