Mount & Tripod

I'm an oldbie but really a newbie since it has been eons since I did anything with a scope. I'm getting back into it. Things have sure changed. I have coming a used 5" retractor with ring and dovetail. I am looking for advise/discussion on a mount/tripod. What was recommend was a CG-5 or equivalent. I am not really interested in the goto stuff yet. I'm looking for mostly used but would consider new (yes, I have been looking here too). I have seen some used ones listed like LXD-55, LXD-75 and some others. I have scanned the internet and found the usual; Celestron CG-5, Orion Skyview Pro and etc. I have even thought of a Vixen GP2 mount and I think that I can locate a surveyor's tripod. Any other suggestion or insight.

Thanks

I use a Synta 120mm Refractor (actually an older Skywatcher). For a mount I use an Orion EQ3-2. It's not the beefiest mount you can get but it's manual controlled and it's light enough I don't have to dismantle everything to carry it out to my observation site (my backyard)

The EQ3-2 has a dual controlled drive (both RA and DEC) so cold be used for things like web cam imaging, It also has the polar alignment scope and ranks decent in terms of stability (I wished it cold be a bit better though). All in all it's a decent performing scope and mount.

Hope that helps a bit

Chers.

Elmer Meiler said:

I'm an oldbie but really a newbie since it has been eons since I did anything with a scope. I'm getting back into it. Things have sure changed. I have coming a used 5" retractor with ring and dovetail. I am looking for advise/discussion on a mount/tripod. What was recommend was a CG-5 or equivalent. I am not really interested in the goto stuff yet. I'm looking for mostly used but would consider new (yes, I have been looking here too). I have seen some used ones listed like LXD-55, LXD-75 and some others. I have scanned the internet and found the usual; Celestron CG-5, Orion Skyview Pro and etc. I have even thought of a Vixen GP2 mount and I think that I can locate a surveyor's tripod. Any other suggestion or insight.

Thanks

Depending on the weight and length of your Tube a Vixen GP on a surveyor's tripod could be adequate for viual, but probably not comfy. The GPDX on a surveyors tripod would work for visual.

The Universal Astronomics Unistar on their surveyors tripod would probably be more than adequate, but it is an alt-az mount that doesn't track.

I would recommend going to a star party and getting a goood look at some set ups before springing for a GP (unless you get one on here for a price where you'll pretty much just lose shipping if you need to sell it.)

Thanks, David, Lorne, and Peter. Hopefully I get the scope late coming week or early the following week. I have been looking at a number of Alt-az mounts. I did run across an article on using a Vixen Polaris as a regular GEM or a Atz-az. That perked my interest.

Elmer

I want to thank you all for your in put. The scope arrives tomorrow (Monday 3). I went with a Celestron CG5. I could not past up the deal. There is a sell on Ebay. A vendor bought some of Celetron's CG5 not motorized mounts and tripods. They were selling them for $199 with free shipping. I just could not pass it. Once again thank you very much for all of your in put.

Elmer