Rowan AZ100 Mount Owners Thread

[johninderby]

I find it’s no problem to carry the Planet / AZ100 outside but indeed wouldn’t want to carry it a long way. 😁

When I had the UNI18 I thought it was really solid but when I got the Planet it redefined what solid was. Just in a different class to the UNI. Well worth the extra cost and weight. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[JeremyS]

55 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

No frozen hands at the end of the night? 

Yes, but also less vibration (than SW ones).

And they smell nicer 😊

[JeremyS]

34 minutes ago, johninderby said:

I find it’s no problem to carry the Planet / AZ100 outside but indeed wouldn’t want to carry it a long way. 😁

When I had the UNI18 I thought it was really solid but when I got the Planet it redefined what solid was. Just in a different class to the UNI. Well worth the extra cost and weight. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

You’ve obviously been eating your Shredded Wheat, John.

The Planet is indeed better, if you can Handle. That’s why I have both the Planet (mainly for AZEQ-6) and UNi-28 (mainly for AZ100, lighter weight set up).

[garryblueboy]

The uni is fine and as Jeremy says planet is beefier I had it when I mounted my Tak150TOA so was kind of needed but I’m now using the uni with the TTS160 and my weighty TMB-APM and it’s rock solid 

[Deadlake]

25 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Handle

😄

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

@Deadlake. I wanted a lightweight option for my AZ100, so I leave it permanently on my BB Uni tripod. I can carry the combo from the garage to the observing area. I then just add the TSA 120. No pier/riser.

The Berlebach Planet is beefier, but a bit too heavy to carry with the AZ100 in place.

I’d never go back to ally having tried BB tripods 

What sort of chair do you use while observing with this setup?

[JeremyS]

7 minutes ago, Louis D said:

What sort of chair do you use while observing with this setup?

BB (of course!) Charon

[Deadlake]

5 hours ago, garryblueboy said:

using the uni with the TTS160 and my weighty TMB-APM

How much does your TMB-APM weigh?

[garryblueboy]

1 hour ago, Deadlake said:

How much does your TMB-APM weigh?

About 15kg 

[BGazing]

18 hours ago, garryblueboy said:

The uni is fine and as Jeremy says planet is beefier I had it when I mounted my Tak150TOA so was kind of needed but I’m now using the uni with the TTS160 and my weighty TMB-APM and it’s rock solid 

Had no idea that they make even a special mounting plate for TTS.

[garryblueboy]

9 hours ago, BGazing said:

Had no idea that they make even a special mounting plate for TTS.

Same as DM6 mount 3/8 bolt 

[Alan White]

The AZ100 looks good and feels right on the Uni-28, the one at Rowans certainly did yesterday.
Very solid tripod and certainly a very solid mount.

[Deadlake]

True the BB Uni and Planet look good, wood is very nice. However they are heavy, I went with the T-Pod in the end. Derek is also making a shortened pan handle to reduce chance of collision. 

[JTEC]

The Planet is certainly beautiful and very solid but heavy. I bought it for my AZ100 and TEC140.  If buying again, I’d probably go for the Uni

[Deadlake]

The Uni is still 1 kg heavier then the B-Pod. My concern was that I'd need to add a weight if I went with the Uni, whereas on the Planet or B-Pod my scope would be fine without a weight. 

[Stu]

5 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

My concern was that I'd need to add a weight if I went with the Uni

Why? Surely the weight of the tripod will help stability, so the Uni or Planet would be better than the B-Pod

[johninderby]

It all depends on how important portability is. If used mainly at home and just carried from the conservatory to the pstio the weight of the Planet  isn’t a problem.  As I've mentioned before I was surprised at the improvement in stability the Planet has over the UNi.

Edited September 23, 2021 by johninderby

[Space Hopper]

I'd always recommend the BB Planet over a lighter tripod if your mounting a 5" + refractor or a heavy SCT etc, certainly if its in the 10 - 15kg weight category.

Its certainly heavy at 11 kg, but the stability it gives you is worth it in terms of cost and weight.

I've even been experimenting using a 10" Newtonian on my own alt-az mount + Planet.

It was a definite no-go with my lighter Uni-18, but with the Planet its a viable option (as long as its not too windy 😀)

 

[Deadlake]

22 minutes ago, Stu said:

Why? Surely the weight of the tripod will help stability, so the Uni or Planet would be better than the B-Pod

I can follow why you think this, however the T-Pod can take 100 kg load capacity and I can point you to users of both BB Planet and T-Pod users who get equal stability with either. I could also point to the super mount tripod, made of carbon (3.5 kg) with a 150 kg load capacity, which is more stable than either the Planet or T-Pod tripods. Some CN users own all the above makes. See: 
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/782599-super-mount-astro-carbon-tripod/

Not sure weight of tripod and stability are correlated, maybe tensile or compression strength of tripod is a larger factor, scratches head...

Edited September 23, 2021 by Deadlake

[Stephenstargazer]

The beauty of the AZ100 is that it does not come encumbered with a tripod. Can see from above that the freedom to chose the tripod that suits individual use and scopes is well worthwhile. If you think you will need a riser then a pillar type tripod makes sense. I am very happy with a UNI28 for Tak FC100, but keep the weight down by not needing heavy clamp plates or counterweights. My panhandle never clashes because it is tilted up 45 deg courtesy of 2 holes from Derek. Just another personal choice.

[johninderby]

With the wooden tripods the impriement in stability is down to the larger and therefore heavier components used on certain models.

Edited September 23, 2021 by johninderby

[Stephenstargazer]

4 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Not sure weight of tripod and stability are correlated

Only that with AZ 100 the counterweight is primarily to stop the risk of tripod tipping, rather than to reduce the load on the bearings. Until of course you get really big scopes....

[Deadlake]

9 minutes ago, Stephenstargazer said:

Only that with AZ 100 the counterweight is primarily to stop the risk of tripod tipping

Really a function of what tripod can support, not what it is made of or weight. By the way Derek can take an AZ5 adapter remove the spigot and tap out two M8 holes so you can use the Super mount tripod. In the end I thought that was over buying (saves 3.5 kg) but I can see in the future (as others on CN have done) they've gone down the route of: 

• A carbon tripod.
• Raisable height pillar.

 
This is to keep the tripod as light as possible and allow them to load the telescope with the pillar low and then adjust the height of the pillar as required. Let's them keep their scopes for a few more years until time catches up with them.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Deadlake

[Stephenstargazer]

There might be some confusion here between 'stability' (resistance to tipping) and 'damping' (resistance to vibration).

Some materials damp vibration better than others eg wood. But the 'stiffness' (resistance to elastic movement) of the tripod depends on both the components and joints. I think all the tripods mentioned above are well designed in that respect. But if you want 'rigidity' (least possible movement) then a monolithic pier is the solution.

(On the basis of structural engineering, not trying to deny others experience)

[Stu]

36 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

I can follow why you think this, however the T-Pod can take 100 kg load capacity and I can point you to users of both BB Planet and T-Pod users who get equal stability with either. I could also point to the super mount tripod, made of carbon (3.5 kg) with a 150 kg load capacity, which is more stable than either the Planet or T-Pod tripods. Some CN users own all the above makes. See: 
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/782599-super-mount-astro-carbon-tripod/

Not sure weight of tripod and stability are correlated, maybe tensile or compression strength of tripod is a larger factor, scratches head...

I see stability and capacity as two separate things. A lightweight tripod may be able to take a heavy load, but basic physics says if the weight is unbalanced and takes the centre of gravity too far to one side then the tripod may topple over.

You suggested you may need a weight with the Uni but not the B-Pod, so that bit doesn’t make sense to me. Assuming the legs spread to similar degrees, the the B-Pod would be less stable due to its lighter weight.

I use the Planet with spiked feet which I dig into the lawn. It is the most stable tripod I’ve used and totally up to the job without a counterweight.