pier mount help

[nightfisher]

hi all, im a long way of this as yet, but gonna be getting ideas for a pier with or without an obsy!

so can a pier be metal tube, say 100mm diameter with at least 5mm wall or is plasric tube filled with cement a better idea

[malc-c]

A pier can be anything that provides a solid support, be that a plastic, metal or even cardboard tube filled with concrete or a fabricated design from steel tube or box section bolted to a concrete block sunk in the ground. - Each have their merits - there is no "best way"

[nightfisher]

thanks malcolm

[Digz]

Check out my thread here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/142447-wip-pier-design.html#post1815836

There is a link to some basic reading on Piers, followed by the observations I have made and what I have learnt. Hopefully it will be of some use....

[Willarnold]

There is a good article on the Sky at Night website

How to...build a back-garden telescope pier | Sky at Night Magazine

[nightfisher]

second question to my more learned friends,

would an EQ5 mount be sturdy enough on a pier for a 150mm f8 evostar, just for observing and lunar imaging

[Digz]

The rule of thumb (which I try and use) is to make sure you dont load your mount more than about 2/3rds of its capacity. The EQ5 has a capacity of 9kg so you shouldnt load more than about 6kg on it. The 150mm Evostar weighs about 5kg should I reckon you might be ok especially for visual work and lunar imaging with a webcam.

It does beg the question, though, do you need a pier for observing? My impressions are that piers are ideally for serious imagers. That isnt to say observers cant use piers, it just seems a bit overkill to m and an expense that can probably be done with out at present?

Just my 2p worth....

[nightfisher]

I would like to progress to a pier mount to be able to have mount set up, fully aligned, ready to go, with or without an obsy

[Digz]

yeah, fair comment. I must admit it annoys the hell out of me that I have to stripe everything down and move it outside and back etc for a session. Wastes at least an hour which could be better used.....

[Breakintheclouds]

I built my pier several months before I put an observatory around it, and my experience was exactly what you say: having the mount set up and ready to go was great. I just took the OTA in and out of the house.

[nightfisher]

have noticed this lump at girlfriends, she was gonna send it to scrap..........should we hang onto it for a possible pier mount? looks to be about 7ft long

[Digz]

mmmm, that could be suitable. If you could cut in half and weld, maybe back to back like this ][ you would end up with a sturdy pier and some space to run cables. The only thing is that it would be above 3.5ft long which may or may not be high enough?

[nightfisher]

thanks digz, but i will need more height as, a im very tall at 6`4 and b, i use refractor scopes, but i think i will hang onto it in case its needed