TS AZ5 (SkyTee 2) - if you can’t beat them...

[Stu]

... join them!

I’ve been an Ercole ‘snob’ 🤪🤪 for a long time, seemingly immune to the lure of the SkyTee 2 with its rugged (agricultural?) manufacture but strong reputation for capacity and stability. The slo motion controls are an obvious difference/benefit over the Ercole with potentially less susceptibility to balance issues etc. It’s a heavy beast though! This one has seen plenty of life, but is very sound and with the clamps either end giving me the dual scope capability I use so often. Will be ideal for solar white light and Ha observing I do frequently.

I’ll write up more once I’ve given it a try out. It sits on the Uni 28 tripod very well using the same adaptor I made for the GP. I’ll likely have to choose between Ercole and SkyTee 2 at some point, but we will see. I think I will swap the slo mo knobs for remote control cables, but that aside all seems good. Not sure if I will use the top clamp, perhaps I’ll fashion something to mount a TelRad on there.

Same pictures as posted on the ‘Postie’ thread.

[Basementboy]

Nice, I've been considering one of these – will be interested to hear your take on it

[Captain Scarlet]

I generally use the top clamp for a small spotting scope I have, a standard manfrotto tripod plate fits the Vixen dovetail clamp quite nicely. At its minimum 16x mag, it makes a decent “super-finder”.

Edited April 27, 2021 by Captain Magenta

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

It’s a heavy beast though!

 

3 hours ago, Stu said:

Not sure if I will use the top clamp, perhaps I’ll fashion something to mount a TelRad on there.

If you just put a Telrad up there, you could ditch the counterweight and save a significant chunk of weight.

[Stu]

6 hours ago, Louis D said:

 

If you just put a Telrad up there, you could ditch the counterweight and save a significant chunk of weight.

Yep, that makes sense. Will give it a go.

[chiltonstar]

Wouldn't be without mine...... Re weight, I find there is a way with lifting them that doesn't wreck the back - essentially keep it close to the body and put the eyepiece bracket against your hip.

Chris

 

[jock1958]

I’ve owned both @Stu but still got the venerable and extremely flexible Skytee 2.
You don’t need to re-balance the OTA when swapping heavy eyepieces or BV’s as the alt axis can be easily locked off,  I found the Ercole not as forgiving in this department and had a few scares where I forgot to re-balance the OTA and tighten up the top friction knob. Also wouldn’t be without Slo Mo controls.

The only improvement I could recommend is to replace the sticky Synta grease, which in my case gummed up the works especially when cold. I use bog standard wheel bearing grease from Halfords, the next time I strip it down I may try Aeroshell grease 33 as used in Boeing 747 control systems. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by jock1958

[laudropb]

I have used a Sky T2 for 6 years now and after some initial problems it has been a joy to use. Mine arrived with terrible backlash on both axis. Having been given sound advice on this forum I opened it up. I have never seen so much grease on gears. Not only that the grease used was a thick horrible mess. I cleaned it up, regreased and tightened every thing up and ever since I have had absolutely no back lash problems. I also changed to ADM clamps . I use to double mount for solar observing with a Lunt50 on the top and various fracs on the side for WL and never had any problems. I now use a Solar quest mount and have an AZ 100. The T2 sits unused looking rather forlorn and making me feel rather guilty at having abandoned such an old friend. Next time the Sun shines I will get it out and use it for old times sake.

[Dave Cherrett]

Yep, the top mount is ideal for the Telrad - it fits directly into the much-maligned original ST2 clamp (that's if you haven't thrown them away) .  I find the TS XL Premium Clamp rather better than the usual ADM substitute for the main mount - the depth of the dovetail grip is greater, and safer, I think.  A similar clamp is on eBay at about £30, if I'm allowed to say that.  Maybe controversial 

This well-used ST2 was bought inexpensively (thank you Telescope40) and titivated.  The slo-mo worm carrier clamp screws were worn or stripped, so these were re-threaded to M5;  the whole mount was disassembled, cleaned and re-greased with the magic green Aeroshell 33

The end cap had been drilled for a secondary clamp, but instead I've made a short counterweight bar with a lock nut, so a weight, if needed, and a second clamp can be added. This allows some alt adjustment without disturbing the end cap grub screws. An iOptron AZpro secondary clamp has grub screws to allow some lateral tweaking. The flexible slo-mo controls are old Vixen, not modern OVL ones.

Maybe an agricultural substitute for a snobby Ercole, or a poor man's Rowan, but it's serving me well, and the exercise is doing some good.... 

 

 

[John]

My ST II has provided excellent service over the years that I've owned it. I do also have an Ercole but the ST II gets much more use, even doing a decent job with my 130mm F/9.2 refractor (pictured below) until I acquired a T-Rex for that scope. The ST II is still my mainstay for my 100, 102mm and 120mm refractors. I hope you get good service from yours Stu

Edited April 28, 2021 by John

[johninderby]

When I had the AZ5 (Skytee) I fitted saddle clamps to both ends and tapped the centre holes in the saddle clamps to M12 which allowed fitting the standard counterweight bar  to either saddle. Used an M16 to M12 adaptor to fit the counterweight bar to the saddle. That way could have two scopes mounted with no counterweight or if just one scope used just fit the counterweight.

Edited April 28, 2021 by johninderby

[John]

I have seen some heavy scopes on the ST II. This is an 8 inch F/5.9 weighing over 14kg. Not sure that I would go that far though

 

[johninderby]

I had a 17kg OTA on a Skytee for a little while and then this happened a couple of months later. Coincidence. 🤔

Up to 10kg is more sensible and will give no problems at all.

Edited April 28, 2021 by johninderby

[Stu]

Thanks All. They do seem well regarded and capable, with a certain rustic charm perhaps? Time will tell of I can bring myself to sell the Ercole, but I can see this getting plenty of use. My experiment with the Ercole/Gitzo on the EQ Platform worked very well, but just having slo motion controls would likely make this unnecessary. On the Uni 28 tripod it will be very steady; ideal for my WL/Ha solar scopes.

Will report back soon, or when the skies clear again at least.

[Carbon Brush]

@johninderby
If the mount is made from proper steel, not stale cheese, there is no way it will break at 17Kg.
Your pic seems to show quite large metal crystals.
My (recently purchased 2nd hand) mount has pits in machined surfaces - voids in the metal.

I think Skywatcher incoming metal quality control may be 'does a magnet stick? Yes is a pass.

More important John. Did you manage to catch the OTA? was the ground soft?

David.

[johninderby]

The Skytee may be “agricultural” but like any good bit of farm equipment does the job. 😁

[johninderby]

5 minutes ago, Carbon Brush said:

@johninderby
If the mount is made from proper steel, not stale cheese, there is no way it will break at 17Kg.
Your pic seems to show quite large metal crystals.
My (recently purchased 2nd hand) mount has pits in machined surfaces - voids in the metal.

I think Skywatcher incoming metal quality control may be 'does a magnet stick? Yes is a pass.

More important John. Did you manage to catch the OTA? was the ground soft?

David.

Had a nice 80mm FPL53 triplet on it at the time and was busy doing doing something else when I noticed out of the corner of my eye the scope slowly leaning over and caught it with one hand just before it detached completely. Was on a concrete patio so if it had fallen.......🙀🙀🙀

Edited April 28, 2021 by johninderby

[johninderby]

Another pic of the failure.

[Stu]

Just now, johninderby said:

Another pic of the failure.

It’s made from cast metal, steel presumably?? Is that correct?

[johninderby]

No not steel but some sort of white metal alloy. 

[Stu]

Actually I’ve just checked mine and it has some play in the Az axis. It might be fine, but are the any guides around for adjusting the worm gears, before I start fiddling!

[johninderby]

This should be usefull.

 

[Stu]

7 minutes ago, johninderby said:

This should be usefull.

 

Great, thanks very much John 👍

[johninderby]

BTW AeroShell 33 grease is what Rowan recommend. Expensive but great grease. Ypu have to shop around for the small tube as most trade suppliers want to sell you a pack for your Boeing aircraft. 😁

https://www.shell.com/business-customers/aviation/aeroshell/aeroshell-greases/grease-33.html

[Telescope40]

1 hour ago, Dave Cherrett said:

Yep, the top mount is ideal for the Telrad - it fits directly into the much-maligned original ST2 clamp (that's if you haven't thrown them away) .  I find the TS XL Premium Clamp rather better than the usual ADM substitute for the main mount - the depth of the dovetail grip is greater, and safer, I think.  A similar clamp is on eBay at about £30, if I'm allowed to say that.  Maybe controversial 

This well-used ST2 was bought inexpensively (thank you Telescope40) and titivated.  The slo-mo worm carrier clamp screws were worn or stripped, so these were re-threaded to M5;  the whole mount was disassembled, cleaned and re-greased with the magic green Aeroshell 33

The end cap had been drilled for a secondary clamp, but instead I've made a short counterweight bar with a lock nut, so a weight, if needed, and a second clamp can be added. This allows some alt adjustment without disturbing the end cap grub screws. An iOptron AZpro secondary clamp has grub screws to allow some lateral tweaking. The flexible slo-mo controls are old Vixen, not modern OVL ones.

Maybe an agricultural substitute for a snobby Ercole, or a poor man's Rowan, but it's serving me well, and the exercise is doing some good.... 

 

 

Hello Dave.  Trust all is well with the mount 

John