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Orion's new mount

Started by darkhop, 10/30/2002 01:42PM
Posted 10/30/2002 01:42PM Opening Post
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...
Posted 10/30/2002 02:09PM #1
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
Posted 12/24/2002 06:25AM #2
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.