StellaLyra Dual Alt-Az Mount with Counterweights - with Askar 103 Apo.

[paulastro]

I was after an altaz mount for the Askar 103 Apo.  Alas, the AZ5 is fine for powers up to about x80, but above that the view was far too shaky to get the best out of planets and the Moon.

I wanted a rock steady mount, manual, with slow motions for the Askar apo - approaching 6k with dovetail, rings, small finder and binoviewer with x2 Orthos. Money was not plentiful and I had a limit of around £300.  I was surprised there weren't more options in this price range, certainly that I might have confidence could cope with the Askar.

I had a SkyTee (1st incarnation)  around 20 years ago if I remember correctly. In my recollection, it could hold a big load but there were some drawbacks.  It was rather rough and ready, the movements were not that smooth, not much finess and in those days it was generally accepted you had to replace the two clamps.  If you didn't there was every chance that a clamp could spring apart, if you undid the knob too far,  and spill the scope onto the floor!

Roll on 20 years and we have the mk 11 SkyTee.  The mk11 designation perhaps indicating it may have improved over the years?

In addition, FLO now have their own version under the StellaLyra brand.  In the pics there are at least a couple off differences between it and the Mk 11. It also comes with a couple of counterweights.  I had some confidence/hope that FLO would have specified a better spec than the Mk 1 and possibly the Mk 11.  With a  black Friday reduction on offer, I ordered the StellaLyra.

It arrived on Nov 29th and I was impressed with its appearance and sturdyness - at least set up in the lounge!

Nov 30th, frozen snow on the ground, - 3 degrees and a GRS transit pending at 9.36pm at an altitude of 48 degrees.  I was set up by 8.35, the SL mounted on a Vixen channel aluminium. tripod.

Well, in summary, what a agreat decission, rock steady and firm but smooth slow motions.  The Askar was mounted on one side no counterweight used on the other side. ( FLO rate the mount as 10 kilo each side)  at around x150 Jupiter was indeed rock steady, the seeing was fairly good and it looked like a drawing. The detail, particularly around the two EBs was very good with either barges or other details spilling into the EZ.  The GRS was visible all the time.  There was easily more detail that I have seen through any four inch class scope scope for some years.  One or two expletives punctuated the cold night air.  Wonderful.

I'm not sure which was more responsible for the wonderful views, the quality of the optics or the steadiness of the mount.  The seeing was good, but by no means the best.  Certainly the Askar on the AZ5 wasn't in the same class at high power - not unexpectedly.

The clamps were very good, and far better that the originals on the SkyTee Mk 1, in my view they don't need to be replaced.  Having said that I did replace one with an ADM clamp.

The only small negative with the mount was that one of the azimuth slow motion knobs caught on the slow motion locking lever.  I noticed this on the day it arrived and removed the offending knob.  I never missed it, and I may put on a short-stalked knob which won't foul the locking lever.

I'm over the Moon with the mount, it's a bargain buy at the price, it would probably be fairly at home with the Askar 140 Apo 🙂. 

I have never used the SkyTee Mk 11, so cannot comment on how it may compare with the StellaLyra.

The pic below was taken on the night of the test, complete with snow.  An extended dew shield was put on to keep the frost off.

[seven_legs]

Nice set up. I was looking st these mounts myself sometime ago