The dream of adventurous “travel astronomers” appears to come true with the introduction of the Acuter Traverse alt-azimuth GoTo mount. The compact motorized mount head, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, weighs just 2.13 kg together with the included lightweight photo tripod. Even with a telescope weighing up to 2.5 kg added, the complete setup can be kept under 5 kg.
The mount is suitable for carrying short-tube telescopes fitted with a Vixen-standard dovetail bar, with apertures of approximately 8–10 cm.
The Acuter Traverse alt-azimuth GoTo mount can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet via cable, WiFi or Bluetooth. After a quick alignment procedure, the free-to-download Acuter Sky app allows you to easily select the objects you wish to observe, which the mount will automatically slew to and track.
Power can be supplied by 4 AA batteries (not included) inserted into the battery compartment built into the mount head, or via an external DC 5–6.5V USB-C connection, for example from an optional power bank.
The mount head can trigger image capture through its SNAP port, but only in astronomy mode.
The included lightweight photo tripod attaches to the mount head via a 3/8" tripod thread. Its legs can be individually angled and extended in 3 sections. A bubble level on the mount head helps with levelling. With the legs opened but retracted, the mount stands 78 cm high; with the legs fully extended, it reaches 160 cm. It is easy to carry in the included fabric case.