Pick your scope up — move it — set it down and start observing again.  Take it out the door or out of the car with just one hand.  Walk a quarter mile with your scope to a dark clearing with no headlights to interfere.  That's grab 'n go astronomy.  Not just portable astronomy — instantaneous astronomy.

The Half Hitch creates a deluxe form of this hopscotch observing style.  Most grab 'n go astronomers prefer APO refractors between 80mm and 105mm, and the Half Hitch is optimized to carry these scopes in style.  Some 110mm to 115mm APO refractors can also be used effectively on the Half Hitch.   Whatever is your choice, the sturdy Half Hitch contributes only 5.3 pounds to the system but delivers steady viewing.

Why do grab 'n go astronomy?  To look around trees or avoid lights.  To get a quick look.  To observe while standing in line at a star party.  To take a scope on a trip with little room to spare.  To show the neighbors a lunar eclipse or a comet.  To involve your kids.  To easily travel to a dark site.  Because it's fun and elegant and can be combined with other activities.

The greatest increment of observing power comes with the first few inches of aperture.  Galileo changed the world with a telescope feeble in comparison to a modern two-inch refractor.  Charles Messier cataloged most of the best deep-sky objects with a telescope that wouldn't match a modern three-inch refractor.  Even if you have a larger telescope, a true grab 'n go scope will expand your pursuit of astronomy.

The Grace To Go Small — The Brawn To Go Bigger

The Half Hitch possesses uncanny ability to gracefully adapt to an 80mm refractor and lightweight tripod while having the strength to tame a 4-inch refractor on a heavier tripod.  Most mounts intended for 4-inch refractors will not lend themselves to a well proportioned grab 'n go setup, simply overwhelming smaller scopes and tripods.

What allows the Half Hitch to transition so effortlessly?

• High Stiffness-to-weight ratio afforded by its CNC machined structure, preloaded bearings, and rigid cross-braced design

• Centerline load positioning resulting in greater stability and lower stress

• Excellent tripod clearance without needing a tripod extension column

• Two-axis balancing for easy pointing

• Motion controls for fingertip panning, centering, and tracking

While the ability to carry a 4-inch refractor or 8-inch SCT is a great asset for a small mount, so is the ability to scale elegantly downward for true grab 'n go application.  The Half Hitch is unrivaled at it's ability to do both.

DON'T BE FOOLED:  The Half Hitch is more rigid than many mounts claiming larger capacities!