Half Hitch Customer Testimonials

Douglas DeSimone; Virginia

The quality of materials, machining and design of the Half-Hitch is superb. But not until using the Half-Hitch in the field do you appreciate the smoothness of this mount. I have owned many Alt/Az mounts starting with relatively inexpensive and frustrating mounts that promised portability and performance (but failed to deliver on both) and several of the mid to premium quality Alt/Az mounts, but the Half Hitch really delivers what I want. No one mount does it all, but the Half-Hitch fills what I consider to be a sizable hole — the truly portable and lightweight Alt/Az for the small-mid size OTA that manages to maintain this form-factor while providing first rate performance and all the features I like best in an Alt/Az.

The Half-Hitch shines where it matters most in terms of performance (stability, rigidity, damping, smoothness and responsiveness of controls) while being insanely lightweight. I haven't used the DSC version yet, but this feature together with its light weight makes this mount ideal for travel. I'm using a pre-production Half-Hitch with a small refractor (Solarscope SV50 with binoviewer) on a ridiculously light-weight tripod (Gitzo 2530) and this truly is just what I've been looking for in a featherweight, high-performance solar rig. So, now I'm tempted to add the production version with DSC for my TV76 and 105 Traveler.

Finally, I'd just like to add that I appreciate the ingenuity and creativeness of the well thought out design. I love quality machining and materials and, frankly, appreciate the fact that the attention of a single innovative craftsman went into the fabrication and assembly. In a market saturated with mass-produced mounts and scopes that promise more than they deliver, I'm proud to own the real deal. So my pre-production mount is a keeper — at least until I replace it with the production version. As someone who has cast about for years seeking perfection in Alt/Az mounts and spent way more money on this quest than I care to recall, the Half-Hitch is a relative bargain.

Photos show a Solarscope SV50 H-alpha telescope with Baader Maxbright binoviewer and TV Panoptic 24 eyepieces on pre-production Half-Hitch. The tripod is a Gitzo G2530 carbon fiber.

W. Luey, M.D.; Toronto, Canada

With the (pre-production) Half Hitch, I finally found a premium CNC machined alt-az mount that matches my SV90T perfectly. I ordered the new and intriguing Half Hitch mount, sight unseen, three months ago and I have not regretted it since. It has far exceeded my expectations. Here are my impressions:

The slow motion controls are incredibly smooth. This is perhaps the most impressive attribute of this mount. Absolutely no stiction or backlash. To achieve this smoothness, the scope has to be balanced. Once balanced, the drag controls can be backed off, and then the slow motion controls become 'Feathertouch' light. It is very easy to balance a scope on this mount. With both fore and aft adjustment along the dovetail plate, and up and down adjustment of the saddle, perfect balance can be achieved no matter the elevation of the scope. After using these slow-motion controls, the ones on another alt-az I own suddenly seem horribly stiff and clunky. I'm spoiled now. If you like slow-motion controls, you'll love the Half Hitch — it's the concept of slow-motion controls executed to perfection. No other alt-az mount that I've tried has achieve this degree of smoothness.

The fit and finish is excellent. Everything works precisely with no slop. Though at first glance over-complicated, every feature is very well thought out.

The mount is light but very solid. I mounted the pre-production Half Hitch on a lightweight Berlebach Report tripod, so the overall weight of the setup is about the same as the other grab and go alt-az I own. It is probably unfair to compare the Half Hitch to the other alt-az, but the other mount serves as a useful point of reference. Using the very unscientific 'whack' test with the SV90T, I compared the amount of time it takes for an image to settle at the eyepiece:

At 126X with a 5mm Radian, on the other mount it takes 1 1/2 seconds, on the pre-production Half Hitch less than 1 second.

At 210X with a 3-6mm Naglar Zoom, on the other mount it takes just over 2 seconds, on the pre-production Half Hitch about a second.

In addition to the damping time, the amplitude of the shakes was much reduced as well. On the other alt-az at high power the shaking can be so bad as to be un-viewable until I let go of the focuser or the slow-motion controls. This problem is largely non-existent with the pre-production Half Hitch.

I always thought of my SV90T as the perfect little grab and go scope. Now it has found the perfect mate. The Half Hitch is more than stiff enough for high power use, smooth and precise enough to easily track an object at high magnifications, yet light enough for grab and go. Most importantly it's precision and unique design endows the controls with a tactile sensation that makes it an absolute pleasure to use.

Robert Werkman, M.D.; Hershey, PA

Owning a series of refractors, ranging from a MiniBorg 60ED, a Stellarvue 90TBV and ending with a 180mm APM TMB-designed Deluxe Achromat, I have struggled to find the right mounts and tripods that achieve the balance of performance and portability. I own a "premium" heavy duty equatorial mount, several small and one substantial weight Alt-Az mount. The later works well for the 180mm, but is "overkill" for my other telescopes.

My requirement was a light weight, smoothly controllable Alt-Az mount with DSC capability that would work with my Berlebach Uni-24 tripod.

I travel to dark sites an hour or more from home and will observe until dawn, so set up and knock down times are important.

The solution, the Half-Hitch! Incredibly light in weight, with structural rigidity that has to be used to believe, and slo-mo controls that have zero backlash! Having become used to "wrestling" and "overshooting" targets with my other Alt-Az mounts the ability to physically and effortlessly "dial-in" my observing targets allows me concentrate on observing, not centering and following. The Half-Hitch easily lets me take along one of my small refractors for "richest field" observing to complement my 18" Obsession.

The Half-Hitch is really a grab and GO (far) mount!

Last, if you have a mechanical or engineering-physics mindset, you grasp that the Half-Hitch is designed around the 'scope, not a massif to hang one from!

Dr. Werkman's SV90T

Dr. Werkman's SV102ED

Jack Swoboda; Madison, WI

A couple of years back, I realized my SCT wasn’t getting as much use as it should have for the usual reasons — setup, cool down times, amongst others — and I started to get the grab and go bug, which led me to the world of refractors. After starting with an 80mm Stellarvue NHNG, my interest in the hobby was renewed. A year later I upgraded to the SV90TBV triplet. Optically, it's outstanding, but I soon discovered that the weak link in my setup was the alt-az mount. The damping times were excessive, and the sticking, especially at higher powers, was really starting to annoy me. This resulted in less time at the eyepiece and more time fiddling.

So I went back to the forums and manufacturers’ sites to learn as much as I could about alt-az mounts. Then one day, I came across an ad for a pre-production Half Hitch mount. The look, design, and the description more than intrigued me, so I gave Charles a call. I had a few questions, primarily because the claims seemed a little too good to be true, and there really wasn’t much information or feedback on the mount. It made me somewhat skeptical. Every question I put to Charles was thoroughly answered. The information I received was very informative and made perfect sense, so I decided to give it a try. A short time later, the Pre-Production mount arrived. I was awestruck with how light, small, and technologically-advanced it was. Every nut, bolt, shaft, knob, arm — you name it — was nothing less than perfection.

I was anxious to give it a try. The slow-motion controls have to be experienced to be believed. In fact, the feel is on par with that of my Feather Touch focuser. The dampening times are practically non-existent. It slews around with an almost fluid-like motion. After a short period of use, the controls become intuitive and second nature. The well-designed Half Hitch website is extremely informative and educational, and avoids over embellishing any of the mount’s features. It sticks to the facts and is written in such a way that you soon begin to understand why this engineering marvel has no real competition.

If what you want is the ultimate in the grab ‘n go arena, then the Half Hitch should be part of your setup. You get what you pay for. Read the forums: read about the problems with inferior mounts, the tweaking, the constant need to keep finding something better. Notice how many of these lesser mounts are for sale. What does this tell you?

Until now, it was a matter of just learning to live with their shortcomings. You don’t need to do that anymore. You can devote your time to enjoying the hobby without being distracted by equipment issues. The revolutionary Half Hitch allows you to keep your eye at the eyepiece and truly enjoy your hobby.

I now have the perfect setup. I can be outside in a matter of seconds enjoying the night sky, and that’s what I was searching for! I will keep this mount for a long time, if not forever. But, in reality, that isn’t quite true. Without any hesitation, I have changed mounts.

Just when I thought what I already had couldn’t get any better, I decided to upgrade. I was intrigued by the possibility of adding the Sky Commander DSC system. So I contacted Charles with more questions and ultimately decided to move up to the production Half Hitch with its amazingly well-integrated Sky Commander DSC setup. I am impressed and looking forward to some great viewing in the pitch-black skies of Northern Wisconsin this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Dong Hun Kim; Burnaby, British Columbia

I've owned various scopes over the years such as 6" reflector, 4" refractors and 11" truss Dob. I also have been using a mass-market equatorial mount and a premium equatorial mount for my scopes. But, I realized that I couldn't observe as often as I want because of my busy schedule. Simply, the set up time took too long and it was too hard to haul heavy scopes and mounts with counterweights around at night after long working hours. I wanted to observe Mars at opposition every night but I gave up observing some nights due to those reasons.

I bought an Alt-Az mount to solve the problem. The mount was pretty good but I started finding problems hindering comfortable observing:

The mount didn't have slow motion controls so it was hard to use at high powers.
I couldn't balance the scope at all positions without adding too much friction to the altitude axis. If I balanced the scope at the horizontal direction, the scope didn't balance when it was pointing near the zenith. If I balanced the scope pointing the zenith, it didn't balance horizontally. The problem still existed even though I balanced the scope pointing at 45 degree. So, I always had to rebalance the scope depending on which area of sky I observed. Otherwise, I had to tighten the altitude axis much more than I would like.
The dovetail bar did not move smoothly along the saddle plate, especially on cold nights.
The altitude friction control knob shifted images so it made me harder to switch the eyepieces.
Zenith clearance was bad so it was hard to observe the zenith area.
The scope was offset to one side of the mount causing the mount to rotate if I used a heavy scope without counterweights. I had to add much more friction to the azimuth axis than I wanted to prevent this unwanted rotation.

I finally found myself wrestling with the mounts more than just enjoying the night sky. I started shopping around a new Alt-AZ mount. I tried few mounts in star parties and local telescope shop's observing sessions but none of the mounts solved all the issues that I encountered. Then, I found an ad about the Half Hitch in an issue of Astronomical Technology Today. I went to the website and realized that the Half Hitch seemed to address all the issues that I had with the previous mounts. I emailed Charles to ask more questions, especially about the issues that I had with my previous mounts. Charles was very helpful and knowledgeable in answering my questions. After tens of emails, I was convinced that the Half Hitch mount was what I was looking for. I ordered one with encoders for a DSC and a KB systems tripod.

The (Mark I) Half Hitch came very well packaged. When I opened the package, I was surprised by its fit and finish. The mount is very nice visually, and the fit and finish is the very best among all the astronomical equipment that I've owned. I can't find any cheaply made components.

The next thing that I noticed is the attention given to details in the mount. The mount has a small bubble level on it so it is very easy to level the mount at night. The Half Hitch also has a horizon safety stop so my scopes are always safe even when I accidentally set them up unbalanced. One of the screws on the dovetail bar acts as a safety stop so the scope can't slide down to the ground when I didn't tight the saddle accidentally. The dovetail bar has engraved scales so I can balance the scope easily. The rubber grips on the motion control and brakes make them easier to turn.

After few cloudy nights, I tried the Half Hitch with my TMB-105/650 under the night sky. The mount is very light. I can carry it to my observing site very easily in a small camera bag on my shoulder while carrying the tripod in one hand and the scope in the other hand. The set up is also very easy. Just set up the tripod, put the mount on top, and tighten the mount with the provided no-tool connection knob. The dovetail bar moves along the saddle plate very smoothly, so it was easy to mount the scope and balance the scope horizontally.

The next step is to balance the scope up and down (vertically). This step is a unique to the Half Hitch, and only has to be done once as an initial setup for your scope. Aim the scope near the zenith and balance the scope by moving the saddle plate up or down in a machined track. It took me about ten minutes. The saddle plate also has engraved scales so it is easy to repeat the balance for each scope that I have. The two-axis balance is the biggest advantage of the Half Hitch for me. Once balanced in both axes, the scope remains absolutely balanced regardless of the direction the scope is pointing. So, I don't have to apply any friction to either axis to keep the scope pointed at an object.

After balancing the scope, I did the two star alignment of the Sky Commander. The bracket is foldable with the Sky Commander attached, so it reduces the footprint of the mount when I put the mount in my camera bag.

First, I aimed at Jupiter. The movements were very smooth but also feel solid and stable. I didn't notice any wobbles. Because I loosen the brakes completely, the friction on the mount was very little. Tracking Jupiter at 130X even without using the motion controls was easy. Then I went up to 232X. I tightened the altitude brake to switch eyepieces, and there was no image shift. The brake knob is very easy to turn. I switched eyepieces, and the mount didn't move at all. When I tap the focuser, the damping time was about 1.5 second (Mark I). Focusing was easy with short damping time. Now, Jupiter was drifting very fast, but I could center Jupiter very easily using the motion controls. I couldn't detect any backlash, and the image did not dance when I released the slow motion control knobs. The vibration of the mount while turning the motion control knob was very small, so I could keep tracking Jupiter while I was observing. I couldn't do this with any other Alt-Az mount.

Next, I observed the Cygnus area of the Milky Way. With other Alt-AZ mounts, I was always having hard time to do this during a summer night cause the Cygnus is near the Zenith. The Zenith clearance of my Half Hitch is excellent. I was very comfortable with sweeping the Milky Way sitting on my observing chair. Also, the balance of the scope was as solid as while I was observing the Jupiter near the horizon. The two-axis balance system really works here. Next, I tested the DSC, and the accuracy was excellent.

I've been using my Half Hitch mount about a month now. The mount is just so comfortable to use, and the mount really disappears once you set it up. The set up is very easy, as well. And, there is no compromise in my Half Hitch mount. Everything on the mount is precisely working. I don't have to put any effort into making the mount work. I can just concentrate on star hopping and observing.

Don Singer; Portland, Oregon

I received my Mark I Half Hitch last week and finally had a chance to get under the stars after many cloudy nights. It is very smooth in both Alt and Az movements, and the slow motion controls are superb. I am using it with my SV102ED on a heavy duty Bogen tripod, and dampening time is not an issue. The machining is incredible; It is a thing of beauty. And, most importantly, it is very, very light.

GoTo's with the Sky Commander were very easy using the slow motion controls, much easier than using my DM4. I am a very happy camper.”

Fred L.; Illinois

I was on the hunt for the perfect “grab-n-go” alt az mount.

My criteria were tough: Lightweight; very sturdy; little or no vibration, and flexible enough to go from a wide slew to fine, pinpoint motion. Basically I wanted a mount that allowed me to concentrate on the sky, rather than be distracted by problems “on the ground.”

I’ve found that mount. I own a Mark I Half Hitch (first production version), and it is that rare product that actually lives up to its promises.

I use the Half Hitch primarily with two scopes – a Stellarvue SV90TBV, and a Celestron C8. Both are easily accommodated by the Half Hitch. I have the package with the DSC (which I highly recommend, particularly in light polluted areas where visual guides are limited) and the KB1001 tripod.

A few things struck me when I first took the Half Hitch out of the box. You can’t help but be impressed by its clean lines and shape. It is a real testament to the philosophy of “form following function” – everything is there for a reason, and comes together as a wonderful piece of industrial design.

The other striking feature is how little it weighs. While appearing hefty, the Half Hitch is remarkably lightweight.

But its two most impressive attributes are its stability, and its motion controls. I don’t claim to fully understand all the engineering behind the Half Hitch, but the end result is a tremendously rigid mount that virtually eliminates the vibration that often interferes with viewing through higher magnification eyepieces.

The motion controls, meanwhile, are something you have to experience to fully appreciate. You can use either the alt or az control for star hopping, then slow it down to the finest motion without any slipping. I’ve yet to feel a slip as I move from standstill, to quick star hop, to slow, precise motion in any direction. I also find the controls make centering targets in my finder scope extremely easy.

One of the keys to the Half Hitch’s capabilities is a unique saddle plate that allows “two-axis” balancing both forward and backwards, as well as up or down.

What does it all add up to? On a clear night, under dark skies, a slow sweep of my scope across the sky using the Half Hitch motion controls has a remarkable effect: The mount disappears. You actually get that momentary sensation of floating in space.

Yes, it’s that good.