Choosing a Telescope Mount

An often overlooked component of the telescope and astronomy experience, which is surprising considering that a telescope mount makes up half of a telescope system. A good, solid, and stable mount is necessary for effective use of a telescope.

For your telescope to perform, a telescope mount must provide the following functions:

1. Provide a stable platform for the telescope during visual or photographic use;
2. Allow smooth and controlled movements to steer and point the telescope;
3. While not necessary, a mount and tripod should provide an accessory tray that can hold telescope accessories such as eyepieces and barlow lenses when not in use.

And just like telescopes, there is a range of telescope mounts to choose from, each with their own uses and advantages.

Alt-Azimuth Mounts

The Alt-Azimuth mount (also known as Alt-Az or AZ) is a tripod that moves in two axes, altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right). They are extremely easy to use and are perfect for terrestrial viewing or paired with a grab and go telescope for an easy and convenient set up. The saxon AZ3 and saxon AZ5 mounts come with slow motion controls in both axes which allow for minor movements for fine adjustments and the tracking of objects.

While easy to use and well-suited for beginners, it is harder to track objects in astronomy using the Alt-Azimuth mount as it does not take the Earth’s rotation into consideration. This makes them unsuitable for those seeking to go into astrophotography.

Dobsonian Mounts

The Dobsonian mount is a modified Alt-Azimuth mount. While maintaining the ease of use and the Altitude-Azimuth operation, the Dobsonian mount does not rest on a tripod but on a low structure or platform near the ground. The low centre of gravity from this configuration gives a Dobsonian telescope excellent stability for visual observation. Like a standard Alt-Azimuth mount, astrophotography will be difficult and limited.

Equatorial Mounts

Equatorial mounts are designed to compensate for the Earth’s rotation. Equatorial mounts make it possible to easily track objects as they appear to move around the sky and are necessary for long-exposure astrophotography. An equatorial mount can be motorised using something called a motor drive or a clock drive which will counteract the effect of the Earth’s rotation and keep the telescope fixed on an object.

Equatorial mounts are relatively more complicated to set up and operate; telescopes mounted on equatorial mounts must be counterbalanced correctly before use and the mount must be aligned to the celestial pole correctly in order to provide precise tracking of objects. They also tend to be heavier and more expensive than other forms of mounts. In spite of all this, an equatorial mount is a must if you are planning on really getting into astronomy and the most out of your telescope.

Computerised Mounts (GoTo Mount)

Not technically a type of mount in and of itself, but a computer add-on or extension onto an existing mount design (not dissimilar to how a motor drive is added onto an equatorial mount). A GoTo mount comes with a controller with a database of celestial objects which the mount can point to and track when selected. A computerised mount is an appealing idea for beginners as it does allow those with little to no knowledge of the night sky to navigate the night sky at the push of a button. A telescope package that ticks the boxes for many beginners is our AstroSeeker range, with lightweight and portable scopes on fully computerised mounts.

But where GoTo mounts can truly shine is in the area of astrophotography. A heavy duty GoTo equatorial mount and tripod, one that is sturdy and capable of carrying heavier telescopes and equipment, is an invaluable piece of equipment for astrophotography at every level.

GoTo mounts can be excellent for casual observers and committed astrophotographers as they add a significant degree of convenience, however they can be significantly more expensive than a non-computerised mount. There is also some set up required in aligning the mount with respect to the date, time, and location of use.

Some Things to Consider

Telescope Use

What mount you consider will have to be matched to the activity you use your telescope for. How you want to use your telescope may also affect what sort of mount you use: those short of time or looking for a point and look experience should consider an AZ mount or a small computerised, while those who are seeking to learn the night sky and prolonged observation ought to consider an EQ mount.

If you purchase a complete saxon telescope system, you need not worry about the mount as the telescope tube and mount are matched for their purpose. An example of this would be the saxon 909AZ3 Refractor Telescope for terrestrial  viewing and the saxon 909EQ2 Refractor Telescope for astronomy use; the telescope tube is the same while the mount and accompanying accessories are matched for their use.

Payload

Payload is the recommended maximum carrying capacity of a mount. This number differs between mounts and is the most important factor when looking at upgrading your mount. Mounting of equipment beyond a mount’s payload will place unnecessary stress on the mount and affect the mount’s performance (damage to the mount may also result, especially the moving parts such as the internal gears). In the case of astrophotography, the payload of a mount is effectively lower as more precise movements and stability are required.

Portability

It is not an uncommon recommendation to go for the mount with the largest payload since the telescope tube is easily upgraded and the mount will continue to serve a purpose beyond your initial astronomy aspirations. While that is nonetheless true, large mounts can be extremely heavy (exceeding 30kgs, not including the telescope tube) and thus difficult to transport and set up. Those with a viewing site nearby may find this as less of an issue but those without easy access to viewing sites may find transporting and setting up a mount to be a hassle

Summary

As mentioned, the mount that a telescope sits on top of makes up half a telescope system and is crucial to the use of a telescope. An effective mount will not only allow you to use a telescope, but it will enhance the viewing experience by dampening vibrations from external factors and be matched to the particular visual or photographic needs of each user.