Orion's new mount

I know the Skyview Pro mount is brand new, but does anyone have an opinion yet of how good/bad this thing looks in general?

The AT1010 looks better to me all the time and trying to think ahead in terms of what to put it on...

The AT1010 doesn't need much mount. it's pretty small and lite. I have mine on an EQ2/CG3. I think the Skyview Pro is probably more than you need for this scope. edz

Hi John,

I have three mounts: the older version Orion Skyview Deluxe, a TV Panoramic mount with a Telepod, and a Bogen tripod with a Telepod. I had a TV Pronto and now have a TV 85mm. My impressions are as follows:

1. For the Pronto, the Telepod/Bogen was excellent. A very lightweight grab-and-go set-up. The Skyview was overkill unless I wanted to track. Even though it was overkill, the EQ mount, slo-mo control, and tracking motor makes it very useful, even for a smaller scope like the AT1010.

2. For the TV 85mm, the Telepod/Bogen is not solid enough at high powers, but I will still use this set-up for travel. The Panoramic/Telepod handles the 85mm well, and is recommended by TV for it. This is what I use most often at home. The Skyview also handles the 85mm very well and is very solid. Its only slightly less convenient than the Panoramic, and I often prefer it for its superior tracking due to the EQ design and the slo-mo control.

So, I think you first should decide what you will do with the AT1010 (which is very close to the Pronto) and if you want an Alt-Az vs. an EQ mount. If your want a grab-and-go scope consider the Telepod/Bogen. If you want easier tracking on an EQ mount, but a less portable tripod go with the Skyview. The larger mount/tripod will also better accomodate your larger scope - when you eventually trade up!

An alternate would be to look for a used Skyview Deluxe on Astromart and a used Telepod/Bogen set-up. You would probably end up with two mounts for the price of one. All of the aforementioned scopes and mounts were acquired on A-mart and are top quality.

Good luck!

John R.