Advice on mounting solar scope

[Highburymark]

I’ve used several mounts for solar observing over the past few years. All with a Gitzo photo tripod - my only tripod. A Giro Ercole mini, SW Solarquest and SW AZ5. The AZ5 gets most use by far - so quick and easy to set up, and I love slow motion controls at higher powers. All three happily cope with my scope - a Lunt60, though with double stack filter and heavy Baader binoviewer it’s probably in excess of 5kg.

But I’m upgrading to a new set up which I calculate could be 7.5-8kg. A TV85 with two external Ha solar filters, binoviewer and EPs. This is beyond any of my mounts’ payloads - apart from the Ercole but I really need slo-mo controls. 
I’m slightly stumped about what mount to go for. The Skytee in theory should be perfect, but I keep reading semi horror stories about it. Then it’s a massive jump up to the Rowan AZ-100 or Losmandy AZ8, both of which I think are too big for my needs. Does anyone have ideas for a mount which support an 8kg scope (which is compatible with a photo tripod) and allow precise manual movement at powers up to 125x? Are there any az-eq mounts which might be the answer? Doesn’t have to be a purely alt-az mount. My Gitzo has a max load of 25kg.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Highburymark

[johninderby]

The Skytee II is fine now and works well. The old horror stories are just, old. A few problems early on but quite reliable now.

Prefer the Telescope Express version as it seems better adjusted and you can mount a saddle on both ends and on the top. Not like the Skytee that has one end saddle and one on top. The TS version doesn’t come with saddles while the Skytee does but the saddles are rubbish and need replacing anyway.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4539_TS-Optics-AZ5-Alt-azimuthal-Mount-with-fine-adjustment-in-both-axes.html

Used these saddles.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/rvo-mini-vixen-style-clamp.html

My old AZ5

Edited May 3, 2020 by johninderby

[Highburymark]

Great advice - thanks John. I have a nice ADM clamp on my Ercole - wonder if that might fit the Skytee (or at least the TS version?)

[johninderby]

The mounting holes are M6 and 35mm apart as I remember so you might be able to bolt yours straight on. 🤔 The Skytee version will of course fit.

Here’s a better pic of the saddles I used. Like the two seperate clamps on each one.

Edited May 3, 2020 by johninderby

[Highburymark]

Much appreciated John. 
Hope you’re enjoying your AZ-100 - most beautiful chunk of metal I’ve seen for a long while - but significantly beyond my needs.

[johninderby]

The AZ100 is indeed a thing of beauty. Perhaps they should bring out a little brother, say an AZ50? 🤔

One impression I got from the TS-AZ5 is that they put a bit more quality control into it than the Skytee. Just seemed better set up with virtually no backlash. Probably TS paid for extra QC that they didn’t for the Skytee.?

[Highburymark]

I’m first in the queue for a Rowan AZ50 - as long as they launch it within the next 3 weeks.

[Highburymark]

Well, I took John’s advice and went for a Skytee 2 from FLO, which arrived today together with replacement ADM clamps, and a hefty £500 saving over the (admittedly gorgeous and far more capable) AZ100. The word describing these mounts that had stuck in my mind from a previous thread was “agricultural”, and perhaps there is a slight air of the farmyard about its design. But  I like it. And best of all, the slo-mo controls are spot on. No backlash that I can feel, and it carries the TV85 very solidly - no jitters whatsoever at 150x today. The two solar filters, Mark V binoviewer, blocking filters and eyepieces will make it a substantially longer and heavier package, but I have no worries that the Skytee will take it in its stride.

[richard ashbee]

what's the weight of your scope

[Highburymark]

3 hours ago, richard ashbee said:

what's the weight of your scope

It will be around 7.5kg-8kg I reckon. Too much for my AZ5, and sadly too much for my SW solar tracking mount