Tessaro Basin 22 EQ mount, with steel pier

Specifications

Description

The Basin 22 is a manual German equatorial mount for telescopes and camera loads up to 22 kg. Its head weighs 14.2 kg, and both axes are graduated, so you can set the right ascension axis toward the celestial pole and then find objects by their coordinates. A counterweight shaft carries balance weights on the opposite side of the head to offset the tube and accessories.

Slow-motion cables on each axis let you follow a target once it is centred in the eyepiece. Within the 22 kg payload, a 200 mm tube settles within a few seconds after focusing, but heavier loads take longer to damp. Tighten both clutches before observing; a loose clutch lets the tube drift under its own weight at high magnification.

The mount has no motors and does not track the sky. Without a drive, stars move across the field at about 15 arcseconds per second, which is 15 arcminutes in one minute. At high power, you will need to correct the position often, so use the cables in short, steady movements rather than pushing the tube by hand.

Polar alignment uses the reticle polar scope built into the right ascension housing. Mount the head on a pier or a tripod rated well above the combined weight of the mount, tube, and counterweights. A 22 kg load on a light tripod will vibrate in wind, and each vibration takes seconds to settle.

Use the Basin 22 for visual observing with a large refractor or catadioptric, or for long-exposure photography with a camera and telephoto lens. Check the total load before each session, including the tube, diagonal, eyepieces, finder, and camera, and keep it well below the rated payload.

About this configuration

The Tessaro Basin 22 EQ mount is sold in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular one includes. The steel pier raises the mount and leaves more room under the telescope for long refractors and cameras. A pier lets the telescope swing past the meridian without the tube or the camera hitting the legs. With a spare dovetail bar, you can fit a guide scope or a second instrument side by side.

The white finish stays cooler in sunshine, which helps if you set up the mount in the afternoon. This is the 2024 edition, which revised the altitude adjustment and the cable routing of the Basin 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

• Equatorial mount head with 200 mm dovetail saddle
• Counterweight shaft
• Slow-motion cables for right ascension and declination
• Reticle polar alignment scope
• Accessory tray
• Steel pier with leveling base
• Spare 200 mm dovetail bar

Compatibility notes

• Accepts dovetail bars up to 50 mm wide.
• Rated for 22 kg of telescope and camera load.
• Suits large refractors and catadioptric telescopes within the rating, mounted on a pier or heavy tripod.