The Half Hitch's motion controls are unlike any you've experienced — ultra smooth, instantly responsive, fingertip-light roller drives — controls so intuitive that they quickly become effortless second nature.  Not just slow motion controls — but motion controls able to pan quickly or make tiny adjustments — searches, centering, tracking, and slewing can all be done with a single pair of knobs.  The observer shifts speeds on instinct without having to reach for a different control.

• Slew or track on demand — no clutches to adjust or locks to engage

• Turn the scope by hand at any time

• No backlash, starting friction, or flexure — instant response

• Easy grip machined aluminum knobs with two raised rubber grip rings

• Stainless steel drive rollers turn in precision stainless steel ball bearings

• Constant-force tensioners deliver steady feel

• Convenient positioning of controls

• Quick release of altitude axis drive to make balancing easy.

If you don't think motion controls make tracking and centering easier, you simply haven't tried them!  Track objects at very high powers with precision and no vibration!

Do you observe in groups?  The Half Hitch's motion controls are so easy and intuitive to use that beginning observers master them in seconds — easily tracking objects without assistance.

"Magic" Tracking Method

In some areas of the sky (often coinciding with good planetary observing zones) the tracking motion will be dominated by movement in azimuth.  In these situations one can rest one's left hand on the base of the mount and use a fingertip to "freeze" the image by applying steady, light, tangential pressure to the azimuth control knob.  The effect visually is very similar to observing with a motorized tracking mount.  In many instances when observing planets only occasional small corrections in altitude are needed, perhaps once a minute (and easily done with one's right hand so as not to interrupt the steady tracking being done with the pointer finger of the left hand).

With a little practice the technique becomes second nature, requiring no conscious thought at all.  It's actually easier than making discrete turns of the control knob.  Placing the left hand on the base of the Half Hitch causes no vibration at all — even at high magnifications.

Only the Half Hitch's unique motion control system is capable of this very useful and satisfying technique.

Avoid the Cheap Worm Blues

Less versatile slow motion controls based on worm gears have both backlash (the free-play when reversing directions) and high friction.  One must be traded against the other.  To reduce backlash, one must increase the friction.  To reduce friction, one must increase the backlash.

How does this unavoidable conflict in worm gear drives translate?  When trying to make a position adjustment, the observer must concentrate on judging and overcoming both the backlash and the starting friction.

Often, the gearing used in cheap mounts is made of plastic or poor grades of metal.  Good worms are made of hardened steel that is ground and polished for precision contact.  And good worm wheels are made of bronze or heat-treated aluminum alloys that have been hard anodized.

Worm gearing is a high friction mechanical device.  Poor materials wear quickly and perform erratically.  Moreover, worm gearing requires precise alignment and must turn on shafts that are perfectly straight and on bearings that run exactly true.  Without these precautions, worm gearing is prone to having tight zones and loose zones that alternate.

When you have a mount that uses cheaply implemented worm gearing, there are no practical fixes that you can apply to make it better.