This ball mount is designed for cameras and video cameras, but it also works very well as an Alt/Az mount for telescopes, as can be seen in the pics of my Orion StarBlast 90mm refractor. With the Artcise having a 77 pound weight rating, the tripod, supporting the ball mount, would likely fail before the ball mount would. My telescope, scope rings, and base plate only weigh about 8 lbs, so the ball mount performs smoothly and with little effort. There are two control knobs. The smaller knob loosens and tightens the horizontal rotation of the ball mount while the larger knob loosens and tightens the 54mm ball itself. The bottom of the mount has 3/8” screw attachment point and a screw-in sleeve, in case your tripod has just a 1/4” screw.I really like this mount and I appreciate the value it provides to me. Highly recommend.