Motor Drive?

[joshbe]

I have an Orion Spaceprobe 130 reflector telescope, and I was wondering If I should get a motor drive. I know that I need to upgrade my mount (the EQ2 is annoying to use, the locks don't lock, the slow motion cables don't work, etc.), but I was thinking about getting a drive, too. Can anyone help me on any other tripod items I might need?<br />Thanks <br />heres my telescope:<br />http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=382&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=4&iSubCat=8&iProductID=382

 

[frostbrewed]

You may want to try e-mailing the staff at Orion. They are usually pretty helpful with things like this and from my experience, they don't try to sell you stuff that you don't need.<br />....................................................................Daniel

 

[bbrock]

I agree with frostbrewed. You need to start by contacting Orion. They are a great company and will provide great support. <br /><br />Yes, you can install clock drives on this telescope. However, the drives attach to the post that the slow motion hand controls are attached to. So first you need to have the locks engage and the slow motion worm gears working. This is why you need to contact Orion.<br /><br />The down side of the Spaceprobe mount is there is no provision for a polar alignment scope. You can still rough polar align the scope for observation, and this will be perfectly suitable for this purpose. However, for astrophotography, rough polar alignment will not work well. <br /><br />I suggest you only install the Right Ascention clock drive. The Declination is best left with the hand control. I baught the RA and DEC clock drives for the AstroView Mount and found the DEC drive slow to respond with lots of slip. I removed the DEC drive and re-installed the hand control. Once you are polar aligned and tracking an object, the RA drive is the only motor involved. Slight DEC adjustments are more easily and quickly done by hand. <br /><br />Last of all, I suggest you upgrade mounts to one with a polar alignment scope.<br /><br />Clear Skies<br />Bill