Upgrade tripod on a cheap telescope I got a cheap refractor as a present - my intro to astronomy. I think it’s not great, but I’m having plenty of fun looking at the moon and planets, and who knows, maybe some other objects soon.
The thing that limits me the most, I think, is the tripod that came with it. It is super flimsy, I can hardly point it at the right thing, even focusing the telescope moves the alignment. It’s also too short, so I’m hunching down all the time.
I’m therefore wondering, might it make sense to upgrade just the mount for now? If I end up taking it up as a hobby, I can maybe upgrade the telescope, and if not, it’s less money than buying a “proper” set. Just a simple alt-az probably, but dedicated to astronomy. The refractor is super light so doesn’t need anything fancy.
Due to life situation, I’m not really in a position to join a club and explore this way, I can do my astronomy when I have 15 minutes to spare (and a clear sky!).
Unfortunately, many cheap mounts have a specific, proprietary connection to the telescope tube rather than something like rings, standard tripod threaded attachment or dovetail, so replacing them is difficult or impossible.
If you are fortunate enough that your inexpensive scope has a standard 1/4&quot; threaded attachment, you could replace the mount with an inexpensive camera tripod with probably better results.