The DM looks great and probably performs well, but I just can't get over the
price. Although bulkier, I think I would prefer a Dob-type alt-az mount for
several reasons:
1) DIY
2) Attach a Dob-driver and voila! Objects stay in the eyepiece.
3) Attach a standard dob DSC kit.
4) Much less moola.
5) If you offset it from the top of the tripod, you can observe right up to the
zenith.
Downsides that I can see might be lack of orthogonality and bulk. Also, you'd
have to come up with some sort of dovetail system if you want to use the same
scope on different mounts, or multiple scopes on the alt-az mount. But that is
soluble.
I have seen photos of these before but can not find one just now on the 'net.
They are similar to a Tele Vue Gibraltar except that the trunions are big like
a Dob mount rather than the small bearings on the Gibraltar. And like the TV
mount, the alt bearings are offset quite a ways from the center of the tripod
to allow for zenith views.
Hope that was clear. <grin>
Cheers,
Paul Sterngold
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Received on Fri Mar 31 13:47:59 2006