Re: Eclipse equipment - advice needed

From: Steve Maddison (steve_at_cosam.org)
Date: 09/30/04 

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 14:03:38 +0200

Roger Steer wrote:
> I'm thinking of going on my first eclipse jaunt: October 2005 Madrid
> for the annular. It's supposed to be a dry run for the following
> year's total in the Mediterranean.
>
> I have a Televue 76 and am intending to use it on a suitable mount -
> yet to be bought. It must be as light as poss. (air travel).
>
> Do 'those that know' recommend equatorials, if so, what?
>
> I've got Slik and Manfrotto Tripods are they ok to take a small mount?
>
> Any advice or pointers to sources welcomed.
>
> Thanks
>
> Roger

Hi Roger,

I've recently been looking for something similar for an ED80 (the
thread's not that old, so you may want to see what was said).

If you want an ultra-portable mount, it's hard to beat an Alt/Az as
they're much simpler in construction and of course don't require a
counterweight. I was advised to look here:

  http://www.universalastronomics.com/

On the other hand, I wanted tracking and to be able to do a bit of
"basic" imaging, which is generally easier with a GEM. A good GEM is
however significantly heavier (and more expensive) than even the most
highly praised Alt/Az mounts. I'm still considering the Vixen GP and its
cheaper "cousin" the Orion SkyView Pro myself.

I think your choice boils down to whether you're planning to use the
mount for viewing anything other than eclipses. If not, I'd go for a
nice, lightweight Alt/Az any day of the week. The tracking advantage of
a GEM is of course almost irrelevant in this situation as imaging bright
objects like the Sun doen't require long exposures.

Good luck,

  Steve

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