Telescope Reviews: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED?

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Equipment Discussions >> Mounts

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ibase
Vendor Affilliate

Reged: 03/20/08

Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N

Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

#3065406 - 04/25/09 12:10 AM

Have an Orion AZ-3 mount coming for grab&go, can I use it also for a 102ED refractor or will it only be suitable for my ST-80? Thanks.

Best,

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Starlighter
Post Laureate

Reged: 08/03/07

Loc: Sunny California

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: ibase]
#3066271 - 04/25/09 01:04 PM

I doubt it will work well with your 102ED. The AZ-3 has rather flimsy aluminum legs plus the mount head isn't that beefy. Vibration will be the main problem when using your 102ED.

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Joe Aguiar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Toront,Ontario

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Starlighter]
#3066334 - 04/25/09 01:37 PM

I have a Skywatcher 102 F/5 on the AZ3 but i mainly use it for land viewing,birdwatching or for large extended DSO viewing, like North American neb,Pelican neb,M31 etc etc.

For the 102ED its twice the length & you will be on your knees, so i would get something like an EQ3/ or EQ4 type mount better.

Joe

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Starlighter
Post Laureate

Reged: 08/03/07

Loc: Sunny California

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Joe Aguiar]
#3066402 - 04/25/09 02:18 PM Attachment (40 downloads)

Or the Vixen Portamount II.

I have the older Portamount that I replaced the aluminum legs with wooden one from Hands On Optics. This makes for a very stable platform to mount a 102ED.

As you can see from the photo, I use my SV102ED on the Porta. Vibration time was cut in half by installing wooden legs. The slow motion controls work well.

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Joe Aguiar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Toront,Ontario

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Starlighter]
#3066409 - 04/25/09 02:24 PM

true with large tripod legs the AZ3 can be much better for that scope.

Joe

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gordianknot
professor emeritus

Reged: 09/04/05

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Joe Aguiar]
#3066613 - 04/25/09 04:23 PM

I think the 102ED is seriously pushing it for AZ-3. I'd suggest checking out a Porta Mount or maybe an AT Voyager.

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ibase
Vendor Affilliate

Reged: 03/20/08

Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: gordianknot]
#3066936 - 04/25/09 08:21 PM

Thanks guys for the advices/guidance, I really appreciate it much. Actually I obtained the AZ-3 mount head only (used; it's hard to ship long tripod legs overseas) and will try to bolt/customize it onto the heftier Nexstar 8 or CG-5 tripods that I already have.

Best,

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Terrance
professor emeritus

Reged: 08/11/04

Loc: Near Portland Or.

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: ibase]
#3073344 - 04/28/09 05:13 PM

Some years ago I used a AZ-3 with an Orion ST 80mm f/5 refractor and it worked fine with that. However when I put an Orion 80ED f/7.5 on it, which was heavier, longer, and wider, it did not work at all. The problem was the altitude tension, and no matter how tight I tried to make it, it would not hold the weight of that scope so that it kept slipping down.

Some people have made the AZ-3 work with scopes heavier than the Orion 80ST by modifying the mount in some way, but I was too big a mechanical idiot to make that work.

I have used a SV 102ED (f/7) on a Vixen PortaMount, and that was very portable but marginal as to stability even when I replaced the aluminum tripod it came with, with wooden legs. (4-5 seconds damping time at 100x for either a tube or leg slap)

SV 102ED on WO EZ-Touch on Oberwerk Wooden tripod, and now on Vixen HAL-130 tripod is very solid, but not as portable.

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ibase
Vendor Affilliate

Reged: 03/20/08

Loc: Manila, Philippines 121*E 14*N

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Terrance]
#3073772 - 04/28/09 09:23 PM

Terrance, thanks for sharing your experience on this.

Best,

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Starlighter
Post Laureate

Reged: 08/03/07

Loc: Sunny California

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? new

[Re: Terrance]
#3073974 - 04/28/09 11:08 PM Attachment (29 downloads)

Quote:

I have used a SV 102ED (f/7) on a Vixen PortaMount, and that was very portable but marginal as to stability even when I replaced the aluminum tripod it came with, with wooden legs. (4-5 seconds damping time at 100x for either a tube or leg slap)

I have my SV102ED out right now on the Portamount. I put in a 6mm and then tapped the focuser. I counted 2.5 seconds. Then I tapped one of the wooden legs. Nothing. But then I have the tripod sitting on interlocking cement pavers. Maybe that makes the difference from what you found. When I'm viewing, my neighbor's cat Floyd can rub up against a tripod leg and I hardly see any vibration.

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KWB
Postmaster

Reged: 09/30/06

Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.5400 feet

Re: Orion AZ-3 mount for 102ED? [Re: Starlighter]
#3074072 - 04/29/09 12:24 AM

Been there,done that with this size refractor and the AZ/3 with solid wooden tripod. I give this setup a "F",as in an abysmal failure. A frustrating astro experience.

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