Tangerinedream Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Hi all, Looking for a good solid setup that is just in the realms of grab and go. OTA is Starfield 102ED F/7 and Uni28 tripod. I'd like to able to load quite a bit of magnification onto the planets and moon. But also have a look at doubles, brighter DSO's and open clusters. Would a Vixen GP fit the bill as once set up manual tracking will be easier. Or am I best going with a lighter setup such an AZ4 and do away with slo mo control? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bryand Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 If you want to 'load quite a bit of magnification' you can't do away with slow motion control. I had an equatorial mount for my 4" refractor and never really got on with it. An Alt-Az is much more convenient for visual work - everything stays the same way up and the same way round whatever you are looking at. You would need something at least as hefty as a Sky-Tee 2 to do justice to the tripod. Tangerinedream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspore Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 IMO the Vixen Porta II and Half Pillar is the most stable for a 4" f/7 frac. Tangerinedream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerinedream Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 2 hours ago, Nightspore said: IMO the Vixen Porta II and Half Pillar is the most stable for a 4" f/7 frac. Does it handle vibrations well at high mag? I'm looking at getting some Morpheus eyepieces which probably aren't the lightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerinedream Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 4 hours ago, bryand said: If you want to 'load quite a bit of magnification' you can't do away with slow motion control. I had an equatorial mount for my 4" refractor and never really got on with it. An Alt-Az is much more convenient for visual work - everything stays the same way up and the same way round whatever you are looking at. You would need something at least as hefty as a Sky-Tee 2 to do justice to the tripod. Would a EQ still be a pain even with a rotatable focuser? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 1 hour ago, Tangerinedream said: Would a EQ still be a pain even with a rotatable focuser? No matter what rotation you set the focuser, your eye will still be in the same orientation! I've never had any problem with the visual field rotation with an EQ mount as it happens so slowly, and you only need to adjust the RA axis to keep the target in the field of view rather than phafing about with 2 axes. Tangerinedream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerinedream Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 27 minutes ago, Clive said: No matter what rotation you set the focuser, your eye will still be in the same orientation! I've never had any problem with the visual field rotation with an EQ mount as it happens so slowly, and you only need to adjust the RA axis to keep the target in the field of view rather than phafing about with 2 axes. The only brief experience I've had with a EQ was a EQ6R-PRO and that was quite comfortable once the viewing was comfortable for me. Having to adjust two knobs for good tracking with an alt az does sound tedious. How would a Rowan AZ75 compare? It is somewhat beyond what I want to spend though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspore Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 2 hours ago, Tangerinedream said: Does it handle vibrations well at high mag? I'm looking at getting some Morpheus eyepieces which probably aren't the lightest. Mostly, yes. The return is pretty rapid unless you really bang into the OTA accidentally or something. The Morpheus are surprisingly light for their size. I often use one with a 72mm f/5.8 refractor. Tangerinedream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Streetbob Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 The az75 is a very solid well made mount, but no slo mo. I have the az100 which is brilliant, but heavy (and expensive). Tangerinedream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerinedream Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 Thanks for the advice everyone. I've made up my mind and got a good deal on a Vixen GP. +Streetbob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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