Suggestions for a sun tracking mount

[FredinBroome]

Good morning everyone,


I have recently purchased a used Coronado Solarmax 2 60mm Telescope and need some advice/suggestions for a sun tracking mount system that I can use with it. It just has a Coronado AZS Mount and Tripod. TIA


Cheers

[raymo]

Just about all of the lightweight trackers such as the Star adventurer, Vixen
Polarie, Sightron Nano Tracker etc: have sidereal, solar, and lunar tracking rates. All GOTO equatorial mounts have these rates as well.
Any of the aforementioned that has a max load greater than the weight of your Coronado will do the job.
raymo

[FredinBroome]

Thanks Raymo. That will give me a start. I'm only looking for sun tracking functionality to keep costs down. GOTO systems will be overkill for this scope I think unless its the cheapest option hehe. Much appreciated mate. Cheers

[raymo]

No problem. Just google star tracking mounts or similar, and see which ones
can carry your scope easily. The Sightron Nano tracker has a max of 2kg so
is almost certainly not suitable. I think the Polarie is 3kg, so borderline,
but I think the Star Adventurer is around 4.5kg. but a bit more expensive.
raymo

[mental4astro]

An EQ3 or EQ5 will do very nicely too. Both can be Goto upgraded, but for this the EQ5 is a sturdier mount. I use a dual axis motorized EQ3 with my ED80 refractor with a Quark solar filter, a set up a little heavier than your Solarmax, and the mount performs very well.

[TareqPhoto]

Can't you buy an expensive EQ mount at least EQ6 one? make it for long term, not just for sun but anything else, moon, DSO, planets,....etc, don't lower yourself with cheaper mounts, all recommended me to buy the best mount i can afford, and i see that minimum EQ5 should be really planned, little upping and you are on EQ6 and this like a really good safe long term mounts, no need for AP/Paramount like for now, my EQ mount has solar tracking.

[mental4astro]

You've missed a crucial point mentioned in post No. 3, that of needing to keep the cost down. Not everybody can be casually flippant about dropping loads of money without considering consequences.

An EQ6 is a fine bit of gear, but also a complex one too, which may be overwhelming if you are not expecting it. It is also a very heavy bit of gear. Everybody is doing the best they can in their own way. Our place is to guide them to the best choices regarding their circumstances. This includes money, where they live, expectations, experience, family situation. I have an EQ6, and it is my least favourite bit of gear. I have it only as it fills a niche in MY circumstances, and I'm debating whether it is worth keeping. I haven't used it in over six months. Can't see myself using it in the short term either, and then how many more times will I use it??? I have other much more modestly priced gear I use all the time. Expensive doesn't always mean best choice...

Alex.

[TareqPhoto]

Sounds this site or forum could be better as i am in another forum where i feel myself lost with members having 10Micron/AP/Paramont and alike mounts and something like PW or TEC and Takahashi and those $5k-15k cameras, in fact i felt even my EQ6 mount is a joke, so i think i have to understand each site or region forums then.


Thanks!

[FredinBroome]

I thought I would update the thread. I made a choice of the Sky Watcher 70/500 SolarQuest Solar Scope with Heliofind Mount in the end. It was on 12% off which covered the freight to my place. It comes with a scope which I will swap out with the Coronado so it will become usable.



Thanks for everyone's help.


Cheers