Need advice on mount and tripod

pikkidok · Post by **pikkidok** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:03 pm

I am a beginner and I have interest to look at planets and star clusters.

I wanted to buy a Meade 70mm refractor that comes with a tripod.

However, I have got a very high quality Manfrotto camera tripod and I found out a 90mm Mak was selling at a good price without the tripod. So i bought that 90mm Mak instead since it wasnt that much more expensive than that Meade refractor.

I wonder if i made a mistake.

The Mak is excellent.

The camera tripod is great for cameras but it does not have fine movement. It is such a pain to track the stars/planet because it goes too far either way....

Any advice to help me? I am not prepared to buy an expensive Eq mount... because it doesnt seem to make sense if I look mainly at the planets and I live near the equator...

Any reasonable tripods with smooth and fine controls??

Thanks. (I am a newbie here)

guangwei · Post by **guangwei** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:19 pm

Hi, i have an EQ-2 mount suitable for your scope i think. pm me if you are interested. thanks

Bergkamp_ · Post by **Bergkamp_** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:57 pm

Yes what he need is an EQ mount..

pikkidok · Post by **pikkidok** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:12 pm

thanks. i managed to get a EQ mount.

timatworksg · Post by **timatworksg** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:20 pm

Well done pikkidok! You can have lots of fun with the Mak!
Get some Star Charts, or download Stellarium (free) and hunt down some stars!It may get intimidating in the beginning but thru some patience and passion you'll get the hand of star gazing in no time!
Most of all, have fun with the hobby and interest!