Hi Tony, you can put anything on the mount with a Vixen-style dovetail, but watch for the rear end hitting the base as you move toward the Zenith. Regarding the construction/strength of the mount, an 8" sct is near the maximum load though I know people have successfully used a C9.25, albeit with a few extra shakes. Balance doesn't need to be perfect - a small imbalance is ok. I got mine recently and really like the hand control layout and portability of the mount. Welcome to IIS
