· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article    Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Cloudy Nights - Official Forums of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User   You are not logged in. [Login] Forum Archives · Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Mounts Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 frodriguez sage Reged: 12/03/06 Posts: 455 Loc: Honduras UA Unistar Deluxe mount load capacity       #2091626 - 01/02/08 11:48 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I ordered one of these mounts and I'm excited about receiving it soon. I've read conflicting reports regarding the load capacity of this mount. The Universal Astronomics website lists the load capacity as 30 lbs., yet some people claim it's 40 lbs. Which is it exactly? I had the 30 lb. figure in mind since the beginning, but if in fact it's 40 then that would be a pleasant surprise, since I've always been interested in an MN76 (~35 lb load with accesories) and I might end up with one in the future. -------------------- Francisco TMB 100mm f/8 triplet apo Universal Astronomics UniStar Deluxe w/ 7" saddle Sokkia green heavy wood tripod Televue 7mm Nagler T6 Televue 5mm Nagler T6 Televue 24mm Panoptic Televue 2x barlow Televue 2" Everbrite diagonal Televue 2"-to-1.25" high-hat adapter for 2" diagonal Stellarvue F50W2 9x50 RACI white deluxe finder Astrozap Baader white-light solar filter Baader 2" UHC-S filter Post Extras:       Terrance sage Reged: 08/11/04 Posts: 346 Re: UA Unistar Deluxe mount load capacity [Re: frodriguez]       #2091774 - 01/03/08 01:16 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   What I discovered was that the load capacity may not be reached before the scope becomes tippy if tripod is not beefy enough. I have a UA heavy duty delux head on a Helix wooden tripod, and this works fine for a 120mm f/8 achro refractor but was disconcertingly "tippy" when a friend tried it with a 27 pound C11 SCT. So, we never really got around to testing vibrations. To take full advantage of the load capacity, you should make sure the tripod is beefy enough and the tripod legs wide enough so that the scope's center of gravity is well within the triangle defined by the tripods 3 legs. -------------------- Terrance Celestron 9.25 SCT 10" f/5 X-Class Dob SV 102ED Orion Starblast 6 Celestron Omni XLT 6" f/5 achromat Post Extras:       Keagle member Reged: 01/31/06 Posts: 25 Loc: Santa Barbara, CA Re: UA Unistar Deluxe mount load capacity [Re: frodriguez]       #2092948 - 01/03/08 02:53 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I agree that the tripod is key here. I have the UA heavy wood surveyor's tripod, and the mount is great with less than 20 lb. I tried putting a C11 on it, and there were several problems. The tripod legs would tweak around, and it appeared that a stiffer spreader was absolutely necessary. Still, there were vibration problems even with anti-vibration pads. Now I have a TEC 140 on it, and it works well for low power viewing. There is a signifcant vibration problem at higher power, however. I am going to try weighting the tripod, but I am not overly hopeful about that, because it seems that the longer moment arm of the refractor may be causing it. I'll let you know as I learn more. -------------------- TEC 140 Atlas EQ-G Swarovsky 80 AT HD Orion 14x100 binos Swarovsky 10x50 SLC binos Post Extras:       frodriguez sage Reged: 12/03/06 Posts: 455 Loc: Honduras Re: UA Unistar Deluxe mount load capacity [Re: Keagle]       #2092966 - 01/03/08 03:00 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Keagle, do you have the 7" saddle with two clamping jaws, or a single clamping jaw? The 7" saddle with dual jaws should work better with longer refractors, so maybe you could order one and install it if you don't have it already. I also ordered the unistar deluxe with heavy wood surveyor tripod with fixed spreader, but with a 7" saddle with two 3" clamping jaws...a config. also known as the super 8 deluxe. I currently own a TMB 100/800 in the Yang tube...weighs about 20 lbs with accesories, so the Unistar should hold it well. However, I might want to upgrade to greater aperture in the future and i'm left wondering how the mount will handle loads greater than 30 lbs. -------------------- Francisco TMB 100mm f/8 triplet apo Universal Astronomics UniStar Deluxe w/ 7" saddle Sokkia green heavy wood tripod Televue 7mm Nagler T6 Televue 5mm Nagler T6 Televue 24mm Panoptic Televue 2x barlow Televue 2" Everbrite diagonal Televue 2"-to-1.25" high-hat adapter for 2" diagonal Stellarvue F50W2 9x50 RACI white deluxe finder Astrozap Baader white-light solar filter Baader 2" UHC-S filter Post Extras:       Keagle member Reged: 01/31/06 Posts: 25 Loc: Santa Barbara, CA Re: UA Unistar Deluxe mount load capacity [Re: frodriguez]       #2096976 - 01/04/08 09:51 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have the single clamping jaw with adapters for either a 2" or a 3" dovetail. I used the 2" with an SV-105, and the mount was great. The C-11 I owned and the TEC 140 both use the 3" dovetail. Thanks for the suggestion about the dual jaws on the 7" saddle, I will look into ordering one. We are looking forward to your report on how that works with your scope! -------------------- TEC 140 Atlas EQ-G Swarovsky 80 AT HD Orion 14x100 binos Swarovsky 10x50 SLC binos Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 6 registered and 8 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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