This mount is a great value. I bought it for a 4" refractor for public viewings. I was looking for a mount that was inexpensive and not easily damaged. I got that and more.
With the 4" it is amazingly stable. I suspect this was modeled off the original Vixen Polaris. I own one and they sure look similar.

Overall Rating: 8
Performance:7 Ease of Use:8 Value:10
Weight: 36
Date: 09/14/2008 02:08:11 pm PST

Replies: 0

I picked mine up for less than $250. I already have a 14", 6", and 80mm. This has to be the most fun I have every had with a scope. It is easy to use, relatively easy to transport, and it performs better than I expected. No, in the sense of quality, this is not a great scope, but it has to be one of the best values out there.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:6 Mount:6 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 36
Date: 03/03/2008 04:23:29 pm PST

Replies: 0

I picked this up from a sale at Orion for around $130.00. I have been able to use it a few times at both f/6 and f/4.7. It is great. I tried it on a range of objects from M31, to a comet, to he double double. Each time its performance was on target. No problems with CA at the edge. I ran it along side a 7mm Ortho and a 7mm Seibert. It clearly out performed the Seibert. Image wise it appeared to keep up with the Otho...and of course, it had a much better fov than the Ortho.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Value:10
Weight: 36
Date: 11/08/2007 09:28:41 pm PST

Replies: 0

Based upon Paul Hart's review I waited until the price at Orion dipped and bought mine for around $179.00. I am extremely happy with it in both my Nighthawk and my 14" f4.7. The stars are crisp to the edge. No CA. Nice flat field to the edge. Other than weight and price, I can see no difference between it and Panoptic.

So I repeat Paul's advice. Wait until the price drops. When it does, grab one.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 30
Date: 10/22/2006 04:03:15 pm PST

Replies: 0

This is a decent GEM that I use with my Nighthawk when I want something a little firmer than my camera tripod. My Polaris mount was too much for the 80mm, so I went a step lighter with the EQ 2. Frankly, I got more than I expected. The GEM is certainly superior to the one I got with my Criterion RV-4 years ago. The mount arrived with pre-drilled holes to accept rings (I had wondered if I would need an adapter). I expected the worst with the tripod, but the vibes dampen out in safely under 2 seconds. With the Mighthawk, there is very little play or backlash in the mount. It comes with a metal tray that I do not use because it messes with the portability. It is certainly not made by Vixen, but if it was, I wouldn't have been able to afford it for a while.

There are negatives. It comes with the usual black tar. The tripod is too short for my 6'3" frame. For my needs, it actually comes with too many adjustments. This can be a problem at night when I grab the wrong knob. I will probably replace a few of them with bolts. I also had problems getting my Nighthawk to balance. This was more of an issue with the design of the Nighthawk than it was the mount. There was wasn't enough scope to slide through the rings to achieve balance with a 2" diagnol and EP.

But for anyone needing a light-weight, inexpensive mount, I recommend it without hesitation.

Overall Rating: 7
Performance:7 Ease of Use:5 Value:8
Weight: 21
Date: 07/25/2006 04:36:24 pm PST

Replies: 0