"control handle" and alt-az mounts

Most of the better alt-az mounts out there seem to have a "control handle" or "panning handle" either included or as an option.

"Allows you to easily move the telescope about the sky with excellent control" says one representative blurb.

What is the advantage of using such a handle instead of just moving the scope? As a dob-pusher, I just don't see the point.

Jim, like most things in life, its more of a 'nice to have' than necessity. I would say its very useful for imaging work where you are trying to locate, say Jupiter, on the small toucam chip. Accurate goto helps here too.

Ed.

There is a bit less vibration when moving with the
handle vs. grabbing the scope. This is useful at
high powers.

Also, if you grab the back of the scope, you will flex
any loose or non-rigid bits of the optical system.
Say you grab the diagonal, you will be flexing
joints between the diagonal / drawtube / focusser /
scope / scope mount rings -- all of which will
"unwind" when you let go of the scope -- and you
may find the scope is not pointed where you thought
it was. This does not happen with a handle on the
mount; sure the end of the handle will "unwind" when
you let go of it, but everything on the scope will
stay where you pointed it.