Mount question

Hey guys,

I have just bought a Vixen SP mount to put my C8 on and am wondering if will be suitable for the BO 1278 also and if not is there anything I can do to make it suitable ie: HD wood tripod or the like.

Also is there a way to put DSC's on it without using the Vixens PC200 setup at $900 bucks.

All input appreciated, thanks

Lou

It will be fine in my opinion, you will just need to balance it well and put it on a sturdy tripod or pier. The 1278 will hang down pretty low when pointed at zenith, judging by the pictures of it. I've figured out that it will probably put the eyepiece at about 16" below the base of the SP/ GP/ CG-5 mounts. In my case, I would prefer that the eyepiece is at least 44" off of the ground. That would require a tripod that is stable at 5 feet off the ground. Of course if you are willing to get way down on the ground to view or add a bit of wieght to the focuser end of the scope (a hefty nagler would work :-) you can get by with less height. The solid leg hardwood tripod I have for my CG-5 is only good for about 41" so it looks like I'll either avoid the Zenith with the 1278 or sit on the wet grass.

Joplin