Which portable mount?

[beren]

Been happy with a Vixen SXD2 for portable imaging and quick set-up viewing, works very nicely with the SB10 and a MGEN standalone guider. Come up on astromart sometimes for a good price.

[Sunfish (Ray)]

Weight is 9kg. I suppose that includes the tripod. What weight is the starlapse if it goes in a back pack.? 4.5kg plus a tripod at 1-2kg?

If I want to carry on or carry up a mountain where the air is clean and 107 minutes is enough maybe a fornax light track at 1.3kg.?

Originally Posted by beren

Been happy with a Vixen SXD2 for portable imaging and quick set-up viewing, works very nicely with the SB10 and a MGEN standalone guider. Come up on astromart sometimes for a good price.

[Decimus (Richard)]

Hi Greg,
I very recently purchased the Vixen SXD2 mount; it is light (about 9kg) and can take a 15kg load. It comes with the Star Book Ten hand controller which is dazzling and blows away and hand controller I have seen - gorgeous star charts and a mount with very good tracking accuracy. Worth considering!
Cheers,
Richard

[Ukastronomer (Jeremy)]

Originally Posted by Decimus

Hi Greg,
I very recently purchased the Vixen SXD2 mount; it is light (about 9kg) and can take a 15kg load. It comes with the Star Book Ten hand controller which is dazzling and blows away and hand controller I have seen - gorgeous star charts and a mount with very good tracking accuracy. Worth considering!
Cheers,
Richard

I had one of the Vixen though hardly portable ?

Poster "I don't want a heavy GEM"

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

For a reasonable focal length scope, you’ll be better off with a “proper” GEM from the point of view of mechanics, payload and computer control.

The HEQ5 has been around for years, so their behaviour we’ll documented. Overall I think it’s fairly positive, given the reasonable price.

Thanks very much for the recommendation

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

My Starlapse has around +/- 6 arc sec, but I have pimped up the ride quite a bit, it is also fitted with a OPWB (one piece worm block), clutch knob set, machined motor cover, G8 digital drive and tripod knob set. I use a Manfrotto tripod for simple camera lens shots, but I can also couple it to a G8 tripod for small refractor (eg FSQ85 or AP92mm )use.

It has been to Ayers Rock, Iceland, Norway and the USA all without breaking luggage weight limits....can't speak highly enough of it. They just work.

It sounds like a reliable piece of gear.

Originally Posted by beren

Been happy with a Vixen SXD2 for portable imaging and quick set-up viewing, works very nicely with the SB10 and a MGEN standalone guider. Come up on astromart sometimes for a good price.

Originally Posted by Sunfish

Weight is 9kg. I suppose that includes the tripod. What weight is the starlapse if it goes in a back pack.? 4.5kg plus a tripod at 1-2kg?

If I want to carry on or carry up a mountain where the air is clean and 107 minutes is enough maybe a fornax light track at 1.3kg.?

Thanks for that recommendation.

Originally Posted by Decimus

Hi Greg,
I very recently purchased the Vixen SXD2 mount; it is light (about 9kg) and can take a 15kg load. It comes with the Star Book Ten hand controller which is dazzling and blows away and hand controller I have seen - gorgeous star charts and a mount with very good tracking accuracy. Worth considering!
Cheers,
Richard

A second for the Vixen.

Originally Posted by Ukastronomer

I had one of the Vixen though hardly portable ?

Poster "I don't want a heavy GEM"

I plan to upgrade my Polarie with a counterweight setup and that should take to reliable tracking at around 135mm.

Then a larger but still portable mount with low periodic error and capable of handling a large lens or small telescope, perhaps as large as a 100mm or an FSQ.

Greg.

[AstroApprentice (Jason)]

Rainbow Astro have changed suppliers of their strain wave gear motors. They’re no longer using super expensive Harmonic Drive(used in RST-150), so better price (still $$$) for a very portable mount with only slight reduction in load capacity. No or only small CWs are attractive for portability.

http://www.rainbowastro.com/new/them...roduct-135.php

Pricing in USD: https://www.tolgaastro.com/store/mou...o-rst-135.html

The ease of Alt Az conversion is impressive:
http://www.rainbowastro.com/xe/rainbow_media/9966

[gregbradley]

Sounds amazing. Price is still quite high though.

Its amazing how there are all these new astro companies with high level products these days.

I have never heard of this one before. Home position sensor is a very useful feature. I like that a lot on my PME.

I ended up getting a used Tak EM10 and also a Fornax Lightrack ii with a Star Adventurer wedge and counterweight system (for nightscapes and shorter lenses).

Greg.