Grab and go mount

[Ricochet]

Testing my new 72ED has shown that my Starwave Mini mount isn't really up to the task. Weight wise it's fine, but the problem is the distribution of weight. With the 72mm objective being so light, all the weight is at the back of the scope and so the alt clutch has to be done up really tightly in order to prevent the scope from unintentional movement. Would a Scopetech Zero or any other lightweight mount be more able to cope with the rearward weight distribution? Even with a longer dovetail I couldn't really move the scope forward any further as the focuser wheels would come into contact with the saddle.

[Elp]

You could double up the dovetail bars one on top of another to give you the clearance you need for the focuser?

[david_taurus83]

26 minutes ago, Elp said:

You could double up the dovetail bars one on top of another to give you the clearance you need for the focuser?

You can also get block spacers that raise the rings further away from the dovetail.

Can you not rotate the focuser so it's on top?

[Ricochet]

2 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

You can also get block spacers that raise the rings further away from the dovetail.

Can you not rotate the focuser so it's on top?

The scope is on rings so the focuser can be positioned in any orientation. However, most mounts are side-mount so to avoid any clash the focuser would have to be orientated vertically and so the focuser would end up behind the eyepiece. I'd prefer a horizontal orientation if possible but I will trial vertical next time it is clear. Also a vertical orientation would probably dictate a right hand mount so that the finder isn't under the scope or clashing with the mount. 

[Stu]

@Ricochet as suggested, if you get some spacers you can position the scope further forward and avoid the focuser clashing.

The Scopetech would probably cope with some imbalance as it has slo mo controls and you can lock down the clutches quite tight if needed. That said, I would try the spacers first to get the scope in balance with your existing mount.

[jjohnson3803]

I love my ScopeTech; as mentioned, you can clamp it down pretty tightly.  I'd be inclined to try a cheaper solution first though unless you really want to change mounts.

Edited May 3, 2022 by jjohnson3803