Can you "piggy back" a spotting scope to an SCT / Mak?

[johngwheeler (John)]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a Maksutov scope but would like to keep using my 80mm APO spotting scope for wide-field views.

Is there an easy way of attaching the spotting scope to the main scope or EQ mount, so that I can both scopes on the same mount?

If this isn't possible to fit the spotter directly to the EQ mount via some kind of adapter (dovetail to standard tripod screw fitting)?

Thanks for any suggestions,

John

[The Mekon (John Briggs)]

Side by side may be the best way to go. You can purchase rigs (not cheap) or make your own from aluminium plate. Easy then to use the 1/4" screw mount many spotting scopes have.

[dannat (Daniel)]

what size maksutov? a big one, side by side as John suggests would be best -otherwise you would have to have rings on top which may make it cumbersome to look thru both at once -both Andrews & bintel sell side by side setups -is it vixen or losmandy plates?

[glend (Glen)]

I have an Orion 70mm multipurpose scope, with diagonal and eyepiece, that I use occasionally on top of my Skywatcher MN190 (Mak-Newt). It sits on the standard finderscope bracket on the tube. Balance wise it is heavier than the standard 50mm finder so the scope has to be moved back slightly on the mount saddle.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Celestron sell a piggy-back mount for their 5" to 14" SCTs. It's intended for mounting a camera (for wide sky shots), but it will take a modest spotting scope as well.
http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop...iggyback-mount

Note that its made of plastic, not metal - it seems perfectly sound, but an 80 mm spotting scope piggy-backed onto an SCT might test the limits of the adapter and the tracking mount. (Although the location of the threaded adapter under a spotting scope is often much closer to its balance point than a DSLR with a protruding telephoto lens.)

[johngwheeler (John)]

Originally Posted by dannat

what size maksutov? a big one, side by side as John suggests would be best -otherwise you would have to have rings on top which may make it cumbersome to look thru both at once -both Andrews & bintel sell side by side setups -is it vixen or losmandy plates?

Thanks for the answers. The scope in question is likely to be a SkyWatcher BD-MAK150 and the spotting scope is a Celestron Regal 80mm ED. The spotting scope is quite heavy and long (c 1.6kg) so it needs something reasonably substantial to support it.

If a "two-scope" mount is not feasible, how can I fit a spotting scope to a SkyWatcher (Vixen?) style mount?

Thanks!

John

[glend (Glen)]

You could use a Skywatcher Guidescope mount, it can attach to a Vixen dovetail via the puck that comes with it. I have two of them, one on each imaging scope to attach the guidescope when I swap it between the two.

[OzEclipse (Joe Cali)]

John

The two scopes can be mounted on a side by side setup. This will cost you about $300-$500. This is the best way to do this but is 50% of the cost of the Mak you are buying and possibly more than you want to spend.

However two small light instruments like that can be cheaply mounted for visual use. You can simply bolt them to a nice solid piece of hard wood. Attach the doveail to the base of the hardwood.

You can give yourself some adjustability for balancing by using short dovetail bars and Guan Sheng FF561 dovetail adaptors bolted to the hardwood and a dovetail bar on the bottom of the board. Most of the astrosuppliers sell them. Here are two suppliers -

The FF561's are sold by Andrews for $35
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-co...-guansheng.htm for FF561s and dovetail bars.

Bintel sell dovetail bars 8 & 13 inch @ $39
http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories...1/catmenu.aspx

With three dovetail bars one for each scope and one for the bottom of the wood spar and two FF561's you'll have a serviceable side by side setup for a fraction of the price.

You didn't say what mount you have. Just watch the mount loading.

Joe