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Equipment Discussions >> Refractors

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount
#5592984 - 12/28/12 05:18 PM

Well right now I have a 100mm f/9 ED refractor with a moonlight 2.5" focuser on it. On the Vixen Starguy mount, it is a bit wobbley (it is long). Are there any 4" (or close to it) that would sit better on the portamount (starguy)? What about a used 102ED f/7 scope? Or what about just dropping down to 80mm? This is for grab and go, I stopped using the 100mm on the CG5 mount because I could set up faster with my C8.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5593024 - 12/28/12 05:49 PM

An 102mm f/7 worked for me, an 80mm f/7 apo is more stable, an NP-101 is less stable but acceptable.

Jon

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Denimsky
professor emeritus

Reged: 01/21/07

Loc: BC, Canada

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5593191 - 12/28/12 07:28 PM

Abe, what is your budget limit?

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Denimsky]
#5593212 - 12/28/12 07:39 PM

I rather stay under $1000

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Larry Carlino
member

Reged: 06/05/06

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5593241 - 12/28/12 07:59 PM

You might try the KSON ED1026 refractor OTA. It's a 102mm, f/6 ED doublet with a carbon fiber tube, available in either red or dark gray. Optical quality is excellent, and the scope is quite light. There is a bit of c.a. at higher powers as one might expect from a scope that uses FPL-51 equivalent glass, but the overall performance is very satisfying. It comes with tube rings, a red-dot finder and one very nice 20mm wide-angle eyepiece. I have mine mounted on a Vixen Portamount, and it's pretty steady - a perfect grab-and-go set-up. Current price (new) is $899.
Larry Carlino

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Locoman
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Abilene, Kansas

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5593286 - 12/28/12 08:23 PM

I noticed on my StarGuy while using my 102 F/9.8 achro when I would nudge the scope up and down that there was movement in the azimuth part of the mount. I took the mount apart and tightened the bolt on the the bottom. After tightening it was a lot better, not completely solid but satisfactory for me.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Locoman]
#5593802 - 12/29/12 04:57 AM

A couple of thoughts...

The Lunt 102 ED is about $750 at Anacortes...

I would be willing to bet your money that the Portamount mated with the 2 inch SS legged CG-5 tripod would solidify things to the point where your 100mm f/9 was plenty stable. Since you have a CG-5, you could try it, it might take some simple fabrication...

Jon

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Locoman
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Abilene, Kansas

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5593846 - 12/29/12 06:50 AM

I would be willing to bet your money that the Portamount mated with the 2 inch SS legged CG-5 tripod would solidify things to the point where your 100mm f/9 was plenty stable. Since you have a CG-5, you could try it, it might take some simple fabrication...

Jon

He said he has the StarGuy so I would think the tripod (HAL130-SXG)would be sturdy enough.

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carlcat
sage

Reged: 11/26/07

Loc: Northern California

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Locoman]
#5594318 - 12/29/12 12:28 PM

I keep my 100ED on a cg4. I keep the scope mounted and can easily take the setup out with no problems. It's very steady as well.

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Kon Dealer
professor emeritus

Reged: 01/05/11

Loc: Cambridge UK

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: carlcat]
#5594678 - 12/29/12 04:14 PM

+1 for the Kson. Really light, great focuser.
Much better than a Megrez90 that was my
Previous G&G

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Kon Dealer]
#5594789 - 12/29/12 05:53 PM

Where do you guys get one?

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Locoman
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Abilene, Kansas

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5594972 - 12/29/12 07:29 PM

Kson

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Locoman]
#5595367 - 12/30/12 12:05 AM

Quote:

He said he has the StarGuy soI would think thetripod (HAL130-SXG)would be sturdy enough

According to the original post, the mount is not stable enough. In my experience with the Portamount, that points to the tripod. I once mounted my Portamount head on my old Houston-Fearless tripod and it was rocksolid with my NP-101... My gut feeling is that the CG-5 tripod would be similar.

Jon

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Kon Dealer
professor emeritus

Reged: 01/05/11

Loc: Cambridge UK

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5595676 - 12/30/12 08:23 AM

Kson OTA only weighs 5.6lbs and at f/6 is quite short.
Fits on my Synscan AZ goto mount perfectly and is
Pretty stable.
Also fits on my SE mount and with an extension tube in
The diagonal, can reach zenith OK.

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Kon Dealer]
#5596608 - 12/30/12 05:32 PM

The issue I have is the overall length adds quite the moment arm and the moonlight 2.5" focuser adds some heft to it...

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Gary Riley
super member

Reged: 12/01/11

Loc: White Bluff, TN

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5597232 - 12/31/12 12:29 AM

I have a 102mm f/9.8 achro on a CG-4 mount with the 1.75 inch dia. stainless steel legs and it carries it very well. If I have a fairly strong breeze blowing it will cause the OTA to shake at times slightly. Otherwise, it does very well.

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Locoman
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Abilene, Kansas

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5597568 - 12/31/12 09:19 AM

Quote:

Quote:

He said he has the StarGuy soI would think thetripod (HAL130-SXG)would be sturdy enough

According to the original post, the mount is not stable enough. In my experience with the Portamount, that points to the tripod. I once mounted my Portamount head on my old Houston-Fearless tripod and it was rocksolid with my NP-101... My gut feeling is that the CG-5 tripod would be similar.

Jon

The HAL 130 tripod is rated for 30 to 35 lbs. I tried my 102 F/9.8 with the "Mannys Bracket" and it was unusable. I took off the "Mannys Bbracket" and it was a lot better. I tightened the bolt on the azimuth stem and it was even better. In my opinion it is the mount itself and not the tripod. When I put my SLT mount on the HAL 130 with the 102mm F/9.8 scope it has less, much less vibrations than the porta mount on it with the same scope. My shorter scopes, ST120, C6-SCT amd C6-N which weigh more that the 102 F/9.8 are much more stable.

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: Locoman]
#5598708 - 12/31/12 08:28 PM

What's the ST120 like on it?

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Locoman
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Abilene, Kansas

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount new

[Re: AlienRatDog]
#5598791 - 12/31/12 09:42 PM

ST120 is pretty solid. Damping times are minimal, a second or so if I remember correctly.

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AlienRatDog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/15/05

Loc: Ann Arbor

Re: Light, portable 102 refractor for portamount [Re: Locoman]
#5599182 - 01/01/13 08:14 AM

About how long is your ST120, I suppose if I get a refractor with similar dimensions, I would be set...

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