Returning to astronomy - advice on mount & tripod

[Mandopicker101]

Hello world and indeed universe...

I'm resuming/returning to an interest in astronomy by resurrecting an inexpensive PowerSeeker 80EQ refractor I bought ages ago for not very much (£25 max). This is combined with bins and, er, a long discarded SW Infinity 'space penguin' scope my daughter once had (no one can see me in the dark in my back garden, so hey...).

The Celestron OTA is in good nick, focuser is pretty smooth and no scratches to objective etc. The EQ1 mount is ok if not exactly smooth and the slow mo cables have a habit of loosening off (threadlock maybe?). The tripod is much much less ok, with 2 leg catches being bust/non existent. Currently a couple of G clamps suffice to secure it but it's a faff...

Happily I have some accessories left over from a previous scope - so the diagonal is now a dielectric, I have a range of decent of Plossls and filters, a fairly good Barlow and a red dot finder. 

Question I have concerns the mount and tripod.

Before burning any cash, are there any fixes I could reasonably make to improve the EQ1 mount and the alu tripod? I've read about people filling the legs with sand or even cement - does this work/improve things? 

Or is it a case of accepting both the mount and tripod for what they are, enjoy the scope and start saving up for a better package? 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Mandopicker101
Typos..

[Zermelo]

Hello.

I have no personal experience of that scope, but I suspect from a purely mechanical perspective that an F/11 80mm refractor won't be very happy on an EQ1 with a light tripod. Your views, especially at higher magnifications, will be subject to vibrations, and the scope may take a long time to settle after it has been touched.

Adding some weight can sometimes help. As you say, filling tripod legs with sand is one way, though if they're pressed aluminium rather than steel there may not be any hollow to fill? Another trick is to hang a weight (e.g. water container) under the mount.

I think what you say in your last line is probably the best route. See how you get on with what you have, but look at replacing the mount with something more substantial when you can. I wouldn't bother buying the "next one up", I'd go for something with at least a 5kg capacity that could also cope with your next scope down the line. You might think about getting an alt-azimuth variety rather than another equatorial. They are simpler, if visual-only is all that's needed. If you don't need goto, then something like an AZ5? Check that the mount will accept the fixing on your existing scope.