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@Carbon Brush that is really useful information and has helped me understand a bit more how I could make what I want to do work. I do not have any experience in building so thanks. @Naughty Neal I have started to understand there is no exact answer that I was hoping to get but the answers I have had have definitely given me a lot to think about. It is going to be interesting and hard work to build and hopefully it will work out.

I have been looking into how to do a base for this and came across info that it does not need to be to wide but does need to be deep the dimensions were 15 inch wide by 5 foot deep, the depth seems a bit excessive to me. Does this seem correct?

Thanks for the info I will keep it in mind.

@bosun21 I have used the mount in AZ but I am trying to use Ascom and CdC with varying degrees of success and as I found in an earlier topic post I made the rooky mistake and was struggling to get it lined up, so it is at least for now in EQ mode.

@M40 I had looked at the Todmorden pier and have not yet ruled it out for the reason of being able to adjust the hight, but if I do go with a raised platform I am not sure it would be the way to go.

@mikeDnight that is a very nice set up you have. At only 5' 9" I would of needed a stepladder to reach the eyepiece in your first set up. The info from your pier set up now is really interesting and answers another one of my questions that it is personal preference as well as including how tall you are. The photo from outside with your scope just peaking out of the top has raised another question for me. I was planning on making a raised decking platform of about 1m high, the reason being I have a railway fence at the rear of my house and at that hight the top of the fence would be just above the horizon giving me as much sky as possible. Am I expecting to much from a scope to be looking low in the sky even in good seeing conditions?

Hi @Carbon Brush thanks for the reply. It seems like a lot in this new hobby I have found, its not straight forward. This is really good info though. At this moment I have a SkyWatcher 254x1200 dob mounted on a AZ EQ6 mount and tripod, when I read that it could put the eyepiece in odd positions I thought people were exaggerating but now I know they were not. I have a stepladder when viewing but there are some positions were I just have to admit defeat. So if I build the pier a bit shorter to cater for the dob it would be a good idea to have an extension for a refractor that I am sure to have at a later date while keeping in mind I may want to build a shed over it at a later date as well. Don't know anyone near me yet with a telescope but I do need to get round to joining my local club.

Hi all. I am thinking of building a viewing platform and having a permanent pier for observing but from what I have been able to find, I am not sure what hight the pier should be. Is there a rough setting for the hight of a pier? Does it make a difference what scope is used? Is it just personal preference? Are piers mainly used for AP not observing? If used for both is there a difference between them? Sorry if the questions seem a bit daft but I am still very new to this hobby. Thanks for reading.

Hi @WiltshireChris I cant help with what to buy but I read this thread the other day about the 130 PDS that may interest you, it is a very long read.

Hi @woldsman found this on line that may help http://www.vixenamerica.com/pdf/Control/VixenNorthAmerica_DD_1_Controller_Voltage.pdf

Thanks @bosun21 I have been trying this tonight and every thing seems to be working ok now, especially after doing the now obvious and put the mount in EQ mode.

Hello First thing is your multi meter is set to AC current that is what the two wavy lines mean. The straight line with the dashes underneath is for direct current. this will be why your reading is off. For testing your lead, if you mean the one at the edge of your photo the outside of the plug is one of the terminals.

Hi Malc-c Thanks for the info and it makes sense that the EQmod is for EQ mode on the mount (even if I hadn't thought about it until I read your post). But CdC has an ALT/AZ setting so I thought it would work, my mistake and another lesson learned. I will check the DEC axis tonight as well.

Hi Bottletopburly I am not using EQmod cable at the moment, I have had to send the cable back for testing because I could not connect through it. Ouroboros I should of mentioned that I am using it in AZ mode at the moment but I have tried it in EQ as well, but thanks for the info I will try this tonight and see how it goes. I have marked the floor from when I did the PA so it will be very close to being in the right place. I know this is not perfect but I have not seen any stars for weeks.

Hi all, Had a post not so long ago because I could not connect a laptop to the mount, this now seems to work ok. Still using a USB to serial through the handset at the moment (just waiting for FLO to check the EQdir cable that went back to them). The mount does not have a USB connector. Ascom connects now without fail and using CdC to control the mount. The problem I have now is the alignment is way off. Start from park position and ask it to slew to Alp Cma (Sirius) and it is way off, so far that when you adjust it to target it wont accept the new position. I was having a similar problem when I was just using the hand controller but I thought it was just me and still could be. Then after swearing at the mount I press park in Ascom and the DEC returns very close to where it was set but the RA is about 90 degrees out, I have tried this a couple of times now and where it returns to when asked to park seems to be all over the place. To be fair I am using planetarium apps at the moment to find objects because the cloud filled sky's not allowing the real thing, but that should not have any affect on returning to park. It is like the mount cannot remember or is sending duff info back. Or am I overthinking how it works? Does the mount remember the park position or would it be the handset if used or Ascom if used? If it would be the handset could this still be causing a problem with the cable connecting through it? I bought this mount second hand and in the back of my mind it has a fault, but again this may just be me. I am hoping to get things something like before the sky's clear. Any advise would be gratefully received.