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geminijk
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/03/08
Loc: TN
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iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
#5657331 - 02/01/13 11:04 PM
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Looking for any input on how well this mount performs on EQ mode. I'm looking for alt-az for solar astronomy outreach, and ideally one capable of 30sec-2 min on eq mode for video astronomy with a C8.
I'm leary of the lx80.
John
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Mkofski
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/19/11
Loc: Greenfield, Indiana, USA
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: geminijk]
#5657385 - 02/01/13 11:37 PM
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John,
If AltAz and outreach are your main objectives, I'd consider the LX80. I have one and there are a number of users here that like it for everything except AP which hasn't really been tried of late that I'm aware of.
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geminijk
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/03/08
Loc: TN
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: Mkofski]
#5657486 - 02/02/13 01:16 AM
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Mkofski, thats the thing, I really don't want to be limited by the mount for just dual alt-az. I loved the concept when Meade introduced the LX80, but for AP, the results are not so good. I'm not looking for long exposure, nothing more then say 2 mins, but frankly I don't need a headache either, my CG5 is giving me that right now. I can't get good tracking on it at all, not even for 8 secs (max time for SCB2k), so even video astronomy is out.
I have even been considering a manual alt-az for outreach, would be simpler for sure. But if I'm going to plunk down 450 for a dual-mount (ES Twilight II), then the jump to $999 (iOptron) is worth it IF I can be fairly comfortable in knowing the the mount in EQ will permit decent enough tracking for live video astronomy outreach on Google+ and NSN.
John
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geminijk
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/03/08
Loc: TN
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: geminijk]
#5662663 - 02/04/13 10:50 PM
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Bump...nobody has experience with this mount in eq ?
John
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biz
Vendor
Reged: 11/08/09
Loc: New Zealand
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: geminijk]
#5662853 - 02/05/13 02:23 AM
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Bump...nobody has experience with this mount in eq ?
John
John , I have a couple of these MT,s and they work just fine in EQ mode. I made up a wedge for it and now can use it in both Alt/Az and EQ by a simple adjustment to the wedge...They are reasonably light and great for grab and go in my opinion.
cheers.
Graham.
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Tapio
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/24/06
Loc: Tampere, Finland
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: biz]
#5662866 - 02/05/13 03:08 AM
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Couple minutes with C8 is demanding for every mount - at least without autoguiding.
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Astronewb
sage
Reged: 09/19/11
Loc: Connecticut
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: Tapio]
#5663183 - 02/05/13 09:46 AM
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John, I have used the iOptron Cube Pro in EQ mode. Used it for several months in fact. The hardest issue when using in EQ mode is adjusting in azimuth, since you have to move the tripod. Once you do that, unless you are on a perfecty level surface, you have changed latitude also...:(
This makes it very hard to perform a polar alignment. Your ota must be used to center on Polaris and adjustments made from there.
Oh, you can autoguide it once you get the polar align pretty close. Here's a link that explains how to do it:
http://www.astronomyforum.net/ioptron-telescope-forum/133158-auto-guiding-iop...
90-120 seconds is the max I was ever able to get out of the Cube Pro in EQ mode, even autoguided.
Good luck,
Paul
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biz
Vendor
Reged: 11/08/09
Loc: New Zealand
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: Astronewb]
#5663457 - 02/05/13 11:52 AM
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John, I have used the iOptron Cube Pro in EQ mode. Used it for several months in fact. The hardest issue when using in EQ mode is adjusting in azimuth, since you have to move the tripod. Once you do that, unless you are on a perfecty level surface, you have changed latitude also...:(
This makes it very hard to perform a polar alignment. Your ota must be used to center on Polaris and adjustments made from there.
Oh, you can autoguide it once you get the polar align pretty close. Here's a link that explains how to do it:
http://www.astronomyforum.net/ioptron-telescope-forum/133158-auto-guiding-iop...
90-120 seconds is the max I was ever able to get out of the Cube Pro in EQ mode, even autoguided.
Good luck,
Paul
Hi Paul.
Yes you have had quite some experience using your cube pro in EQ mode, have you tried your MTPRO in that mode yet?
cheers.
Graham.
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Astronewb
sage
Reged: 09/19/11
Loc: Connecticut
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: biz]
#5663581 - 02/05/13 01:21 PM
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Hi Graham, I have not tried the MT Pro in EQ, simply because I have the iEQ45 and the Smart EQ Pro mounts for EQ. Maybe in the spring I'll try hanging the Comet Hunter on it in EQ mode, just to see if it behaves the same as the Cube pro did.
Cheers...
Paul
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geminijk
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/03/08
Loc: TN
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: Astronewb]
#5666368 - 02/07/13 01:32 AM
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Things for the info Paul.
John
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biz
Vendor
Reged: 11/08/09
Loc: New Zealand
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Re: iOptron MiniTower II Mount in EQ Mode
[Re: Astronewb]
#5667882 - 02/07/13 09:20 PM
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Hi Graham, I have not tried the MT Pro in EQ, simply because I have the iEQ45 and the Smart EQ Pro mounts for EQ. Maybe in the spring I'll try hanging the Comet Hunter on it in EQ mode, just to see if it behaves the same as the Cube pro did.
Cheers...
Paul
Thanks Paul.
It will be interesting on the performance of the pro and interesting in your results against the cube.
Perhaps you might let me know on that. You know where and how to get me.
cheers.
Graham.
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