Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Mount Unboxing and Review

Here is an unboxing, assembly, and review of the Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az mount. Full review below.
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I recently purchased a Celestron C6 SCT telescope and was looking for a light weight mount with slow motion controls that would handle the scope well. I also wanted a mount that was fairly cheap given budget considerations. Unfortunately telescope mounts usually follow a situation where you can choose two of the following three features: cheap, stable, lightweight. A readily available mount that seems to come closest to meeting these features is the Explore Scientific Twilight I mount, so I decided to try it out. This mount normally retails for $199, but is sometimes available on sale for as low as $160-170. Certainly the low price is there with this mount, and it is rated for 15 pounds of capacity while weighing in at around 17-18 pounds with tripod. Since the C6 weighs about 8-9 pounds with finder, diagonal, and eyepiece, and I normally carry a few additional eyepieces in the tray, the total weight for the tripod, mount, scope, and eyepieces comes in around 28 pounds. That is still light weight enough for me to be able to carry the mount, tripod, and scope out the door using just one arm. In the past I had an even lighter weight setup using a Gitzo tripod and UA mount that weighed just over half as much, but cost many times as much money. It was also far more portable, and could even fit in carry-on luggage. This mount can't do that, but luckily provides enough stability for my needs at a much nicer price and is light enough to be easily portable. However, the mount as shipped did have problems.
The mount was dropped shipped directly from Explore Scientific and was fully assembled out of the box with only the spread bar and slow motion control knobs needing to be attached. However, I did have to remove the dovetail clamp and rotate it 45 degrees so the slow motion control arm wouldn't hit against the base of the mount when angled higher in the sky. The bigger problem though was that there was excessive slop in the mount base that needed to be addressed. I took apart the mount base and found a lock nut inside that was loose. Once tightened down, the slop disappeared and the mount has operated smoothly since.
The bottom line with this mount is that it is a cheap mount that may have some issues out of the box, but it is built sturdily, and the issues in my mount were all able to be corrected with about 20 minutes of work. With a Celestron C6 SCT, the mount works great with very little vibration and fast damping times. Overall I am happy with the mount and it has worked out well for me. I'm able to carry the mount with scope attached outside with one arm, and easily move it around the yard which was the main reason for selecting a mount of this type. I needed something that would get me out observing very quickly for when I only had 10-15 minutes to look at a few objects. This mount does that and I recommend it as long as you are willing and able to fix any problems upon arrival. This might not be a good selection if you are gifting the mount to someone who may not be able to maintain and fix it, but otherwise it is a nice budget mount. You can buy far nicer mounts, but for $200 or less, it works really nice once the various quirks are corrected.
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Thank you!

[@astronomy6819]

Thanks for the overview - especially the tweeks to maximize the stability. I am trying to find a stable grab and go for my Nexstar 5SE SCT that doesn't break the bank. I also plan to get a small APO that could also be used with the mount as well. This one is looking very good. Love the shirt, too.

[@oldmanfunky4909]

2022 this mount is $350 bucks! Dang inflation!

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

yeah, it has gone a lot with everything else the last few years.

[@MH-jt3lx]

I can’t get mine to go vertical because two inch 90* diagonal will hit the base of the mount. I’m using an Astro-tech at72 ed2 and it’s just a little big for the mount I believe

[@spruce_goose5169]

you can adjust the angle of the vertical fork. Or did you already do that?

[@MH-jt3lx]

Yours does the same thing. It might be designed more for just a camera then a small telescope like we have.mine needed an adjustment but don’t everything. I feel as if the quality is very good for as the class it’s in and maybe best bang for the buck too.

[@spruce_goose5169]

Thanks for this. In the case of the altitude extension adjustment at 4:15, all you had to do was swap which brass attachment point the extension attaches to. Unless there is a left-hand/right-hand issue with doing that?

[@jackdeangelis6585]

New subscriber here. I'd suggest one additional mod - replace the thumb screws on the slow motion control knobs with M8 allen-socket drive bolts that can be tightened with an allen wrench. I could never tighten the thumb screws enough to eliminate the "play" in the knobs, the bolts did the trick. Excellent review - my mount also needed to be tightened up in several spots.

[@GrnXnham]

I just purchased this mount. There must have been a design change. The M8 bolts you used are way too large for the slow motion control knobs on my mount. I used M4 - .70 x 6 bolts that use a 2.5mm hex (allen) wrench and they work perfectly. The original thumb screws are too short and this is what causes the "play" in the knobs.

[@jackdeangelis6585]

@@GrnXnham Yes, I think I reported the wrong bolt size, sorry for the confusion. The longer bolts do indeed solve the play problem.

[@briarbrethren]

Thanks. I also had a lot of slop in the base. Your tips were very helpful

[@2193191]

Thanks for the great video and tips. It's the perfect mount for my Celestron NexStar 127SLT Mak.

[@ttr1360]

Steve, Thank you. Very helpful hints in setting up this mount !

[@markdombek2551]

Excellent presentation and review. This mount is being highly considered for the Orion ED80. The Vixen Mini Porta mount the ED80 is now on is way too wobbly. This mount appears to be just the right setup.

[@rodneydaniels2412]

Thanks for the demonstration with setting up this mount. It was a breeze following your tips and guidance.

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

Glad it helped!

[@yobaby14]

Excellent review! The Twilight I is an excellent Alt-Az mount. I got one a few years ago as a package deal with my ES 152mm Mak-Cass. I tilted the mount arm back to allow more altitude swing, and that does allow a bit more vibration than the 90° position. But you also have to consider that the Twilight I has an 18 pound load rating. I called ES to find out what the 152 Mak weighed. Scott Roberts, Mr. Explore Scientific himself, answered the phone that day, and he had one of the guys weigh the 152 complete with its rings, diagonal, Plossl eyepiece, and RDF on their shipping scale. The 152 Mak weighed 17 pounds per Scott. Now, bear in mind that I have added an 8x50 RACI, 2" eyepieces, and a C6/8 dew shield, plus Reflectix insulation to that and my mak is probably pushing around 20 to 21 pounds. Yes, it does take a few seconds of settle time, but the vibrations can be dampened by holding just a hint of pressure on the azimuth slow motion control. I like the Twilight I so much that I bought my grandson a frac package that included one, plus I have an additional Twilight I on Lay-Buy for me along with the heavy duty tripod. I'm also going to beef up the mount arm on my 152 Mak specific mount. I got Enhanced Vixen Dovetail Clamps from ebay for all of ours. They use dual brass block clamps to hold the scope, and I like the way they clamp down better than the standard security screws that were originally on the mount. Yes I like the Twilight I mount VERY MUCH! Cheers!!!

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

I’ve upgraded the mount saddle as well since the included one is a weak point of the mount. I’ve also added a panhandle which I love having on there.

[@MrWesleymoon]

I just ordered this mount for a c90 mak cass I have and thank you for video because when I go to assemble it I know now how to set it up correctly and make the adjustments.

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

Thanks, and glad it could help!

[@MountainFisher]

I just got one and it had NO instructions NOR a retaining ring to hold that long bolt in place. Damn head fell off and broke the Vixen mount thumb screw. Luckily I have some metric Allen head bolts.

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

Quality control is definitely a problem with these mounts it would seem.

[@MountainFisher]

@@EarthtoSpaceScience I spoke to a customer service rep from ES and he said they've recently started assembling them before shipping them in a doubled up box except the tray and he said they've had some issues. No kidding and I had ordered mine on a one day Galileo's birthday sale, $250 instead of $350 so I pulled the trigger instead of building a Dobsonian Mount as I'd prefer those hand controls. The tray is built so it unscrews underneath and you turn it so the legs fit into the 2" partial circles and they go straight down. Still cost more than my off eBay scope it wasn't LIKE new it WAS new! Hardware and finderscope still in sealed packaging and not even a scratch on the adjustment bolts for the primary mirror which also was perfect. I paid $160 plus shipping and sales tax knocked it up to $208, so with this Twilight mount it comes to $458. I looked up my Celestron C6-N f5 750mm focal length and it sold for around $450 in 2004 with an EQ mount.

[@paulmontgomery4696]

Earth to Space Science Thanks for posting! Your review of this mount was fairly persuasive when I was still shopping for a relatively sturdy, quasi-kid friendly, alt-az mount before deciding to buy a Twilight I for myself. Your video was very effective in helping with my ease in setting it up since mine arrived out of the box from the factory with those same small issues addressed in this video. Moreover, the manufacturer's included assembly instruction sheet left a lot to be desired for these minor, but crucial, adjustments. Nonetheless, it's truly one great budget alt-az mount. Explore Scientific should link to your video on their Twilight I Mount page because it allowed me to enjoy it much sooner by saving me from reinventing the wheel, or at least the additional troubleshooting time spent during initial setup. Thanks again. Good luck and best wishes for continuing success with your youtube channel.

[@StevesTrains]

Paul Montgomery thanks for the comments. The mount is still working great for me and I haven’t had to make any additional adjustments. Just wish they would take care of those little issues at the factory.

[@lornaz1975]

This was helpful. Thanks.

[@pandoraefretum]

Thanks for this. Can or can't you point that C6 at the Zenith ? It doesn't seem to want to go all the way... I can't tell.

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

I can point straight to the zenith but it may depend on the diagonal. I’m not using a visual back but a diagonal that threads directly to the back which allows for more clearance.

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

I just checked it and my baader prism diagonal that threads right on to the back just barely allows my to point to the zenith when the scope is pushed forward all the way. Like by less than a millimeter. So a visual back and diagonal on the C6 won’t point to the zenith unless you tilt the arm at a 45 degree angle.

[@pandoraefretum]

@@EarthtoSpaceScience Thanks, I took it apart and performed the same tweak as you... it is much better now. Also I noticed a 2nd set of 3 screws to tighten the leg extensions.... and the legs are designed to accept these... I guess they are optional, but a welcome safety feature, in case one gets careless and doesn't tighten one adequately, which is always possible when you're in a hurry. It is a good mount, and if you know the night sky, and know exactly where to find M57, for example, it's much faster than having to calibrate & align a goto mount. In 2019 it cost £222 in the UK, now 3 years later it has gone up 10%... still excellent value.

[@uriahheep8470]

Excellent presentation.

[@petert2098]

Are you sure those larger holes aren't for 2" eyepieces?

[@bowrudder899]

The big ones are

[@klttrll]

How do you adjust the tension, I got mine today and it’s a little stiff

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

If the regular tension paddles don’t adjust things enough you can adjust the bolt in the base like in my video if that side to side movement is too stiff, or the one in the head if the up/down is too stiff. Keep in mind it depends on how heavy/light your scope is. Movement might be too stiff for a light scope but just right for a heavier one.

[@klttrll]

Can I put an 8” sct on this mount?

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

You could do an 8” SCT. I would keep the legs short. It is similar in stability to what something like a Celestron SE mount would be. It isn’t great but works ok. Since it had the slow motion controls you can still track pretty easily but it will be more shaky when trying to focus.

[@klttrll]

Thanks

[@GrnXnham]

You are limited with an 8" SCT. Depending on how you set it up (vertical mount or 45 degree mount,) you either can't view the zenith or you can't view the horizon--your choice. The optical tube is simply too wide to give you a full range of motion without hitting the mount. Also, this thing gets shaky with an 8" depending on how many add-ons you have like finders or 2 inch eye pieces. So it's not ideal to use this mount with an 8" SCT but in a pinch it WILL work.

[@WendigoMicMac]

Hi! What size is the tool? I think is in inch but i have only mm tools. Thanks

[@EarthtoSpaceScience]

I’ll have to take it apart and see. Usually you can get a mm one that is about the same size. At least it will be good enough to get the job done once. Not that you would want to do that multiple times and round off the corners on the nut.