Re: [APML] Of Mounts and Men

["Bert Katzung" <katzung1@attbi.com>]

Hi Rex:
It is hard to find good critical reviews of the different types of mounts,
especially the less expensive ones.
I wouldn't accept any manufacturer's descriptions (eg, "sturdy")  for a
mount that retails at less than $2000. Have you tried the following sources
of reviews?
Todd Gross' site: www.weatherman.com

Ed Ting's site: http://www.scopereviews.com/

They like to review scopes and eyepieces, but I wouldn't be surprised to
find some stuff on mounts as well. Most people (including myself) will rant
on and on about getting the heaviest mount you can afford (wallet-wise and
lifting-wise). That is absolutely true, but at the low end your choices are
definitely limited. On a limited budget, I've heard of good results using
small scopes on the Great Polaris mount, especially the Delux version. I
think Orion has, or had, them. The Losmandy G-8 has also given good results
with smaller, lighter loads. Just guessing, but if you can find one of these
used and cosmetically tainted (but not mechanically poor), you might be able
to get into the $500-1000 range. Keep your eyes on Astromart, EBay, and your
local clubs for sales.  A completely separate approach is the consortium
idea: local clubs sometimes maintain some club-owned and shared equipment,
so for the cost of your annual membership, you can get access to excellent
equipment and expert advice. Depends on your local club(s).

Hope this helps....

Bert



Bert Katzung
katzung1@attbi.com
www.astronomy-images.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rex Moore" <RMoore@fool.com>
To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 10:49 AM
Subject: [APML] Of Mounts and Men


>
> Hi again, everyone. If you'll remember, I asked everyone here their
opinions
> on the $529.00
> Orion SkyView Deluxe 8 EQ Reflector, especially for bare-bones basic prime
> focus work. Most of the answers involved the mount: "Not with that mount."
>
>
http://www.telescope.com/cgi-bin/OrionTel.storefront/3c94df8403c3534a2719c0a
> 80a6506d9/Product/View/A319
>
>
> How, I wondered, could people tell that at a glance, especially since the
> mount was described as sturdy (of course).
>
> I've since purchased Covington's book, and searched through this list's
> archives, but I've not yet run across a good description of the *different
> types* of German equatorial mounts. For instance, this Celestron G-8N 8"
> Reflector looks like a good value for $500:
>
>
http://www.adorama.com/details.tpl?cart=1016334412376648&sku=CNG8N&disp_main
> -category=Binoculars%20%26%20Telescopes&disp_category=Telescopes&disp_Sub-
Ca
> tegory=Reflectors
>
>
> The GEM is described as "CG-5," but how can I tell how good that is for
> prime focus work? Is there a good place that lists the different types,
and
> tells how much weight they can handle?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rex




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