Astro Tech Voyager Mount

• Astro-Tech Voyager Mount Alt-Az Mount
• Hot Product Astronomy Magazine
• Astro Tech Voyager Mount Weighs 13.75 lbs and has a load capacity of 20 lbs.
• Slow Motion Controls Come Standard with Astro Tech Voyager Mount
• Astro Tech Voyager Mount Accepts Common Vixen Style Dovetail Plates
• Great Grab n Go Mount

The Astro Tech Voyager Mount is an exceptionally well-made and stable mount. The Astro Tech Voyager Mount is perfect for grab-and-go terrestrial observing and casual visual astronomy. The lightweight all-metal Astro-Tech Voyager can hold substantial optical tubes weighing up to 20 pounds (9kg), but there are no heavy counterweights to attach to balance a heavy tube and no alignment on the celestial pole needed to start observing. Simply slide your optical tube into the Vixen-style dovetail on the Voyager mount's altitude axis and start viewing.

The angle of the mount's altitude arm that holds your scope can be changed from vertical to 45 degrees on either side of vertical. This allows you to put the azimuth control knob on either the right or left hand side of the mount to suit your personal observing preferences. The mount has two slow-motion control knobs (one altitude and one azimuth), plus an 8.25" flexible control cable that can be substituted for the short azimuth control knob for more convenient tracking when the mount is used with physically longer scopes.

The Astro-Tech Voyager mount has a dual friction clutch system that lets you quickly point a scope towards a target manually, then track it in any direction with the smooth 120-tooth worm gear 360 degree slow-motion controls. There's no need to undo mechanical clutches in order to aim your scope as you have to do when conventional slow motion controls run out of travel before you reach your target. If you want to aim your scope at another part of the sky, simply push it. The friction clutches disengage and the scope moves freely 360Degree in any direction. Once you're on or near the target, the slow motion control knobs let you center the object precisely and track it accurately as it moves across the sky or landscape. Friction adjustment knobs are provided to let you adjust the freedom of the manual slewing motion of the scope to accommodate different payload weights.

The Astro-Tech Voyager mount has a standard Vixen dovetail mounting slot. It will accept any telescope mounting shoe or dovetail plate designed to fit into the dovetail slot of a Vixen Sphinx or Great Polaris, Celestron CG5 or Advanced Series, or Meade LXD55 or LXD75 mount. If your optical tube has mounting rings only, you will need to supply your own dovetail plate to mount your optical tube on the Voyager.

The Voyager's adjustable height two-section aluminum tripod legs have pointed tips for a solid stance on dirt or grass. Damping time is very short, for steady images, even while tracking. All fittings on the legs are aluminum. There are no flimsy plastic hinges to break or crack in use. The length of the legs can be adjusted to set the height of the centerline of the dovetail slot in the mounting plate to between approximately 33.5" and 47.75" high. This lets you choose the most comfortable seated observing position. The knobs that lock the tripod legs at the desired height are thoughtfully placed on the inside of the legs, so they can't snag clothing or scrape shins in the dark. A bubble level is built into the tripod head. A three-legged folding spreader bar assembly holds the aluminum legs firmly open, but lets them be closed quickly and simultaneously for transport when you're finished observing by simply lifting up on the hinged center of the spreader bar assembly. The spreader bar will accept any of a number of optional accessory trays. A set of tools (4mm and 6mm hex head wrenches for the altitude arm and control knobs and a triangular flat metal key for the friction adjustment knobs) are supplied with the Voyager.

An optional eyepiece tray (ATVTRAY) is available to hold up to five 1.25" and three 2" eyepieces close at hand conveniently within a few inches of the azimuth slow motion control knob. The tray also serves the dual purpose of providing some additional weight to help balance very heavy scopes (although the very well-balanced and stable Voyager needs no counterweight to handle payloads weighing up to 20 pound without any danger of tipping).

The complete Astro-Tech Voyager mount and tripod assembly weighs only 13.75 lbs, yet has a true 20 pound payload capacity, more than most other altazimuth mounts, even those considerably more expensive. Compare features, payload, and price. Why pay more for less performance? The Astro-Tech Voyager is a clear cut above the others.