Awaiting my ioptron mini tower pro

[ajohnw]

Well the zeq25gt mount finally arrived this morning complete with the wrong tripod. Another is on it's way.

I do like the look and facilities on the head though. It looks like it should work well in practice on the set up side. Reports suggest the tracking is pretty good as they come. It will be a while before I can try that aspect out photographically.

John
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[HaseebM]

It is definitely unique in design. Do not overtighten the striction screws on the saddle. Only gripe I had was the saddle mount spins to one side when left without screws tightened and a scope. I wrote to iOptron and had a small pdf file sent which could be helpful. The tripod legs hopefully you got the 2" one's? Btw, for astrophotography, do not load more than 15 lbs.

[ajohnw]

Just for Jeremy. The mount finally arrived and even then after they said a couple of days more it was over a week and then arrived with the wrong tripod and this is Ioptron's main agent in the UK. It seems that they sent it shortly after I ordered it but the packaging was damages so it didn't get out of the carriers depot.

This might be the worst photo to appear on here. Mixed lighting so even the carpet has come up oddly for one.



It just about balances with the 2in eyepiece on thanks to Celestron's style of tube ring.

It's not the frienliest of mounts to align roughly for visual use. The shots shows it in it's home position pointing at the pole star. Some are better.- level the scope say east west, point some part of the mount north and it will then offer stars it will slew to and these are simply centred with the hand controller. The only problem with that type is lots of stars will look bright in a moderately powerful scope so a decent well aligned finder can be a big help. Not on this one though - looks like the scope has to be slewed to stars it offers manually. It looks like Iopton expect the polar alignment scope built into the mount to be used every time. I feel that is a bit sad for complete beginners really but it does seem to be well made. All that really needs pointing at the pole star is the mount.

There are a lot of comments about reducing the drive tension before disengaging the drive but it seems to me that the disengage knobs work well providing that the tension on the drive hasn't been set too tight. If that is too tight it's impossible to use the disengage knobs. I'd be interested in Haseeb's opinion on this area.

The tripod is stiff but I feel it aught to come with a bigger one as standard. It's too low for standing for one which also makes it difficult to get to the polar scope. Mind you I hope to be no where near it when it's in use. Maybe I can build a mini observatory with no room for me in it at all - only the scope. Unlikely but who knows.

I need to buy a dovetail fitting before I can see if my F9 125mm Meade will balance on it but from the position of the counterweight with this one on it should do.

John
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[HaseebM]

Yes John, as long as the disengage knobs as you call it are not set too tight, they are fine and that's what I was referring to.

[ajohnw]

Some confusion Haseeb, down to me. There are 2 knobs on each drive unit. One sets the tension on the worm and the other can disengage the worm..

I've seen comments on the web that the tension has to be reduced so that the disengage ones can be used. If I remember correctly one of the video reviews suggested that the should be wound right in and then backed off by a fraction of a turn. The quick start guide that comes with the mount suggest ideally 1 to 3 turns out. At 2 turns on mine there is no need to back them off further to use the disengage. It's hard to turn but acceptable. At 2 1/2 turns out it's fairly easy to use.

Leaves me wondering where I should set them when there is a scope in use on the stand so wondered what you do? Do you set the tension so that the disengage is too stiff to turn or use numbers suggested in the guide?

Must admit when I watch video's such as the tuning one and see additional rather light springs added that wont achieve much at all I wonder about the sanity of the source as well especially as at the end of the demo he mentions that HIS mount is different.

John
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[HaseebM]

I just turn them till they are tight enough and then slightly loosen them, enough to disengage when required. I remember a couple of times I had tightened them and then had a tough time trying to disengage and had to use lot of torque-force. I hope you downloaded the pdf file which I attached?

[ajohnw]

That's what I concluded from playing about with the stand and maybe using a bit more tension on the worm if I try it with a heavy load. I might see what happens with a 10in SC subject to weighing it. I might have mentioned that I bought a carbon fibre tubed C 9 1/2 to get down in weight, used and it arrived with a smashed up corrector plate. Looks like there is no realistic way of people in the UK getting it fixed..

I hadn't really noticed the pdf, thanks. I do intend to have a look inside to check that the worm is square to the wheel so if it was loose I would probably notice and fix it anyway. Externally it feels fine and locks positively. I'm pleased with the weight and am working out how to make a pier adaptor for it. Figured that out this morining. Not straight forwards as I want a levelling adjustment on it.

I have a fair bit to get and do before I try imaging with it. I'm toying with the idea if getting a ZWO ASI 174MM for a guide camera and to play with filter wheels at some point if I get the urge. I feel your method makes more sense though. Slight problem likely with the piggy bank next week though. On the way to Wales I turned back as the clutch on the car has started to slip. The bill will range from £828 to £1260 denting reserves a bit more than where I like to be. Tata Jag X type, 40,000 miles from new and me the only owner. It's is the 2.2 diesel and I do drive rather hard but I would expect more than that. If your near the main plant maybe you will go beat some one up for me. Mind you I expect the problem maybe down to Ford really but I hear people in other cars get up to about 80,000 and then have problems. Curse Audi for converting a petrol engine to diesel. Before that they were always different and the diesel engines had a bigger clutch

Rant over. My previous car, Saab didn't do too well either but they replaced it for free.

John
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[k9malinda]

I just got a mini tower (almost new, but older model like the one in this photo). I want to attach my Canon 600mm f4L. I have a slide mount now that fits in my gimble, and this will fit into that round mount if I screw it in hard. This camera and lens weighs about 25lbs. Is that how it should work? or is there a special mount I can buy that will go from the camera lens to the mount?

I tried talking to iOptron, but they weren't really in the mood to talk to a newbie. So, they sort of blew me off.

Here is the mount on the iOptron and my lens - what do you think? What do I need?

[Manfred M]

I just got a mini tower (almost new, but older model like the one in this photo). I want to attach my Canon 600mm f4L. I have a slide mount now that fits in my gimble, and this will fit into that round mount if I screw it in hard. This camera and lens weighs about 25lbs. Is that how it should work? or is there a special mount I can buy that will go from the camera lens to the mount?

I tried talking to iOptron, but they weren't really in the mood to talk to a newbie. So, they sort of blew me off.

Here is the mount on the iOptron and my lens - what do you think? What do I need?

I'm trying to figure out what you are trying to do here. This appears to be a telescope mount, not something I would expect to be used with a telephoto lens with gimbal.