Compact Tabletop Design is Great for Camping
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount in stock
$59.95
OversizeFeatures
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
- Small but sturdy equatorial mount that's perfect for traveling or campouts
- Features an all-metal EQ-1 equatorial head perched on a tripod with three thread-on legs
- Makes a terrific tracking platform for wide-field astrophotography with a 35mm camera
- Includes counterweight, dual slow-motion cables, latitude adjustment, and 1/4"-20 adapter
- Height approximately 14", weight 10 lbs., 5 oz.
Here's a nifty little equatorial mount for small telescopes that makes a perfect stargazing companion for campouts and trips. It's Orion's all-metal EQ-1 equatorial head perched on three thread-on legs, complete with counterweight, dual slow-motion cables, latitude adjustment, and 1/4"-20 adapter. Set it on a park bench or large rock, or even on your car's hood for an impromptu scan of the heavens. Also makes a terrific tracking platform for wide-field astrophotography with a 35mm camera! Height approx.14", weighs 10 lbs., 5 oz.
Please note this product was not designed or intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.
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Download a PDF file of the Instruction Manual for this product.
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Product Specs
Product Specifications:
| Astro-imaging capability | Lunar and planetary |
| Weight rating | 7 lbs. |
| Dovetail bar system | No |
| Motor drive compatibility | Clock drive sold separately |
| Bearing material | Friction bearings |
| Latitude range | 9-72 |
| Setting circles | Yes |
| Polar-axis scope | Not available |
| Counterweights | One 4.8 lb. |
| Counterweight bar length | 8 in. |
| Diameter of counterweight shaft | 12mm |
| Weight, fully assembled | 5.2 lbs. |
| Warranty | One year |
Included Items
Included Items:
Tripod legsOrion Equatorial tabletop mount
1-1/4" - 20 adapter
5.25 lb counterweight
Counterweight shaft
Slow-motion control cables
Small crescent wrench
Media Buzz
Customer Reviews
3/30/09 7:17 PM
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Reviewer: John
This a very nice sturdy mini EQ mount.
Very well constructed and looks just
awesome! It came with my Apex 90mm
Mak Cass. ... Anyway
this is the mount for me. Very easy to
take around,Thank you Orion!
12/23/08 6:47 PM
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Reviewer: Rick Young
Note that with a EQ-1M attached the
mount will not reach the meridian. The
Camera/Telescope or Counterweight will
strike the motor at about +/- 30 degrees
of the meridian. Otherwise it works well.
4/14/08 11:56 AM
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Reviewer: John in SD
I got this mount with my Apex 90, and
for the money it's a good deal. I
spend about 10 seconds doing a rough
polar alignment and am able to
track objects just fine. Now, it's kind of
wiggly and roughly assembled
and probably won't support much more
weight than my small Mak, so
don't expect an Atlas for the price. It
*does* break down small enough
to fit in a small tool bag, which is great,
and it's lightweight enough to
just grab and go. One big improvement I
made within a couple of days
is to replace the Philips screws that
secure the slow motion knobs with
M4 X 7mm Allen cap screws (real
thumbscrews would be better): this
allows tool-free assembly and the ability
to quickly shift ends on the RA
axis when it interferes with the Dec
knob. A couple of things to note: (1)
the Dec axis is not a full worm gear and
has a limited (20 degrees?)
range of motion--you'll have to reset the
axis from time to time, but it's
not a big deal in practice. (2) Contrary to
Orion technical support's
statement, there *is* a 3/8" thread in
the bottom. This is really nice
since it will fit most photo tripods like my
Manfrotto 3021. If you're
looking for a cheap, small, and light EQ
mount for visual observing, I
think the Min-EQ is as good as you'll find.
(Note from Orion: Upon further review
the thread pitch at the bottom of the
head is a metric thread pitch (10M-1.5).
It is a similar thread pitch but not an
exact match.)
3/22/08 12:20 AM
Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Reviewer: Ace Tran
1. Solid iron base (compared to those
shaky aluminum. The whole mount is
solid iron
2. heavy, helps being stable and not
tipping over
3. Easy adjustment helps to be more precise
Cons: The rotating dial needs to have
a little longer extension so that it is
not in the way of the telescope or the
counter weight