Review - Takahashi Teegul Mount v2 w/ Lapides Modification & Eyepiece Tray

The Takahashi Teegul v2 w/ Lapides Modification is a high-quality altitude-azimuth mount.

Specifications

Structure:  Aluminum [soft and hard] w/ anodized finish on various parts

Payload:  Standard Takahashi plate or 3rd-party dovetail plate system compatible

Weight:  ~ 7 lb. [3.2  kg]

Tripod Connectivity:  via optional 3/8"-16 attachment screw

Loading Capacity:  ~ 15 lb. [6.8 kg]

Operational Parameters

Pointing:  Push-to manually-sighted

Tracking:  Machined aluminum control knobs for precise slow-motion adjustmentMoving Speed:  At-will

Altitude Range:  0°-90°

Balancing:  Counterweight-free

Polar Alignment:  Not required

Introduction

I bought my first serious telescope and mount in 1997 - a Takahashi FS-78 fluorite doublet apochromat refractor and a Vixen Great Polaris equatorial mount. Both were light years ahead of the Tasco 60mm I had kept and used since childhood [not kidding!].

One of the many outstanding improvements of the new set-up was the stability and freedom to move and track objects accurately between the horizon and zenith. From the start, everything worked so smoothly that I was afraid something was about to go wrong.  Was the dovetail bar attached firmly to the mount? Did I tighten the tension enough on the RA and Dec quick-release levers? Were the counterweight screws too loose? I had to stop and take a deep breath.

I liken the experience as being similar to first dates, where all of your energy is focused on getting to know the other person better and figuring out whether or not things have a chance of progressing. For my part, it was love at first sight... that is, the first time I pointed the Takahashi at Messier 6, turned the rack-and-pinion focuser, and SNAP! Suddenly, I could see my future before me. I would spend countless nights with my new love under the stars.  We were made for each other. Everything made sense.

And yet, over the next few months, I began to notice that the frequency of my jaunts outside tapered off in spite of my unyielding enthusiasm for astronomy. What was causing me to forego the desire to see and experience something new and wonderful over and over again? I began to have doubts. Was I going through a phase or was I really committed to making this work?

After thinking it over, I decided to try writing down some of the reasons why I was avoiding using my telescope and mount to see if anything came to mind. Almost immediately, the answer scribbled out:

"I don't like how much time and effort it takes to set-up my equipment." Really? Was that it? Sure, I had to take the mount to the back door, prop open the screen door, negotiate the tripod legs through the opening, some-what polar align the mount, go back inside and grab the OTA, eyepieces, and counterweights, go back outside and connect and balance everything - but that's pretty much it. Wait... I kept writing: "and then I have to do it all again - in reverse." Ah, there it is... my limit. It was too much hassle to set-up and later break-down. The observing part was fine.

Around that time, Takahashi released their 1st generation Teegul Mount: a small, lightweight alt-az and a perfect match for my next telescope - the Takahashi FCT-76. And, it was lime-green too.

Functionally, I loved everything about it; especially, the freedom of portability and ease of use - no polar aligning, no counterweights and balancing, no tripod mounted accessory tray. It moved my telescope with fluidity and purpose. And for the first time, I could surf, not slew, the Milky Way with a wide-field eyepiece. But there was one problem inherent with its design: the swing-arm was highly sensitive to vibrations. After several frustrating sessions, I pulled the Vixen GP back out of the box.

Design

When the original Teegul Mount was first released, it held out all the promise of being a quick set-up/break-down observing platform wrapped in elegant portability; but unfortunately, it failed to deliver operationally. Thankfully, in 2004 Richard Lapides made a significant modification that eliminated all deficiencies found in the original design.

The 2nd generation Teegul Mount with Lapides Modification [TMLM] is far more rigid than the 1st, and I detect no appreciable vibrations from movement after approximately 1.5 seconds. When mounted on the Takahashi VB Metal Tripod, the TMLM is extremely stable. On windy nights, it's kind of a toss-up as to when the mount settles down, but usually an additional second is needed.

I've also made sure to reasonably tighten all screws that securely thread into the mount from the tube holder and eyepiece tray to eliminate unnecessary vibrations.

Properly balancing your telescope is all the difference between success and failure with the Teegul. When I first received mine, I had my latest Takahashi refractor, the FSQ-85ED, mounted with the clam-shell tube holder screwed directly into the mount, but I quickly learned that this would not keep the rear end of the telescope from dropping down if a heavier visual accessory or eyepiece were used; specifically, the TeleVue 21mm Ethos.  To compensate for this imbalance, I purchased a Takahashi offset plate designed for the Baby-Q which allows the tube holder to be moved forward about 5 inches, centering the focuser directly on the Teegul's mounting plate.  While the offset plate works - it does so very precariously.  Balance can only be maintained by spreading the heaviest parts of the telescope farther apart due to the fact that the offset plate cannot be moved.  But spreading has its limits.  For example:  if I add or remove the 21mm Ethos, the point of balance moves backward and forward, but the telescope remains fixed and unbalanced.  This leaves two really bad options:

1.  Move the lens cell and dew shield farther out front when the 31mm Nagler or 21mm Ethos is attached by loosening the clam-shell tube holder and sliding the OTA forward [which destabilizes the whole system], or

2.  Stop using these eyepieces.

Both options were unacceptable.

Modifications

If there's a necessity in positioning the OTA off-center to achieve balance, then a better solution would be to utilize a dovetail saddle and plate system. Fortunately, FarpointAstro makes a 6" Dovetail Saddle and 7" Plate for Takahashi Mounts.

The Takahashi FSQ-85ED is now as near to being perfectly balanced as can be achieved, and this in turn allows for the mount to be repositioned using only one hand. Once the push-to has been completed, the mount smoothly tracks the sky via the altitude and azimuth slow-motion control knobs.

This type of mount design also allows the user to "surf" the sky quickly, which is a non-technical term I use to describe the ability to move at a pace that exceeds the slew rates found with manually guided equatorial mount designs. The benefit is the ability to discover the morphology and composition of our Milky Way Galaxy more broadly - especially if a low-power, wide-field eyepiece is used.

The Lapides Eyepiece Tray [LET] is another beautifully thought out addition to the TMLM. Acting as a counterweight to balance whatever load you place on the business end of the mount, and machined and anodized to perfection, you can conveniently add up to three 2" and six 1.25" eyepieces or accessories. Two 5mm screws attach the LET to the TMLM via the mounting block located near the azimuth control knob.

A Pelican Case 1560 will provide the proper protection for road and air travel.

Observing

Utilizing the 2nd generation TMLM since October 2013, I can report that the mount has performed flawlessly as spec'd with no failures of any kind. In fact, I actually have to say that the engineering of this mount is such an improvement over the 1st generation's design that they really shouldn't share the same name. As an example, my main complaint with the 1st generation model was the length of the settle down time with vibrations. When I turn the control knobs on the 2nd generation, the system moves smoothly with resistance until I stop, and the image area remains fixed. That's it. I can bump the rig to simulate a hard wind but the TMLM wants none of it.

Repositioning, pointing, and tracking objects does involve a systematic routine that one learns through usage and muscle memory.  

First, identify the object you want to view.  

Second, while holding the telescope mount rings [clamshell if a Takahashi] or Lapides Eyepiece Tray, release the azimuth axis' "all-stop" set screw to turn the telescope along the horizontal axis in the direction of the object until you're roughly aligned with it.  

*Note - make sure to also hold the base of the mount so that it does not spin counter-clockwise off the thread screw that connects to your tripod.  

Third, re-tighten the azimuth axis' "all-stop" set screw.  

Fourth, again while holding the telescope mount rings or clamshell, release the altitude axis' "all-stop" set screw to move vertically toward the object.  I typically sight the object by looking along the telescope OTA until it lies off the end of the dew shield.  

Fifth, re-tighten the altitude axis' "all-stop" set screw.  

Sixth, use the slow-motion control knobs to improve pointing and attempt to view the object using a low-power eyepiece.  

Seventh, once the object is visible, continue working the slow-motion control knobs until it becomes centered, then swap eyepieces best suited for the object.

Alternatives

Are there other altitude-azimuth mounts of similar or greater quality that you should consider?

The DiscMounts DM-4 and DM-6 models are well made alternatives to alt-az mounts like the TMLM.

The discontinued Half Hitch Telescope series of mounts intrigued me due to their high build quality.

Sky-Watcher's AZ-EQ5 or AZ-EQ6 SynScan GoTo mounts are well engineered computer driven models that can be controlled remotely using Simulation Curriculum's SkyFi III WiFi-to-Serial adapter, that connects directly to the onboard SynScan controller and broadcasts over an 802.11 wireless network to a mobile device or computer running the SkySafari software. The mount has a dual-OTA mode that can carry telescopes on either side of the drive system, which is why I'll be buying one to carry both the Sky-Watcher Starlux 190MN Mak-Newt and the FSQ-85ED.

Pegasus Astro's NYX-101 and Rainbow Astro's RST-135 uses a strain wave gear for counterweight-less operation in both alt-az and equatorial modes. This novel design is not inexpensive but certainly beneficial from a weight saving perspective.

Priced ~ $700 USD plus $455 for the Lapides Eyepiece Tray.