AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/15/05
Loc: Ann Arbor
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Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
#2935165 - 02/18/09 01:50 PM
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What Altaz mounts out there that are heavy duty (can handle something like an EON120 or Explore Scientific 127mm triplet) that has slow motion controls?
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Erik D
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/03
Loc: Central New Jersey, USA
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#2935212 - 02/18/09 02:08 PM
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How much $$$$ you got?
http://www.binoscope.com/bigbino.htm#altazmt
Strong enough to handle your 12 inch SCT or a 6 inch refractor.
ERik D
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Doug D.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/23/05
Loc: Virginia
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#2935223 - 02/18/09 02:11 PM
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I think the Tak Teegul with Lapides modification would handle the 120 but I'm not familiar enough with your other scope to have an opinion. If you do some searching here on CN and elsewhere you'll find a lot of info - it is a pretty popular mount. I use one with my 105EDF and it has no problems with it at all and it is clear to me it can handle a good deal more.
There are also additional mods possible that help with capacity and, of course, there is no substitute for a solid set of legs.
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Luigi
Postmaster
Reged: 07/03/07
Loc: MA
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Doug D.]
#2935308 - 02/18/09 02:48 PM
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Tegul or AtroTech voyager are both marginal IMO for a 120ED. I'm using an Orion AZ for the Eon 120 and IM715. I can mount both on it at the same time and it's very stable. No slo mo tho.
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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/19/07
Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Luigi]
#2935810 - 02/18/09 06:23 PM
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Check out the Half Hitch, there's a sale on:
http://www.halfhitchtelescope.com/
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Erik D
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/03
Loc: Central New Jersey, USA
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Fred1]
#2936053 - 02/18/09 08:27 PM
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There are heavy duty Alt Az mounts that can handle up to 50 lbs on each side. See the discussion and links in this thread for more info: Giro DX and XXL
Slo mo control is not needed if the OTA is perfectly balanced. However, If you change back and forth often between a heavy binoviewer and light wt EP it may not be very convenient for you. You will need to rebalance. I use a Losmandy Saddle and 13.5 inch male dovetail plate with my 6 inch F8 refractor. It's pretty easy for me to achieve perfect balance. 300X is no problem.
ERik D
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John Huntley
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/16/06
Loc: South West England
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Erik D]
#2936200 - 02/18/09 09:41 PM
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How about a solid EQ mount (eg: EQ5 or Vixen SP) used in Alt-Az mode ?.
John
SW England
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Jerry Hyman
sage
Reged: 03/29/07
Loc: Mesa, Arizona
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: John Huntley]
#2936228 - 02/18/09 10:03 PM
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I haven't seen any recent posts on there delivery, but Astro-tech is suppose to be coming out with a heavy duty version of their Voyager.
~jerry
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Erik D
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/28/03
Loc: Central New Jersey, USA
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: John Huntley]
#2936241 - 02/18/09 10:12 PM
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Quote:
How about a solid EQ mount (eg: EQ5 or Vixen SP) used in Alt-Az mode ?.
John
SW England
I like that idea a lot.
IIRC the old Astro Physics 706 head and the Vixen DX can be used on the side as an Alt az head with slo mo. The problem is no manufacturer or dealer seem list which EQ head can be used that way anymore. I am not sure if they want to discourage using a EQ head that way or just don't feel there is a demand.
I went to visit Company 7 in Md, USA many years ago. I think Marty was mounting an 7 in F9 AP refractor on a 706 mount in Alt Az mode.
ERik D
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Per Stymne
super member
Reged: 02/05/05
Loc: Söderbärke, Sweden
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#2936583 - 02/19/09 03:02 AM
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Abe,
The Track The Stars is a hefty alt-az mount with with goto controls, but possibly too pricey for a "poor PhD student".
I saw this mount at a star party half a year ago. It was a truly impressive piece of equipment, with a price tag which fully matched the engineering.
http://asp.trackthestars.com/
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Eddgie
Postmaster
Reged: 02/01/06
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Per Stymne]
#2936781 - 02/19/09 08:16 AM
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Wow.. Never saw this one before. Horribly expensive, but I LOVE the concept! It is ashamed that no one is making something like this in large quantities. I am a visual only observer so don't need to worry about field rotation, and If I could get a mount like this at a Clestron CGE Price, I would be there in a heartbeat!
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hudson_yak
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/15/07
Loc: Hyde Park, NY, USA
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Eddgie]
#2936891 - 02/19/09 09:24 AM
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Agree, finally an alt-az that's actually a balanced design. The concept seems so obvious when you look at it.
Mike
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Doug D.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/23/05
Loc: Virginia
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: hudson_yak]
#2936982 - 02/19/09 10:29 AM
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The price on that TTS-160 seems a bit insane. Given that it can hardly be called portable, I just don't see why you wouldn't just go with a nice AP 900 or 1200 (or Mach 1) rather than this? Is there a reason to be wedded to Alt/Az (horizon-based) coordinates instead of the more "practical/universal" equatorial coordinate system. Trust me, I use and love alt/az mounts for certain scopes and especially for convenience but I don't get this... what am I missing. I like the overbuilt German engineering involved in this sucker though.
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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/15/05
Loc: Ann Arbor
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Doug D.]
#2937043 - 02/19/09 11:05 AM
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I just want a nice Altaz with slow motion controls that can hold a 120-130mm refractors, they seem rare on the market...dont think they exist...well unless I am not finding them...
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Per Stymne
super member
Reged: 02/05/05
Loc: Söderbärke, Sweden
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#2937623 - 02/19/09 04:28 PM
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Neither have I found any heavy duty altaz mounts with manual slow motion controls. There seems to be an upper limit of 6 kgs/15 lbs load. Everything with a greater load capability than that seem to be altaz mounts with no motion controls at all except "push the OTA gently if you want to track".
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Per Stymne
super member
Reged: 02/05/05
Loc: Söderbärke, Sweden
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Doug D.]
#2937643 - 02/19/09 04:37 PM
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Track The Stars is a Danish design, not a German. Btw, I just discovered they are building a new web site, http://www.trackthestars.com
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Doug D.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/23/05
Loc: Virginia
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Per Stymne]
#2937698 - 02/19/09 05:06 PM
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sorry, my bad. Then I guess I like the overbuilt Danish engineering... 
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DennisF
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/03/06
Loc: Northern IL
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: Doug D.]
#2938015 - 02/19/09 07:58 PM
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Stellarvue has a new mount just out, the MG. Not many out in the field yet. Starlighter has one on order I think. I believe they recommend it up to their 115mm and they tend to be conservative. It does have slo-mo.
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7331Peg
Sirius Observer
Reged: 09/01/08
Loc: North coast of Oregon
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: AlienRatDog]
#2938597 - 02/20/09 02:23 AM
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The Disc Mount-6 can definitely hold the 120 and 130mm scopes you're referring to - I've had a TMB130 on mine, and it handled it with no problem at all. It doesn't have the slow motion controls, but I ordered the handle for it and I have no problem tracking objects without any stiction in either horizontal or vertical motion. If you're working against gravity in the vertical direction, it sometimes takes a bit more effort to move the scope, but even then, no stiction. It isn't cheap, but it's the best you'll find for a 130mm scope.
Stellarvue is making the M7, which will also hold the 130mm scope, but again, no slow motion controls and with the tripod and saddle plates, it's pretty close to the DM-6 in price.
Teton Telescopes also has the Max Load for alt-az, also expensive and no slo-mo controls, but like the Stellarvue offering, it really doesn't need them.
The Giro may be able to handle the 130mm, but I have no experience with anything that heavy on it.
The reality is that a good mount for a 130mm scope is going to cost quite a bit of money, and the GOOD mounts don't really need slow motion controls.
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Clive Gibbons
Mostly Harmless
Reged: 05/26/05
Loc: Oort Cloud
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Re: Heavy Duty Altaz with Slow Motion controls
[Re: DennisF]
#2952542 - 02/27/09 09:27 AM
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Quote:
Stellarvue has a new mount just out, the MG. Not many out in the field yet. Starlighter has one on order I think. I believe they recommend it up to their 115mm and they tend to be conservative. It does have slo-mo.
Yeah, that looks like a good mounting.
Apparently, it's made by
Kunming United Optics and they offer lots of other quality accessories, so no worries.
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