Solar Quest load Q

[vineyard]

Hello,

I was wondering whether any Solar Quest owners had tested the upper load limit (for visual and/or imaging) please?  The specs say 4kg - does that have wiggle room above it or is it already v toppish?

[EDIT:] Asking in particular b/c I think a few folks use it with a Lunt 60 (maybe even double-stacked) based on images posted?  Lunt's website shows the Lunt 60 tilt tuned as weighing 20lbs (ie 9kg) - can the Solar Quest handle loads like that? I now realise that is the packed weight (doh!) and the actual scope is about 3kg - which I guess would rise a bit with a mono & a double-stack.  I'm trying to figure out whether a 4-5kg achromat for WL could be carried by the little SQ?  Thank you

Thank you,

Vin

Edited June 16, 2020 by vineyard
Added clarifying text

[Davey-T]

16 minutes ago, vineyard said:

Hello,

I was wondering whether any Solar Quest owners had tested the upper load limit (for visual and/or imaging) please?  The specs say 4kg - does that have wiggle room above it or is it already v toppish?

[EDIT:] Asking in particular b/c I think a few folks use it with a Lunt 60 (maybe even double-stacked) based on images posted?  Lunt's website shows the Lunt 60 tilt tuned as weighing 20lbs (ie 9kg) - can the Solar Quest handle loads like that?  (I'd imagine with a camera &/or double-stack that would increase even more)?

Thank you,

Vin

My LS60DS pressure tuned weighs 5.625 kilos with dust cap which is metal, plus a bit more for camera / eyepiece.

Works OK on the Solar Quest the only tricky bit is balance which needs to be about right otherwise it won't align with the Sun, just buzzes and doesn't move so I find the point of balance roughly before putting it on the mount then once up and running you can see if it's front or back heavy as it will slowly lose the Sun as it drifts up / down, then move the dovetail a smidgen until it tracks OK and mark the dovetail with an indelible marker, mine is very sensitive to balance with the overload so have to move it slightly when changing from ZWO ASI178 camera to heavier Leica zoom.

Dave

 

[vineyard]

5 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

My LS60DS pressure tuned weighs 5.625 kilos with dust cap which is metal, plus a bit more for camera / eyepiece.

Works OK on the Solar Quest the only tricky bit is balance which needs to be about right otherwise it won't align with the Sun, just buzzes and doesn't move so I find the point of balance roughly before putting it on the mount then once up and running you can see if it's front or back heavy as it will slowly lose the Sun as it drifts up / down, then move the dovetail a smidgen until it tracks OK and mark the dovetail with an indelible marker, mine is very sensitive to balance with the overload so have to move it slightly when changing from ZWO ASI178 camera to heavier Leica zoom.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave - thats really helpful.  I only have a little Lunt 50 so that should be well within the weight, but am trying to see if (crazy idea) the SQ could also handle an old Vixen 102M for WL.  Weight wise that combination should come out around 4.1kg but the scope is so l-o-n-g that it will be interesting to see what happens!

Cheers again,

Vin

[Steve Clay]

I use an Ed80, 2inch diagonal with quark and Ep's . The mount is sat with it's extension on an eq5 tripod. All up weight on the head is just a tadge over 5kg.

I found the center of gravity by suspending it with thin rope and marked the dovetail at that point.

I've had no issues at all. 

Finds easily and literally tracks all day.

Steve

[vineyard]

3 hours ago, Steve Clay said:

I use an Ed80, 2inch diagonal with quark and Ep's . The mount is sat with it's extension on an eq5 tripod. All up weight on the head is just a tadge over 5kg.

I found the center of gravity by suspending it with thin rope and marked the dovetail at that point.

I've had no issues at all. 

Finds easily and literally tracks all day.

Steve

Thanks Steve.

I've taken the leap and ordered it form FLO - apologies to everyone in advance for the next few days of cloud.

Am going to try it out on a camera tripod to start with - does the extension fit with a N-pin (it doesn't look like the SQ mount itself could accommodate a N-pin?)?

Cheers,

Vin

[Steve Clay]

10 hours ago, vineyard said:

Thanks Steve.

I've taken the leap and ordered it form FLO - apologies to everyone in advance for the next few days of cloud.

Am going to try it out on a camera tripod to start with - does the extension fit with a N-pin (it doesn't look like the SQ mount itself could accommodate a N-pin?)?

Cheers,

Vin

Sorry don't know what a N pin is. The bottom of the extension is 3/8 photo thread. The bottom of the SQ is also 3/8.

Steve

[vineyard]

Oops sorry, I meant the North pin on an HEQ5 tripod.  From the drawings it looks like that would get in the way & the tripod needs to be completely flat & unobstructed around the 3/8 thread?  Anyway, I think the whole thing should be light enough for a photo tripod to handle comfortably - will find out in a few days I hope.  Cheers

[Steve Clay]

42 minutes ago, vineyard said:

Oops sorry, I meant the North pin on an HEQ5 tripod.  From the drawings it looks like that would get in the way & the tripod needs to be completely flat & unobstructed around the 3/8 thread?  Anyway, I think the whole thing should be light enough for a photo tripod to handle comfortably - will find out in a few days I hope.  Cheers

Ah yes the North pin would be in the way. I have a EQ5-3/8 thread adaptor.