Orion ED80 mount

Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities I'm somewhat lacking at the moment. The ED80
and piggybacking seem to be very popular subjects at the moment, so I've
already picked up a lot of info from other threads. I am however still
wondering about that "extra" mount...

I've seen what looks like a nice package deal with the SkyView Pro
mount. I've read very favourable reviews and it certainly looks a nice
stable piece of kit. Although I can see myself doing more imaging in the
piggyback configuration, I was wondering if this mount is also sturdy
enough to support a (consumer) digital camera set-up, a decent finder
and possibly other things I've not thought of yet. Could be that I'm
pushing it a little in terms of the stability and accuracy required for
good imaging, but this is likely to be very occasional (e.g. on
vacation, etc).

Any other thoughts/comments/experiences on this kind of set-up are of
course most welcome! Given the popularity of these scopes, I can imagine
plenty of you have been though a similar selection process.


Cheers,

Steve

Hi Steve,

I have 2 SVP mounts----I use primaily my 8" F/5 reflector equiped with
Telrad and whopper 2" eyepiece...VERY stable. I really like my SVPs...I too
have an ED 80 and use it on a Meade Alt/AZ mount mostly---The SVP is pretty
heavy...

Doink

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities I'm somewhat lacking at the moment. The ED80 and
piggybacking seem to be very popular subjects at the moment, so I've
already picked up a lot of info from other threads. I am however still
wondering about that "extra" mount...

I've seen what looks like a nice package deal with the SkyView Pro mount.
I've read very favourable reviews and it certainly looks a nice stable
piece of kit. Although I can see myself doing more imaging in the
piggyback configuration, I was wondering if this mount is also sturdy
enough to support a (consumer) digital camera set-up, a decent finder and
possibly other things I've not thought of yet. Could be that I'm pushing
it a little in terms of the stability and accuracy required for good
imaging, but this is likely to be very occasional (e.g. on vacation, etc).

Any other thoughts/comments/experiences on this kind of set-up are of
course most welcome! Given the popularity of these scopes, I can imagine
plenty of you have been though a similar selection process.


Cheers,

Steve

Doink wrote:
Hi Steve,

I have 2 SVP mounts----I use primaily my 8" F/5 reflector equiped with
Telrad and whopper 2" eyepiece...VERY stable. I really like my SVPs...I too
have an ED 80 and use it on a Meade Alt/AZ mount mostly---The SVP is pretty
heavy...

Doink


Thanks for the info. If the SVP can support your 8-incher so well, I
guess it's a bit bulkier than I thought! I'll have to find one and check
it out in person, as weight is quite a deciding factor for me. I really
want something you could easily walk around with.

I'd much prefer a GEM to an Alt/Az, so maybe I'd be better off with an
EQ-1 or EQ-2. Maybe I should be asking my previous questions for these
mounts instead...?

--Steve

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities

www.universalastronomic.com

Check out the UniStar line. The Light Deluxe model is perfect for the ED80,
and ultra-portable.

I have the UniStar Light on the D&S Compact CS short tripod for my 100mm F5
refractor. The entire setup (with scope) weighs just 15 pounds. Put
anti-vibration pads under the tripod and it's good to go for as high power
as you'd want to use in an undriven scope (160x?).

I can't recommend this setup highly enough. I use mine out on the patio
every clear night that I don't have time for the bigger scopes. Pick the
whole thing up in one hand and step through the slider. Go back for the
binoviewer and a cup of decaf coffee. Sit in a patio chair with beverage in
hand, and contemplate Plato for a half hour at 100x (with the binoviewer I
think I can see two of the larger craterlets come and go in flashes as the
seeing varies). Very nice way to end (or start) an evening.

With the short tripod fully collapsed, the binoviewer eyepiece position is
low enough that I can sit in a patio chair and observe down to the horizon.
It then has an adjustable center post which raises very easily as you aim
higher toward the zenith, keeping the eyepiece position very comfortable.
(Although raising the center post more than half it's full length can
introduce more vibrations and cause the setup to be "tippy", so you might
want to extend the legs a bit instead if you need that kind of height...
also easy enough.)

I like it so much, that I'm getting serious about shedding the fork mounted
C8, and picking up a CG5/C8 with GoTo, and a UniStar Standard (which can
handle 30 lbs). The UniStar can use the CG5 dovetail and the CG5 tripod, and
I believe it takes just 5 minutes or so to swap out the heads.

I will then be able to use the C8 as a grab-and-go for binoviewing. You
simply haven't lived until you've seen M42 in 0.8 degrees with a 80x200
binocular; or Saturn with two eyes at 145x (or more). I'm convinced that
there's a _very_ noticeable increase in the visible low contrast detail, but
part of that might just be an increase in experience at the eyepiece, mixed
with some novelty of just getting into binoviewing. Either way, it's
"wicked" cool, and the UniStar is my ticket to making it super easy to get
out there. The tripod and fork and the GoTo are just too slow and
restrictive. I like the freedom of just whooshing the objective wherever
whim and fancy take me.

So why the CG5? Same old reason... tracking. Why GoTo? Well, in my
experience, EQ mounts are just better with an automated finding system.

Stephen Paul
Shirley, MA

"Stephen Paul" wrote in message
...

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities

www.universalastronomic.com

Check out the UniStar line. The Light Deluxe model is perfect for the
ED80,
and ultra-portable.

I have the UniStar Light on the D&S Compact CS short tripod for my 100mm
F5
refractor. The entire setup (with scope) weighs just 15 pounds. Put
anti-vibration pads under the tripod and it's good to go for as high power
as you'd want to use in an undriven scope (160x?).

I have the UniversalAstronomics (real url:
http://www.universalastronomics.com/ )Microstar and an ED80 and it's a nice
little setup. I'm going to get the Light Deluxe myself because I want to
add encoders and computer to the setup. I really like UA's stuff and would
highly recommend it also.

Mike

Mike Fitterman wrote:
"Stephen Paul" wrote in message
...

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...

Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities

www.universalastronomic.com

Check out the UniStar line. The Light Deluxe model is perfect for the

ED80,

and ultra-portable.

I have the UniStar Light on the D&S Compact CS short tripod for my 100mm

F5

refractor. The entire setup (with scope) weighs just 15 pounds. Put
anti-vibration pads under the tripod and it's good to go for as high power
as you'd want to use in an undriven scope (160x?).


I have the UniversalAstronomics (real url:
http://www.universalastronomics.com/ )Microstar and an ED80 and it's a nice
little setup. I'm going to get the Light Deluxe myself because I want to
add encoders and computer to the setup. I really like UA's stuff and would
highly recommend it also.

Mike


Although I was really after an EQ, the more I read about these alt/az
mounts, the better they sound. The weight factor also makes them very
tempting... I guess previous experiences with substandard alt/az mounts
have put me off, but I can imagine a nice one would be a lot of fun.

The only thing I'm worried about is the imaging possibilities, or more
accurately, the potential lack thereof. In any case, it'd be nice to be
able to track objects without needing to add a computer.

--Steve

In article ,
Steve Maddison wrote:

Hi all,

I'm contemplating getting an Orion ED80 for wide field viewing and
imaging. My original thought was to piggy back it on my Meade LX90, but
it'd be nice to have a separate mount too, in order to increase the
grab-and-go possibilities I'm somewhat lacking at the moment. The ED80
and piggybacking seem to be very popular subjects at the moment, so I've
already picked up a lot of info from other threads. I am however still
wondering about that "extra" mount...

I mount my ED80 on an Orion AZ-3. I use the ED80 only for thye moon and
planets, due to light pollution at home. I also have to dodge trees, so
an EQ mount wouldn't work. I like the AZ-3 because it is the only
alt-az available with slow motion cables, to keep the object in view.
The mount is stable enough for the ED80 at 120x, and a Orion MAk 127 at
220x.


I've seen what looks like a nice package deal with the SkyView Pro
mount. I've read very favourable reviews and it certainly looks a nice
stable piece of kit. Although I can see myself doing more imaging in the
piggyback configuration, I was wondering if this mount is also sturdy
enough to support a (consumer) digital camera set-up, a decent finder
and possibly other things I've not thought of yet. Could be that I'm
pushing it a little in terms of the stability and accuracy required for
good imaging, but this is likely to be very occasional (e.g. on
vacation, etc).

Any other thoughts/comments/experiences on this kind of set-up are of
course most welcome! Given the popularity of these scopes, I can imagine
plenty of you have been though a similar selection process.


Cheers,

Steve

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...
Doink wrote:
Hi Steve,

I have 2 SVP mounts----I use primaily my 8" F/5 reflector equiped with
Telrad and whopper 2" eyepiece...VERY stable. I really like my SVPs...I
too have an ED 80 and use it on a Meade Alt/AZ mount mostly---The SVP is
pretty heavy...

Doink


Thanks for the info. If the SVP can support your 8-incher so well, I
guess it's a bit bulkier than I thought! I'll have to find one and check
it out in person, as weight is quite a deciding factor for me. I really
want something you could easily walk around with.

I'd much prefer a GEM to an Alt/Az, so maybe I'd be better off with an
EQ-1 or EQ-2. Maybe I should be asking my previous questions for these
mounts instead...?

The EQ-1 is not going to handle the ED80 well, and although the EQ-2
certainly would be a lot more stable, it isn't going to provide the tracking
you need for imaging. A Vixen GP with drives would be the way to go for
imaging. It is a proven mount.

If you're just going to do visual at high power, and want a drive or slow
motion controls, the EQ-2 is adequate.

Stephen Paul wrote:
The EQ-1 is not going to handle the ED80 well, and although the EQ-2
certainly would be a lot more stable, it isn't going to provide the tracking
you need for imaging. A Vixen GP with drives would be the way to go for
imaging. It is a proven mount.

The GP looks a sweet little mount... a bit price though, considering
how often I'd use it for imaging. I think I've confirmed my suspision
that good imaging capabilities and light, reasonably-priced mounts are
probably incompatible concepts ;-)

If you're just going to do visual at high power, and want a drive or slow
motion controls, the EQ-2 is adequate.

Given the above, this looks like the direction I may end up going in.
Either that or back to the SVP... decisions, decisions!


Thanks for the info,

Steve