MattGoo

Welcome to the forum Gary. There are a number of local societies in the west yorkshire region that you may be interested to contact. https://wakefieldastronomysociety.co.uk/ https://www.wyas.org.uk/ http://www.astronomyleeds.org.uk/index.php https://huddersfieldastronomy.org/ http://bradfordastronomy.co.uk/ http://keighleyastronomicalsociety.co.uk/

Yes, it's been fine, no problems with powering my DSLR. Only improvements could be to use a non-illuminated switch (it gave off too much light!) and maybe put in a voltmeter to display the output voltage.

I have a Skywatcher EQ6 mount, so the following is applicable to that. Most other mounts can be attached in a similar way to this type of pier design.Materials for pier adapter (retail):M12 Stainless Steel A2 Threaded Bar (1m) x1 £ 6.62 Toolstation http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p37920M12 Fastener x1 £ 4.50 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221225381173EQ6 Adapter plate x1 £79.95 Altair Astro http://www.altairastro.com/pier-adapter-skywatcher-celestron-ioptron-multi-mount.htmlTOTAL £91.07Materials for pier adapter (locally sourced):M12 Stainless Steel A2 Threaded Bar (1m) x1 £ 6.62 Toolstation http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p37920M12 Fastener x1 £ 4.50 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221225381173EQ6 Adapter plate x1 £--.-- Society memberM10 Stainless Steel Socket Head Bolts (80mm) x4 £ 3.53 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150846401601TOTAL £14.65One engineering member of our society was able to fabricate a EQ6 adapter plate from aluminium for me, taking the measurements/profile from my existing EQ6 tripod head. This was a substansial cost saving over the ones available from the likes of AltairAstro which are approx £80, but meant I needed to purchase the 4x M10 socket head bolts, which are normally included in the retail versions.Another option is to use a car brake disc.Tools:PencilDrillMasonry Drill Bits (5mm, 10mm, 12mm)SpannersSaw suitable for metalCompassAdapting for EQ6 use:Find the centre of the top of the blockUse a compass to find North and mark the directionPlace your adapter plate on top, align the peg with North and mark the required holesDrill through with the 5mm drill bit, followed by the 10mm drill bit. (My EQ6 needs a 12mm hole in the centre)Attach the adapter plate using the M10 socket head bolts and washers/nutsTest fit the mount on topCut down the M12 threaded bar to a suitable length so you can safely secure the mount with the M12 fastenerWhen skies allow polar align & enjoy using I shall be powering the mount with a powertank for the initial period. Another project is making the nearby shed into a sort of warm-room, with a semi-permanent mains powered 12v feed and usb connections out to the pier. I may write this up in another thread in the future.

Background:Even though I'd really like one, it's not entirely practical or financially viable at the moment for me to have a permanent observatory in my garden.I therefore thought the next best thing is to build a pier - which should offer superior stability than a tripod and not take up much room.This idea was run past the wife and surprisingly approved without much fuss. When not in astronomical use it was agreed that the pier will be topped with a sundial in order to make it blend in a bit better.Since I was looking for a low cost option, I've taken the inspiration for the build from the piers at Todmorden Observatory, which I know a few other SGL members have also implemented.Materials for pier:M10 Stainless Steel A2 Threaded Bar (1m) x2 £10.46 Toolstation http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p79966M10 Stainless Steel A2 Dome nuts x8 £ 1.95 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160881328576M10 Stainless Steel A2 Nuts x12 £ 4.49 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181036635594M10 Stainless Steel A2 Washers x16 £ 2.69 Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360543852606440mm x 215mm x 215mm Hollow Concrete Block 7N x2 £ 3.30 MKM.B.S. https://www.mkmbs.co.uk/prodb004313-440mm-x-215mm-x-215mm-hollow-concrete-block-7n/Postcrete 20kg x3 £17.97 Wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/Blue-Circle-Postcrete-20kg/p/221100Wood off cut (approx 20cm x 20cm) x1 £ 0.00Masonry Paint x1 £ 0.00TOTAL £40.86Tools:PencilRulerSpirit LevelDrillMasonry Drill Bits (5mm, 10mm)Wood Drill bit (10mm)SpannersSpade/TrowelSaw suitable for metalConstruction Instructions:Select a suitable site in your gardenDig a hole approx (30cm x 30cm square) x 40cm deep Cut the M10 threaded bar into 4x 33cm and 4x 10.5cm lengthsBend the M10 threaded bar 33cm lengths at right angles approx 8cm from one end (may need to heat them up to do this)Drill 4 holes into one of the concrete blocks using the 5mm drill bit, then go through again with the 10mm bitPlace the other block on top and mark through the holes with a pencil, then drill the second blockUse the 4x 10.5cm lengths of M10 threaded bar to attach the two blocks together using washers, nuts and the dome nuts on topDrill 4 holes in the base of one blockPut an off cut of wood on the block and mark through the holes with the pencilDrill the holes in the woodAttach the 4x 33cm lengths of M10 threaded bar using nuts. This is only temporary, since this is effectively a 'former' in order to ensure that the bars line up with your block holes when they've been set in the concrete Mix most of the concrete and pour into the holeInsert the 'former' ensuring that the underside nuts are not submerged, that approx 50mm of bar is above the concrete, and most importantly the 'former' is level Add more concrete if necssary & tamp down to make the top smoothWait until the concrete is set & remove the wooden 'former' Smooth out any unevenness in the concrete, ensure it is approx level and that the block fits onto the exposed threaded barsAdd a small amount of concrete & place the block on top, adding more concrete around the sides as necessaryMake sure the block is as level as possibleWait until the concrete is set and fix it into position using washers and dome nutsPaint the whole thingOther notes:You could use cheaper zinc plated threaded bar and nuts/washers, I selected A2 stainless steel for longevity and anti-rusting.Stainless steel comes in A2 and A4. A4 is generally more expensive and is mainly for marine use.Another option for the base is bolting it to some freestanding paving slabsAnother option for attaching the blocks and base together is using specialist glue