Corvane Brackwater GoTo alt-az mount, with steel tripod

Specifications

Description

The Brackwater is a GoTo alt-azimuth mount for telescopes and spotting scopes with a combined load of up to 7 kg. Its motorized altitude and azimuth axes slew to targets from a built-in database of 42,000 objects, so you can select an entry on the hand controller and let the mount carry the telescope to it. Once the object is centered, the mount keeps it in the field through sidereal tracking.

Set up the mount by leveling the tripod, pointing the head roughly north, and entering your latitude, longitude, date, and time on the handset. Two- or three-star alignment corrects for small errors in leveling and orientation, and the mount then applies that model to every goto. Keep the tripod stable, because a flexing base produces a pointing error that the alignment cannot correct.

Because the mount tracks in alt-azimuth, the field of view rotates slowly around the center of the eyepiece over the course of a session. This does not affect visual observing, but long exposures of a few minutes at high magnification will show rotation at the edges of the frame. Shorter sessions and moderate magnification keep the effect small.

The Brackwater head weighs 4.6 kg. Keep the combined load of the optical tube, diagonal, eyepiece, and finder well below the 7 kg rating, and balance the tube on the saddle before you start an alignment. An unbalanced tube strains the drive gears and slows settling after each slew.

Power comes from eight AA batteries in the handset tray or from a 12 V DC input, so the mount can run in a garden or at a remote site without mains supply. Use the handset menu to switch tracking off when you observe terrestrial subjects.

About this configuration

Each configuration of the Corvane Brackwater GoTo alt-az mount uses the same mount head; the options change what it stands on and what ships with it. The steel tripod gives a heavy, stable base that damps vibration quickly after you touch the focuser. A steel tripod adds weight to carry, but it settles fast when the wind picks up during a session. The portable power pack runs the motors of the mount through a full night away from mains power.

Titanium gray anodizing shows dust less than black and keeps a uniform look over the years. This is the 2024 edition, which revised the altitude adjustment and the cable routing of the Brackwater line. Check the saddle type in the specifications against the dovetail bar on your telescope before you choose a configuration.

What's in the box

• Alt-az GoTo mount head with dovetail saddle
• Tripod with leveling base
• Hand controller with coiled cable
• Eight-AA battery tray
• Steel tripod with accessory tray
• 12 V lithium power pack with cable

Compatibility notes

• Accepts dovetail bars up to 50 mm wide.
• The 3/8-16 base thread fits most photo tripods; a 1/4-20 adapter is included.
• Suits telescopes up to about 100 mm aperture and a combined load of 7 kg for steady tracking.