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fleetey
journeyman
Reged: 03/05/09
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Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
#3015363 - 03/31/09 02:13 AM
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Hi,
I have a WO 70mm refractor and looking for a decent mount mainly for viewing but with the occasional (mainly) lunar image..
Budget is tight......looked at the Skywatcher AZ3 alt/az mount but seems to have mixed opinions...
Does anyone here use one in a grab & go capacity?, or do many get on well with a decent photographic tripod?
Thanks,
Chris
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gordianknot
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/04/05
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Re: Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
[Re: fleetey]
#3015404 - 03/31/09 03:13 AM
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I have and use the AZ-3 and I actually think it's a darned good mount for the price, though it has a variety of issues (balance isn't great, can't reach zenith, etc). I personally dislike using photographic tripods for observing as they lack slow motion controls and tend not be designed to move very precisely. I'd also suggest taking a look at the Vixen Mini Porta Mount or it's bigger brother, the full sized Porta. I'd also advise staying away from the Versa Go/AZ-4 which are basically, bad expensive rip-offs the of the Porta.
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fleetey
journeyman
Reged: 03/05/09
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Re: Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
[Re: gordianknot]
#3015515 - 03/31/09 07:13 AM
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Thanks for the information - I've looked at the Vixen Mini but that's quite expensive in the UK - about $360 currently. Perhaps I'll re-visit the AZ3.......
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Fred1
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 09/19/07
Loc: Somewhere in the Orion Spur
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Re: Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
[Re: fleetey]
#3016255 - 03/31/09 03:31 PM
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Astro-Tech Voyager. Check out the reviews in the CN Reviews section. $299 USD.
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mischief
super member
Reged: 04/26/08
Loc: Northern California
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Re: Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
[Re: Fred1]
#3016759 - 03/31/09 09:08 PM
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Second the Astro-Tech Voyager. Read the thread on a review of the VersaGo. The reviewer liked it, but I posted a response about some of the difficulties I had with it. You'll like the Voyager; it has very good reviews. It also has slow motion controls which the VersaGo does not; I don't know about the PortaMount or the SkyWatcher. And in addition to reviews about the Voyager, there is a long thread about it. Good Luck.
Dorothy
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fleetey
journeyman
Reged: 03/05/09
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Re: Suitable Mount for a Newcomer!
[Re: mischief]
#3017344 - 04/01/09 05:50 AM
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Hi - thanks for the suggestions - like the look of the Astro-TEch, but again this is $430 in the UK.
Hmmmmm!
Chris
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