iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount

Comments about iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount:

I have been interested in astronomy for quite a while. Untill now I had never seen a planet beyond Saturn. I live in a very light pouluted area. Once I got the scope alighned with Jupiter I sent the scope to Urainus and there it was. That made it worth the whole purchase knowing that when I can get it to darker skys it will do as it advertized.

Comments about iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount:

Set it up the first night worked perfectly and tracted real well had a little problem with the clutch on the counterweight altz az bar to work properly but Ioptron tech service talked me right through it. Overall very impressed with this very compact unit the GPS is really cool.

Comments about iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount:

Works well with a 66mm scope. Handles an 8" SCT with the counter weight with no problems. A little sensitive to getting parking position close before alignment

Comments about iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount:

I have had this mount for almost a month and use it every clear night. I had been used to a Celestron mount and when I got this I realized that I needed to know the names of the stars or have a star locator. Fortunately, I use Stellarium and my iPhone has an app for locating stars. After leveling the mount w/scope, i turn it on and go to two star align. It lists the stars that are visible and I then have to choose one. This is where the Celestron is superior. You have to know which stars in the sky are the ones listed. After a few nights, this is easily learned and I use the same two each night. Once aligned, THIS MOUNT COULD NOT BE MORE PERFECT. It is spot on with tracking and will track DSO's for as long as you wish. I bought this mount due to having a small vehicle and wanting a compact mount. It is perfect for my uses. I do astrophotography and can highly recommend it.

Comments about iOptron MiniTower GoTo Telescope Altazimuth Mount:

This is a very well made mount , sturdy , easy to use , user friendly , with all accesories needed like wall adpater and car adapter , USB cable for software update , and all that fits in a foam lined case . The weak point is the tripod , being 1.5" , it is a little weak and shaky , for visual work no problem . I intend to do short CCD imaging and stack them , I ordered the minitower pro tripod available at other retailers ,it is 2" and according to reviews fix that problem . Tracking is really accurate and have no concern for CCD imaging for 30 to 45 seconds before any field rotation becomes apparent . It does not replace a EQ mount for long exposure but for the on the go and quick and simple imaging it is perfect .