S&T Test Report by Jerry Lodriguss The Astro-Physics 1100GTO This powerful German equatorial mount offers many features for astrophotographers. What We Like: Tracking across the Meridian Payload capacity Command Center software What We Didn't Like: Controller display difficult to read in daylight Confusing settings in ASCOM driver and APCC software Astro-Physics 1100GTO U.S. Price: $7,970.00 (base model) astro-physics.com 60 J U L Y 2 0 1 7 * SK Y & TELESCOPE pThe Astro-Physics 1100GTO mount on an Astro-Physics pier with an AP 130EDFGT telescope on top. The mount weighs 54 pounds and can carry a 100-pound payload. cake and eat it, too? How about an observatory-class mount that can carry a 100-pound payload and still be portable enough to pop in your car and go to a remote observing site? You can't say that about many mounts, but you can with the 1100GTO, the Astro-Physics replacement for its venerable 900GTO, which served as one of the company's mostpopular mid-range mounts for 20 years. The 1100GTO has some tall shoes to fill; let's find out how it stacks up. Designed by Robert Watters and Roland Christen at Astro-Physics, the precision CNC-machined 1100GTO has managed the neat trick of keeping the weight of the mount the same as the 900GTO while increasing the payload by 50%. This was accomplished by increasing the diameter of the RA and declination shafts to 3.15 inches and the bearings to 3.94 inches. The declination worm-wheel diameter has also increased from 6 to 7.2 inches. For astrophotography purposes the 1100GTO will easily bear its rated capacity, and possibly more unless you are using a long telescope in a howling wind. The mount, which is steady as a rock, can also be operated from A LL PHOTOS COURTESY THE AU THOR HOW WOULD YOU like to have yourhttp://www.astro-physics.com