Explore Scientific FirstLight EXOS Nano Mount - FL-EXOSNANOT1-00

This is a very nice mount--easy to set up, easy to use, smooth, well-made. Very light weight and easy to handle, but strong-- just what is needed for a grab-and-go scope. At the price, it is an incredible bargain. Works well with my ES 102mm FCD 100 refractor, which weighs in at 12 lbs (including cradle, diagonal, etc). Two issues: (1) there is a design glitch: the RA slow motion control knob and arm sticks far out on the west side of the mount. This interferes with the telescope when it is on the west side of the mount and observing objects near the zenith. Fix is easy: just go to the hardware store and buy a knob with a 6mm or 1/4" bore. Make sure it has a set screw and then just attach it in place of the supplied RA control knob and arm. (2) the supplied counterweight is just 3.125 lbs. It will only balance a scope of about 4 1/2 lbs, though the mount is rated for 12 lb scopes. You'll need to purchase additional counterweights if your scope is more than 4 1/2 lb. Explore does sell these at $29 each. For those interested in a nice carrying case, try the Neweer 28"x8"x8"/70x20x20cm tripod bag (about $27 from Amazon). Padded, lots of room for the tripod, spreader, slow motion controls, even the equatorial head (which I put in a padded bag for extra protection). I am in the process of adding a clock drive to the mount, which is turning out to be a bit trickier than I thought it would be. I'll post an update on that when I get it working.