[Stardrifter_WA]

My portable set up.

Shown are:

The Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 GT Mount. This is a really nice mount, however, I had a problem with the hand control, when used in the Alt/Az mode, as it wrapped around the mount. So, using a spare Stellavue finder dovetail and bracket (and a few other bits and pieces), I made a control holder to fit on top of the mount, so that the hand control is always in a handy location, and doesn't wrap around the mount. The dovetail bracket itself is attached to the mount cover plate via 3M Dual-Lock (DL), which doesn't mar the surface of the cover plate, if the DL is ever removed. DL is great stuff, even though it is a tad expensive, but then, it does it's job like no other. DL is strong enough to have held my speakers on metal mounts for years without ever coming apart. Because the cover plates were fitted with soft phillips head screws, on which the head strips easily, I replaced all the screws with stainless steel hex cap head screws. Why SW didn't do this in the first place is beyond me, particularly considering the thought that went into this mount. Also, I replaced the T-Bar locking screws, which got in the way, with stainless steel grub screws.

The Astro Tech 65 ED Quad (f/6.5) astrograph, mounted on a ADM Min-Max mount, with a Televue Everbrite diagonal. This scope is primarily used as a wide field scope, but can also be piggybacked on my observatory scope and used for AP. This has to be the best priced ($579) telescope that I have ever bought. It has amazingly sharp images for such a small scope, which I also use as my grab-n-go scope. Just have to find a decent grab-n-go mount now.

The Williams Optics FLT110 (f/6) Triplet, with a Stellarvue finder, an Arctic Fox GL Laser and a Televue Everbrite diagonal. Also attached is a digital Pathfinder watch/compass.

Modified Celestron Power Tank. Replaced the battery with a deep cycle battery and modified the charging circuits (bypassed inbuilt charger) of the Power Tank so that a normal charger can be used. This is now a great portable power pack. Will be building a new, and larger, power pack in the near future.

This set up will be modified further with the inclusion of a Lunt 80mm PT Ha scope, as the FLT110 also has a Thousand Oaks glass white light filter. I will also be changing the WO Focuser, to something much better. Aluminium cases also need to be made for the WO FLT110 and the AZ-EQ6 GT mount, but that will have to wait for a while.

I am really happy with this set up.