Using the Sky View mount extension on CG-4

[gustavo_sanchez]

Hello to all,

I got the mount extension to make my back last a little longer while looking at objects high in the sky using my Omni 120. Another advantage is that now I correctly polar align the mount, since the counterweights clear the north tripod leg (they hit the leg before due to the low latitude where I live). I assembled the whole OTA with the mount, extension and tripod with its legs fully extended and the tip of the tube was about 8 feet high! I thought that maybe it was too much, but I find that for objects higher than about 25 degrees about the horizon this setup is very comfortable. The eyepiece stands right at eye level when I stand up right next to it. Maybe for the lower sky areas I can use a stool or something... what do you think? Do you think stability will be severely affected by using the tripod legs fully extended? Also, all that weight does not damage the tripod ? The OTA, 2" diagonal, 2" eyepieces, 9x50 RACI fiderscope, mount head and extension feel pretty heavy to me...

Appreciate your feedback!

Gus