AltAz mount advice requested

Is anybody using an altazimuth mount with the Baader Planetarium hardwood tripod? I would like to know what you are using. I am especially interested in the giro dx mount.
Thank you,
Rob C

I am using the Giro-2 Deluxe with my 6"F8. It's an amazing mount for it's size. On one side it supports my 31.5 lb OTA with Losmandy saddle/DUP plates and 7" Parallax rings. On the other side it hold 24 lbs of counter weights. If you take the time to balance the OTA you do not have to tighten the tension knobs at all. It will pan and tilt as smoothly with a 50 lb load or no load at all. Due to the perpetual rain in the NE during the past month I have only had a few short sessions using the Giro. I was able to track Mars at 300X a few nights ago. I think I could have push it to higher X if the clouds didn't roll in in 15 minutes.

I think you need an adapter to mount Giro on a AP/Badder tripod. There are photos of giro on the Badder tripod on the Yahool AP UG forum. Check the file section. You can also email Marcus of APM Germany directly. The Giro-2 can be ordered with 3/8-16 or M10 base. I prefer the 3/8-16 base because I wanted to mount it on a extra heavy duty photo tripod with elevating center column. With this set up I can mount the OTA while the center column is lowered and raise it when I want to observe the zenith. I don't have to be on my knees to observe objects over head and it also make it much easier to share the view with my children. I wonder why no scope/mount maker have saw fit to offer tripods with elevating center column exepct the $2K+ Pier Tech.

Erik D

PS. You can see photos of the GR2 DX with a 6"F8 Meade refractor on CloudyNights. Tom Pico is the author. He is the one who gave me the idea and encouragement to go forward with the project.

John Ford has photos of the Giro XXL in his CN review of the TMB 152. His 45 lb OTA is mounted on Losmandy G11 with the 12" pier extention.

Hello Robert,

A friend of mine builds a wooden alt/az mount for 5 and 6 inch AP models using AP rings. He has been mounting them on the AP wooden tripod.

Stephen E. Russell

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