iOptron MiniTower II GoTo Mount with GPS, 30 lb Load Limit

2016-01-07T06:40:00

I was looking for a mount easy to setup, portable with very good payload capability to enjoy the night sky while I was taking pictures with my big German equatorial mount , and The ioptron mini tower II IS REALLY GOOD ALT AZ mount,the construction of the Mount looks very well made, is very sturdy, the tripod legs are stainless steel 1.5 in in diameter, well constructed providing a very stable platform for the telescopes, it comes with a built in GPS, the pointing accuracy and tracking are absolutely fantastic,( as long as the alignment to the South and leveling are correct),the hand control has a huge database over 130,000 objects With a very friendly interphase, is very intuitive, and straight forward. Anyone can use it, in just a couple minutes you will be controlling this mount without any problems. I am really impressed with the performance of this mount, is amazing the relationship between the payload and the light weight of this mount, which makes it extremely portable, it comes with an aluminum case, everything fits inside perfectly, except the tripod and the counter weight. It can be powered by 8 AA batteries not included ,having no cables hanging around is priceless, it comes with an AC adapter, which works from 110 Volts to 240V, also comes with a cable to power it with your car battery through the cigarette lighter. And there is an optional rechargeable power counter weight, sold separately with all this options makes it usable Worldwide, Also comes with a USB cable to connect the hand control to a computer. For firmware updates and to be able to control it with a computer. Also is possible to control the mount with the skysafar proi app on the iPad or iphone, using the skyfi Wi-Fi Adapter not included. It comes with a extra sadle to be used instead of the counterweight allowing you to mount two telescopes at the same time, I tried the mount with one SCT C8 on one side and one 80mm APO refractor on the other side, and the performance was amazing!! Having the opportunity to see a wide view and a "closeup " at the same time is fantastic!!, two persons can be observing at the same time to the same object with different perspectives. .the only thing I dislike there is no "holder" to place the hand control, it has a small strap to hang the control on one side of the head. Which is really annoying specially in the darkness, if there is wind blowing and the hand control is hanging on the mount, the control slams against the mount, that design is really impractical . But can be corrected with some Velcro. I solved the problem By making one support with a 3D printer, (if you need one just let me know). and it works fantastic, the other problem I had, was the spirit level came completely off, fortunately I managed to correct it, and now is working perfectly, overall I am really pleased with this mount, if you are looking for a mount easy to transport, light weight easy to setup less than 5minutes, with great performance this is it!!, with this mount you will not go wrong, remember the best scope is the one that can be used frequently.

GERARDO S.