Anyone using EQ6 mount extension as pier adapter?

[HenryNZ]

Hello

I am thinking of building a pier for my NEQ6.

It is likely going to be a semi-permanent solution involving four 6x6" posts bundled up to make 12x12" square post, buried +/- concreted into ground.

I am trying to figure how best (read: economical and least work) to install the mount on top of the pier.

I have seen someone uses the EQ6 mount extension as part of the pier, as the top plate of the extension will naturally fit the mount

Before I spend my hard earn cash on an extension, I would like to find out how the bottom plate can be fixed to the pier, and whether this can be done rigid enough for astrophotography.

If it is too hard or if it is not sturdy enough, then I may need to look elsewhere e.g. Dan's plate but it is getting expensive.

Any other suggestions also welcome.

Henry

[IanL]

I have one and have been planning (for a while now) to use it as a pier adaptor for my NEQ6.  I was aiming to make a concrete pier with embedded studding (bent in to an L-shape) to attach the adaptor.  This would involve drilling 3 x 12mm holes in the bottom plate of the extension, through which the studding would pass and be secured using bolts. The top plate is obviously designed for the mount, and with the supplied attachment bolt and bearings rotating it for polar alignment is very easy.

I don't think using a stud through the single existing centre hole in the base plate would do the job unless you had a very good fit between the bottom profile of the plate/tube and the head of the pier.  If there was too much motion there could be a lot of force going through a single bolt, hence my preference for 3 holes/studs).  Obviously with the tight metal/metal fit between the extension and the tripod head in normal use there isn't an issue, but a concrete or wooden pier might not be such a tight fit.

The main wrinkle with the three hold solution is that the bottom plate has a piece that extends down in to the tripod head in normal use, so there isn't a flat surface which can sit on top of a pier.  There are two possible solutions:

- Invert the plate so that the extended piece sticks up in to the tube, and then use a stack of washers or shims on the studding to fill the gap that is created.  Not sure how stable that would be - should be ok if the pier head is reasonably flat.

- Leave a space for the extended piece in the pier head - this would be easy to do for a concrete pier by attaching a wooden or foam mould to the plywood I planned to use to level the top of the pier.  If using wood it would be easy enough to drill/router out the necessary space.  If you were building a metal pier then a hole could be drilled, but then frankly if you were going down that route you might as well get a custom pier head made anyway.

The main issue is finding a way to drill the three holes In the 15mm thick base plate (avoiding the M6 holes in the sides that attach the plate to the extension tube).  I don't have access to a workshop; I'd thought about getting a cheap-ish pillar drill and drilling some increasingly large pilot holes, but no idea if I could get a drill and bits that were man enough for the job.  I could probably get my brother to do it for me, but need to remember to take the part and the drawings down to him to work on.

Anyway see the attached PDF for drawings showing the general arrangement.  I've stayed away from levelling the pier head as it isn't actually necessary in order to get polar alignment (though having a level mount makes it a lot easier to get close at the start).

Pier Drawings.pdf

[r3i]

I have the EQ6 mount extension installed on my pier.  It helped raise the mount to a more useful height and also stops the mount crashing into the pier top when it is positioned in certain directions.  In addition to the central mounting bolt I added 3 right angled brackets to fix it to the pier top to prevent any potential rotation around the central bolt.