Nice mount. nice tube @Mak the Night, very similar to mine. Waa a 90 degree angle for the polar scope, i guess this must be convivial at some point. I don't spend a lot of time using the polar scope, usually about 25 seconds per observation.

What a great invention is the equatorial mount with the polarscope. I look at that setup and it's serious stuff, it's meant to work, meant to track with precision with minimal electronics.

I see you don't have a clock drive installed on your EQ5 Mak, why not get one? its so awesome, can't live without mine.

 

The EQ-5 are a real workhorse mount, still one of my favorite mounts.
I have a single tracking motor and a Argo Navis on my CG-5
A single tracker motor and a Li-po pack velcroed to the mount or leg would keep it a compact set up.
The HC could be kept with your eyepieces.

 

I enjoy that myself, I normally run it manually.

 

I especially like the tripod-legs of that EQ-5. Nice & thick & squat.

 

Does anybody want a slightly used LXD55 tripod? Last night was absolutely gorgeous outside and I didn't get a chance to go out?
I also decided not to be so stinking fussy about polar alignments. A friend tells me he gets close and it's good enough. Bad part of that is he is looking all night long. He said to me once while he was trying to find M101 he totally missed it. What??

 

He's an old school guy I guess.

 

If you are just doing visual close is good enough.
If you can mark the ground where you set up, do a god alignment and then put a marker down.
Next time you come out just put the tripod legs on those spots and you are off.

 

All I have a northern sky view that's about all I can see from my deck.
I think he was trying to be funny. He knows his way around then night sky. M101 is a little faint from what I've been told.
You just wonder how Messier even saw it in the 1st place. Didn't he only have access to a 4" telescope?

 

Close is all I can get. I'm not rich enough to get into astrophotography, just kidding. All you need is a camera and a lens right?

 

I can pee standing up is that marking the ground?

 

I'm thinking of running my lxd55 as an ALT-AZ. waddya think?

 

Gabby Is there anything else but visual?

 

I may have to get another telescope and mount in case something breaks, perish the thought.
Terry

 

So where did you get the fancy schmancy right angle polar viewer?

 

What sizes will it fit?