Telescope mounts have a big impact on how you can use your telescope. Dobsonian mounts are often recommended for beginners, but Equatorial mounts are preferred for astrophotography.
Dobsonian mounts are very intuitive and easy to use, they require no setup and you get a lot of aperture with a low budget. Equatorial mounts are the best mounts for astrophotography because of the movement of the celestial bodies. The war rages on which is best for the beginner.
I surveyed 49 astronomers in my favorite astronomy facebook group and the results made me laugh!
I asked them which mount they had for their first scope.
There are two main types of mounts, Equatorial, often called EQ and Alt/Az, the most popular type being Dobsonian. The 49 astronomers who responded to the poll resulted in an almost perfect split:
25 said they started with an EQ mount while 24 said they had an Alt/Az.
So if the opinions are so split, how do you choose?
There were a few insightful comments from the poll, many people start with Dobsonian or Alt/Az and eventually upgrade. Eventually meaning a year later or 20 years later.
So, just because many astronomers are now using an EQ mount does not mean that there is no value in Dobsonian mounts.
These mounts are wonderful for beginners, very affordable and can serve you for years in the hobby. It really just depends on factors that are unique to you and your situation.
I think so many people start with EQ mounts because they are often given as gifts. These low quality scopes on cheap EQ mounts are freely available and they often give people a bad first experience with astronomy. I think the results may speak to the market more than the hobby.
So, if you are considering your first scope, or wondering if you should upgrade, how do you choose?
Look at your situation and how you plan to use the scope.
How to choose a telescope mount
When selecting a mount consider:
How will you use it?
The most important consideration when choosing a telescope mount is if you will be using your telescope for visual observing or astrophotography.
If you know the answer to that question then the answer is simple, for visual choose a Dobsonian and for photography choose an equatorial.
Dobsonians are preferred for visual observing because they are less expensive and they work with reflector telescopes which give you much more aperture for your money than a refractor.
The less expensive Dobsonian mounted telescopes can also be equipped with GoTo motors to track and locate objects. They are also more comfortable to use for visual observing.
Equatorial mounts are more expensive and have a steeper learning curve. They have to be polar aligned and balanced. These mounts are the only mount you will want to use for astrophotography. The position of the eyepiece can be very uncomfortable for visual observing.
Where will you use it?
Traveling with a telescope can be difficult, and if you plan to travel with your scope regularly, you will want one that is easy to set up and tear down.
Dobsonian telescopes require less set up than equatorial mounts that must be polar aligned, level and balanced.
Dobsonian telescopes are also much heavier and larger than most Equatorial mounted telescopes, and this may make them harder to transport.
Transporting a telescope in the car is possible with most set-ups, and if you would like to read more about it you can see how I transport a large Dobsonian in my very small car in this post.
How much can you spend?
Telescope mounts are often the most expensive part of your astronomy gear. If you are on a small budget a Dobsonian mounted reflector telescope will be the best you can get. They are easy to set up and easy to learn.
Equatorial mounts are more expensive, but also more flexible. These mounts can hold a variety of telescopes. One, high quality, equatorial mount can be the only mount you ever buy. Choose an EQ mount that has the highest weight rating that you can afford. The weight of your gear is the biggest limiting factor of an EQ mount.
Why are Dobsonian Mounts Cheaper than Equatorial Mounts?
Dobsonian mounts are a subtype of Alt/Az mounts, mounts that move left to right and up and down. These mounts are cheaper to manufacture.
Equatorial mounts have more rotating axes and are often built on top of an Alt/Az mount meaning that you are paying for twice the engineering! EQ mounts also have to be balanced and installed on top of a tripod.
Dobsonian mounts are cheaper because of the simplicity of the design. They have two movements and they are placed directly on the ground. The simple design means that the incorporation of things like GoTo computers is also cheaper and simpler.
Dobsonian mounts are also designed to hold reflector telescopes. These scopes use mirrors rather than lenses to collect and focus light. Mirrors are cheaper to manufacture than lenses.
What is the Advantage of an Equatorial Mount?
Equatorial mounts track stars with the most precision of any telescope mount. The advantage becomes evident when taking long exposure photographs of deep sky objects.
These mounts track better partially because of polar alignment. This means that the telescope will be parallel with the axis of the Earth. This makes the movement of the scope mimic the movement of the earth.
EQ mounts are all you are going to want to use when you start imaging.
Almost everyone in the hobby eventually starts imaging, and an EQ mount is the best one for it.
Astrophotography is very possible with a Dobsonian mounted telescope, and some will tell you the EQ mount is unnecessary, the choice is yours.
What is the Advantage of a Dobsonian Mount?
Dobsonian mounts are cheaper and easier to use. They are great for visual observing and they make a great first telescope mount for new astronomers.
The biggest advantage of a Dobsonian mounted reflector telescope is that you will get so much aperture for your money. Aperture determines how bright objects will be when observing them. Dobsonian mounted reflector telescopes are designed to make astronomy accessible and amazing for the lowest possible cost.
While you will still be spending hundreds of dollars on a high quality telescope, getting a 8 or 10 inch Dobsonian reflector will allow you to really see objects like the rings of Saturn, nebulae, and the geography of the moon.
It is captivating.
The Dobsonian mount is very easy to set up and use, so you are more likely to use it!
When getting into astronomy it is so important to avoid getting poor quality equipment. Lower quality equipment is harder to use and often gives the observer poor results. They wind up thinking that astronomy isn’t any fun and they give up.
This is what we call Hobby Killers; equipment that discourages people from continuing in the hobby. Be sure to avoid too good to be true prices on astronomy equipment because you could be buying a hobby killer.
I did some deep digging on less common Hobby Killers in this article, check it out and save yourself!
What is the difference between a Dobsonian and a reflector?
A Dobsonian telescope refers to a scope mounted on a Dobsonian style mount. These telescopes are often reflector telescopes that use mirrors to collect and focus light from the stars and planets. Reflector telescopes mounted on a Dobsonian mount are excellent first telescopes.
Reflector and refractor telescopes both collect and focus light making distant dim objects brighter so they can be observed with the human eye. Reflector telescopes are less expensive to produce, so it is easier to get a high quality telescope on a smaller budget.
John Dobson, the inventor of the Dobsonian mount, encouraged everyone to explore the night sky for themselves. He invented the mount to make astronomy equipment more accessible by bringing down the cost.
What is the difference between a Dobsonina and an Alt/Az?
Alt/Az refers to the Altitude (up and down) and Azimuth (right to left) movement of the telescope mount. There are several kinds of Alt/Az mount. They all move in two directions, right to left and up and down.
Dobsonian mounts are a type of Alt/Az mount. Dobsonian mounts are named after John Dobson who built the first Dobsonian mount as a way to make astronomy more accessible to a larger number of people.
Astronomy equipment is very expensive and John Dobson was very interested in getting more people into the hobby, so he invented a simple mount that could be produced cheaply and even built at home. His invention is the Dobsonian telescope mount.
The Dobsonian telescope mount is the most popular type of Alt/Az mount.
Do I need an Equatorial mount for visual observing?
When considering a mount for visual observing you may wonder if you should just go for an EQ mount so that you do not have to upgrade if you choose to start imaging.
Dobsonian or other Alt/Az mounts have a few advantages over EQ mounts when visual observing.
It is much more comfortable to observe visually with a Dobsonian mount. The position of the eyepiece is designed for a seated observer to use, it is much more ergonomic.
You will get much more aperture with a reflector telescope on a Dobsonian mount. This means that you will collect more light and dim objects will appear brighter to your eye. The aperture of a reflector telescope is the main reason to choose a Dobsonian mounted Reflector telescope for visual observing.
Alt/Az mounts with GoTo computers are great at tracking objects across the sky and they allow for very enjoyable visual observing. EQ mounts with GoTo will provide slightly better tracking, but this may not even be noticeable when observing visually.
The improved tracking becomes apparent when imaging with long exposure. Stars move across the sky and when you are photographing them you need to move the scope across the sky at the same rate as the star so that the image is crisp and not blurry. EQ mounts do this more smoothly than Alt/Az.
EQ mounts offer almost no advantage to Dobsonian mounts when observing visually.
Best Telescope Mount for a Beginner
In my opinion a Dobsonian mount is the best mount for a beginner.
If you start out with an EQ mount, get the absolute best one you can afford. The advantage of EQ mounts is that they can be used with many different scopes, but they must have the weight capacity.
Choose one with the highest weight capacity that you can afford. If you choose to upgrade your optics you will need to have a mount that can support it. It is often said that you should not exceed 50% of the weight limit, so go much bigger than you think you will need.
