Designed to provide a portable yet steady platform for refractor optical tube assemblies (OTAs) with apertures up to 5", Tele Vue Gibraltar HD5 Alt-Az Mount for Telescopesfeatures a Gibralter head and a custom-designed Berlebach ash wood tripod that has large bearing surfaces and thick legs that can handle heavier loads with greatly reduced vibration, especially when viewing at high power. The legs raise the altitude axis from 3.5 to 5 feet and markings on the legs allow for repeatable setting to preferred heights. A wood accessory tray ties the legs together for rigidity, and a built-in pier not only adds extra height to provide a more comfortable viewing position for the user, it allows the OTA to be aimed at or near the zenith without hitting the tripod. A bubble level is integrated into the tripod base and metal ground spikes with rubber tips are provided to give it added stability on soft ground.

Gibralter Head    Recommended for OTAs up to 5"    Manual Alt-Az Mount    Mini-Pier Adds Overall Height    Integrated Bubble Level    Berlebach Ash Wood Tripod    Adjustable from 3.5 to 5'    Wooden Accessory Tray    Rubber-Tipped Spiked Tripod Legs    Height Markers Printed on Legs

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. I'm considering purchasing a TeleVue 90-Degree Everbrite 2 Mirror Diagonal for my Celestron 8 HD OTA. Do I need the TeleVue Schmidt Cassegrain Adapter functionality to connect the two?

A: Yes, you will need the adapter. You can go with the long or short SCT adapter. I use the short adapter with my 8 and the long with my 12 SCT.

Q: 2. Specs say: "Payload Capacity 44 lb / 19.96 kg (without Counterweight)" Does that mean I can add more payload if I install a counterweight?

A: So the Counterweight is meant for balancing, so it can move smoothly and track accurately without unwanted vibration or putting additional wear and tear on the motors. It does not add on extra Payload for more weight to the Mount/Tripod.

Q: 3. Can you recommend a compatible focal reducer for this scope?

A: Alpine Astronomical Alan Gee Mark II Telecompressor BH #ALAGII • MFR #AGII https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1403600-REG/alpine_astronomical_agii_alan_gee_mark_ii.html

Q: 4. How will this lens perform with the Celestron 1100 CPC Goto?

A: @ 2800mm of Focal length on the C11 you would be off the chart at almost 600X magnification. Way too much. Televue recommends not higher than 350X magnification. So the 8mm version would fit the bill better.

Q: 5. Is astigmatism an issue with Nagler zoom, which result in very small exit pupil dimensions? I hope not to wear eyeglasses, due to only 10mm eye relief on this zoom. Thanks.

A: As one can see reading the reviews on the Tele Vue Nagler Planetary 3-6mm Zoom Eyepiece (1.25"), there does not appear to be an astigmatism issue. Users with glasses say the eye relief works for them.

Q: 6. Does "package weight" mean total optical tube weight with included diagonal and finder scope?

A: The " Package weight" for the Explore Scientific FirstLight 152mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope includes the items listed " In the Box" the telescope's OTA, the Eyepiece, the Red-Dot Finder, the 2" 90° Star Diagonal with Reducer Adapter, the Universal Smartphone Digiscoping Adapter, and the Cradle Ring Assembly.

Q: 7. What is the inside distance between yoke arms? I would be mounting an AT-72edii. Thanks!

A: Altazimuth head with handle. Cradle will hold TeleVue scopes up to the TV-85. Not for TV-101, Renaissance, or TV-102. Friction locks in altitude and azimuth allow user to adjust the mount drag for smoothest operation and for balancing the scope. Pre-drilled to accept optional TeleVue Sky Tour computer encoders. 1/4"-20 thread and 3/8" thread holes allow it to mount on any photo tripod legs (not recommended for mounting onto a photo tripod's pan head). The Tele-Pod can also be used with other brands of small refractors. However, the internal width between the vertical sides of the Tele-Pod yoke measures only 5.25", so the maximum width of the mounting rings of another brand of telescope must be smaller than this measurement. In addition, the buyer should keep in mind that the fore-and-aft mounting platform dimension of the yoke is limited and would require a user-supplied adapter plate to install dual mounting rings on the single 1/4"-20 hole available in the Tele-Pod yoke.

Q: 8. I am new to this. please can you help me understand what is the difference between this go compared to the EQ6 one which is much cheaper?

A: The EQ6 is an EQ mount only but the AZ-EQ6 is both an EQ mount and an Alt Az mount. It can be reconfigured to a more basic alt-azimuth mount for fast observation sessions.

Q: 9. Will this work from a Leica Rangemaster CRF 2800.com to a Google Pixel 2?

A: The Tele Vue FoneMate Universal Digiscoping Adapter will fit your Google Pixel 2 phone but it has not been tested on a range finder.

Q: 10. I am on Lat=1 degree, can can I do polar alignment with AZ-EQ6?

A: You would need to move 4 degrees North. It needs to be at 5 degrees up to 65. This also works -5 to -65, just not those 10 degrees in the middle or too far north.