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MiniTower II
MiniTower II
 
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Product Code: 8300-2G
Discontinued

Description Technical Specs Support Documents
 
This mount is discontinued.

The MiniTower II ... The next generation MiniTower.

Accurate GoTo and Tracking The MiniTower II has the same advanced SmartStar GoTo technology as the original-- but with enhanced encoders and firmware. The MiniTower II hand controller offers a superb navigation experience with an 8 line LCD back-lit display, an over 120,000 object database and a USB port for easy connection with ASCOM compliant PC planetarium programs. With a typical GoTo accuracy of 1 arc minute and the GoToNova precision auto-tracking, the MiniTower II will consistently bring the celestial object of your choice to the center of the eye-piece and keep tracking for hours.

30 lbs. of Payload Born out of the popular iOptron Cube, the MiniTower II is the ultimate observing solution for people who are searching for a capable and portable GoTo telescope mount to counter light pollution in their backyards and for travel convenience. With a standard payload of 30 lbs, a rock solid 1.5-inch alloy/stainless steel tripod, metal worm and gear and two dovetail adaptors-- the MiniTower II is capable of handling most OTAs.

Extremely Portable With all the standard components (excluding the tripod) packaged in an alloy metal case, the MiniTower II can easily be carried around in a car trunk or as an airline luggage. The whole system takes about 10 minutes to assemble. This unlimited portability, combined with the internal GPS, gives amateur astronomers extreme flexibility in selecting an observing location.

Additional Unique Features Powered with other features such as automatic over-current protection, automatic clutch protection for both axes, easy 3-point level adjustment, dual scope setup with two dovetails and much more,
Features
  • Lightweight Altazimuth computerized GOTO mount
  • Dia-cast aluminum body
  • Dual scope setup with two dovetails
  • Payload: 30 lbs. (primary) + 10 lbs (secondary)
  • Metal gear and worm
  • DC servomotor with high precision optical encoder on both axes
  • Resolution: 0.1 Arc Second
  • GOTONOVA® accurate GOTO and auto-tracking
  • 8401 hand controller with USB port for firmware upgrade and computer control
  • The largest LCD screen on the market with 8 lines and 21-characters with backlit
  • Over 120,000 object database with 256 user-defined objects
  • 9-speed motor control
  • Automatic over-current protection and clutch protection for both axes
  • Manual push-to for both axes
  • Built-in precision level indicator
  • 3-Point easy level adjustment
  • Retractable counterweight shaft
  • 1.5 inch/2 inch heavy-duty stainless steel tripod legs
  • HBX ports for iOptron auxiliary components
  • Built-in 32-channel GPS receiver
  • Comes standard with: counterweight, AC adaptor, USB cable and Hard Case
  • Optional PowerWeightTM battery pack
  • Optional pier/Tri-pier
  • Two year limited warranty
Average Rating: Average Rating: 2.5 of 5 2.5 of 5 Total Reviews: 3 Write a review »


  1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 
1 of 5 Avoid Mini towers May 4, 2017
Reviewer: Paul from Hemel hempstead, Hertfordshire United Kingdom  
I purchased the Mini tower 2 as a quick grab and go.
This product is by far the worst astro purchase i have ever made.
Backlash and general poor quality of the mechanism is astounding, put any small refractor on it and there is atleast 3mm movement.
As im an EQ mount owner i know the importance of setting up correctly etc.
Follow the aligning process and fun starts there.
System could not hit barn doors 10 feet infront of it.
If you can get it to accept the alignment try selecting a target and its not in field of view.
Logged a support case for 2&3 star alignment that when you complete it the mount head just rotates 360 degrees non stop or just keeps drifting. Case was never resolved.
Try and point to a target manually and the mount fights your command and moves as set amount away from object.
I ahte the product so much i have never used since and would sell it if i could find someone who wanted it.
Def not worth £900 its really only good as a door stop.


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  1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 
5 of 5 from a happy minitower II user September 15, 2015
Reviewer: Edwin Wisse from Steenwijkerwold, - Netherlands  
I have been using the minitower 2 for about 4 years now.
In my experience it is a very convenient, fast and precise mount. The telescope i use on the minitower is a C8. I have never experienced the problems mentioned by the other reviewer. Once the telescope is balanced and the elevation axis fastened the telescope never, ever swings or drops. I assume the other reviewer has not fixed the elevation axis well before observing.
Precision: most of the time i use the "sync to target" method. I select a star nearby an object i want to find. The adjust the pointing of the scope so that it is in the center. After this all objects near the original pointing star are within the eyepiece field of view.
I only use two star align when i want to observe objects far apart over the night sky (because the simple "sync to target" method is so accurate). In my experience the mount brings all objects within the eyepiece field without exception.
I am puzzled why the other reviewer is so negative.

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  0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 
1 of 5 Minitower II . Disappointing. Overpriced. August 9, 2015
Reviewer: Giancarlo Gotta from Alessandria, Italy  
It's not it does not work properly. True is it lacks some precision sleaving beyond 100x - aimed objects are not in the eyepiece field, but they are in the finder field and that's fine anyway. Double star list is different in the manual and in the system.
But the very real weak spot it that it definitively cannot be use for a C8 or a Visac VMC200L, nor a 4.5" f7 APO, despite the fact all these OTA are light and short and well within stated weight limits. Clutches simply disengage when target is aimed and telescope moves, so your tube is thrown back and forth and you risk to have it fallen on the ground.
Nothing larger than a 6" f5 Newton can be used and the OTA has to be carefully balanced for this purpose, so Minitower II it's largely overpriced and overconsidered.
Given limitations, it's not worthy more tha 600 $.

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