Northmere Garth GoTo alt-az mount, with carbon fiber tripod
GoTo alt-az · 8 kg payload · 6.4 kg head
$1,799
Catalog preview. Not available for purchase.
- Support
- With carbon fiber tripod
- Add-on
- Portable power pack
- Finish
- Anodized red
- Edition
- 2026 edition
Specifications
| Mount design | Alt-azimuth fork with GoTo drive |
|---|---|
| Payload capacity | 8 kg |
| Mount head weight | 6.4 kg |
| Control | Hand control with backlit display, keypad, and serial port |
| Tracking | Two-axis motorised alt-az tracking at sidereal rate |
| Power | 12 V DC, 2 A peak |
| Saddle | Vixen-style, accepts bars up to 60 mm wide |
| Support | With carbon fiber tripod |
| Add-on | Portable power pack |
| Finish | Anodized red |
| Edition | 2026 edition |
Description
The Garth is a GoTo alt-azimuth mount for telescopes and binoculars with a combined load of up to 8 kg. It moves in altitude and azimuth, driven by two stepper motors that follow the sky. Because an alt-az mount tracks along two axes, the field slowly rotates when you observe at high magnification. That rotation is a property of the design, so you can keep objects centred by making shorter observing sessions or by turning the eyepiece.
After a two-star or three-star alignment, the handset slews the mount to any of more than 40,000 stored objects, including planets, Messier and NGC entries, and user-defined waypoints. Slew speeds are set in several steps on the handset, and a fine-speed setting lets you centre a target in the eyepiece without touching the tube. A serial connection on the hand control lets you link the mount to a computer running planetarium software, which can send coordinates for targets outside the internal catalogue.
The head weighs 6.4 kg, so use a pier or a tripod rated well above the payload, because a light support transmits wind and footfall into the image. The Vixen-style saddle accepts dovetail bars up to 60 mm wide, and two lock knobs clamp the bar against the head. Keep the total load, including diagonal, eyepiece, finder, and any camera, below 8 kg for steady tracking.
Power comes from a 12 V DC supply that draws up to 2 A during slews and about 0.4 A while tracking. You can run the mount from a 12 V lead-acid battery for several hours of observing, which suits remote sites. Turn off the motors before you move the mount by hand, since forcing the head against an active drive can damage the gears.
About this configuration
The Northmere Garth GoTo alt-az mount is sold in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular one includes. The carbon fiber tripod saves weight for travel while still damping vibration well at moderate magnification. Carbon fiber legs stay comfortable to handle on cold nights, since they conduct less heat away from your hands than metal. The portable power pack runs the motors of the mount through a full night away from mains power.
The anodized red finish makes the clamps and knobs easier to find by touch and by red light. This is the 2026 edition, the most recent version of the Garth line in the catalog. For steady views, keep the total load of tube, finder, and camera below the rated payload with some margin to spare.
What's in the box
- Alt-az GoTo mount head with Vixen-style saddle
- Hand control with coiled cable
- Serial cable
- Tripod adapter
- 12 V DC power cable
- Accessory tray
- Carbon fiber tripod with accessory tray
- 12 V lithium power pack with cable
Compatibility notes
- Accepts Vixen-style dovetail bars up to 60 mm wide.
- The 3/8-16 base thread fits most photo tripods and pier adapters.
- Suits telescopes and binoculars with a combined load up to 8 kg.