TheSkySearchers

FIELD TEST: THE NOH CT-20 ALT-AZ MOUNT
by WilliamPaolini

Fig 1: Close up of the NoH CT-20 Alt-Az (Altitude-Azimuth) mount configured with a Vixen-style saddle. Image Credit: Author. 1. OVERVIEW [NOTE - This product evaluation was conducted in 2021]. The NoH CT-20 Alt-Az (altitude-Azimuth) mount is a product offering that is designed, manufactured, and sold...
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I have seen this mount on Ebay but at $650 was not tempted to test it myself. Thanks for doing this BillP.

I've looked at this mount a time or two, but somewhat dismissed it due to lack of slo-mo control, but may need to take another look. Thanks for the comprehensive review and opinion.

SpyderwerX wrote: ↑Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:40 pm I've looked at this mount a time or two, but somewhat dismissed it due to lack of slo-mo control, but may need to take another look. Thanks for the comprehensive review and opinion.

I had the same attitude and never gave an alt-az without slo-mo controls consideration. This one though really changed my opinion on that as even at 600x all movements where so precise and could control things in the FOV just as well as my slo-mo experiences...if not a little better actually since did not have to think about movements along 2 discrete axes like when using slo-mo controls. So was more intuitive.

Thank you for the excellent review Bill, If I decide to move up to a higher capacity Az/ Alt mount I will definitely keep this in mind.

SpyderwerX wrote: ↑Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:40 pm I've looked at this mount a time or two, but somewhat dismissed it due to lack of slo-mo control, but may need to take another look. Thanks for the comprehensive review and opinion.

It look nicely done and has plenty of capacity for my OTAs, but I prefer mounts with slo-mo too, at least so far. Adding encoders is a powerful incentive to consider one though.

I have always preferred slo-mo controls also. This is however the first mount without where I did not miss them.

WilliamPaolini wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:49 pm I have always preferred slo-mo controls also. This is however the first mount without where I did not miss them.

Interesting!

pakarinen wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:51 pm

WilliamPaolini wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:49 pm I have always preferred slo-mo controls also. This is however the first mount without where I did not miss them.

Interesting!

I was actually quite surprised, especially since I found that even at extreme magnifications (600x) I was having no issues whatsoever not having slo-mo controls.

Have you by chance tried changing EPs while on one target?

I wanted to love my SV M1C - it was a thing of beauty - but I could never get the friction right and I had to clamp down when changing EPs which knocked the FOV off target. I will not rule out that it was just me being a klutz, but it added a level of frustration to observing.

I don't know about the M1C, but I hear good things about the M2C. I was actually going to compare the NOH mount to the SV M2C and was borrowing one from a friend, but it got lost in shipment and never arrived :-(

Amazing review as always Bill!

Had not seen this review til today.

I must add that while I love the idea of something around $700 that can hold and be deemed compatible to larger medium sized telescopes, I do not like the push and pull on the telescope. Doing this with ES127 on AVX as the DX is underloaded with the 204 f5.9 has been sketch at best but doing the same as this reviewed mount but AVX has added features as tracking and goto.