Hassle Free Observing Without Meridian Flip
With the mounts from Track The Stars the Meridian flip known from German Equatorial Mounts is history. The same is the rotation of the Optical Tube Assembly around the optical axes. This gives a number of big advantages.
Always perfect eyepiece position
When observing with an Alt-azimuth mount from Track The Stars you will experience that the eyepiece always stays in a good viewing position. No need to readjust the angle of the diagonal or break the neck trying to look through the finder scope positioned below the main telescope. With no meridian flip or tube rotation, everything stays in a good position and there is no risk of an eyepiece dropping to the ground while the mount is flipping the telescope around.
See the movement pattern of the mount here (increased speed)
Image and observe continuously from east to west
With no meridian flip interrupting the best observations around the south (or north in the southern hemisphere) you can follow and image objects undisturbed from east to west.
More lasting collimation of the telescope
You have been tweaking the collimation of your telescope to perfection to catch the smallest details on Jupiter. Soon after the mount must perform a meridian flip turning the telescope upside down with a risk the mirror will move in the mirror cell. Perhaps you have a very good mirror cell so the movement is minimal. But why run the risk!
With an alt-az mount from Track The Stars, there is no meridian flip and no tube rotation as known from equatorial fork mounts.
Easier to manage cables
As you know, a fully astrophotography-enabled telescope contains a lot of cables. Cables for the imaging camera, the filter wheel, the focus motor, the guide telescope, dew bands and the mount itself. And it all has to be placed in a way so the mount can swing and point anywhere in the sky. Adding a meridian flip to this system does not make things easier.
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