CPC 800 Pier mount

[Layor]

Hi All,

Can anyone help me find or make a mount for my CPC 800 that I want to put on a pier for my new obsy build, please?

Cheers, Layor

[brantuk]

Are you intending to use a wedge with it so you can polar align and track in RA? If so then you'd only need to attach the wedge to the pier.

[Layor]

Hi Brantuk, I hadn't really considered that option, but it is a possibility. I'm looking to do imaging so I presume that would be the better option?

Any idea how it actually attaches?

[Psychobilly]

I designed and had made a combined pier and wedge it has +/- 0.5 dgree adjustment for latitude and a few degrees for azm

It now has an obs over the top of it...

[brantuk]

Yes I have two heavy duty wedges for the cpc 800 and they attach via three bolts straight through the wedge base onto the tripod. So if you had similar size threaded holes on top of a pier in the same positions, I reckon that would do it.

Here's some pics of the wedge:

(PB's wedge is an all together better one though lol)

[Psychobilly]

I had the contacts .. so the Materials ,laser cutting and welding (but not painted) cost me bottle of scotch... (a nice one though limited edition half bottle worth about £80-100 which I had been given for building an RC Beetle kit but couldnt bring myself to drink - I did get the odd dram when it was opened though)

It would probably cost £120-160 to build ... and the design gets "tweaked" for the latitude of the installation

I cunningly surrounded it with a Circular plinth big enough for a 2.7M dome at some time in the future...

Seeing as the only view of the sky came form the front lawn it was a multi stage project..

Until then it has my own design and built shed over it...

[Layor]

Thanks, brantuk, I think I can see how it works now.

That is one serious pier, psychobilly:headbang:

A couple of questions, if I may, how deep did you have to go for your pier and how high is it from the ground to the first mounting point of the pier?

Layor

[Psychobilly]

My obs is on built up ground (about 50 years since it was piled up but it was nearly all topsoil) so it was totaly impractical to dig for "clay" .. instead I dug about 3 feet then drove 3 6' lenghts of 3"x1/4" thick angle into the ground at angles like tripod legs leaving about 18" in the hole to get cast into the concrete...about 750 Kilos went into the hole...

IIRC It's about 1200mm I'll measure it when I get home this afternoon...

Peter...

[Layor]

I designed and had made a combined pier and wedge it has +/- 0.5 dgree adjustment for latitude and a few degrees for azm

I don't suppose you happen to have to hand the dimensions, etc, for the build of the wedge:D

The only ones I have found are very expensive:eek: and as I'm 'in the trade' I'm sure I can knock one up for a fraction of the cost!

Layor

[Psychobilly]

Autocad drawings be ok You have a pm...

[Layor]

Many thanks, psychobilly. Sorry for delay in replying, just had a bite to eat!

Plinth is now made, I'll be cementing the whole area the obsy is going on in a few weeks time. Going to need more manpower though, absolutely creamcrackered after yesterday, I had to manhandle the ballast and cement from the front of the house up twelve steep steps and then a few more to the top of the garden:cussing:. At least I'm on a level with most of the rooftops!

Cheers, Layor

[Psychobilly]

Were the drawings OK ? Can you mod the drawings for your latitiude yourself?

If not let me know...

Peter..

[Layor]

Hi Peter,

Yes to both. (I hope!) My son is a designer for a company called Architectural Products in Tewksbury, so he should be able to help me out:headbang:

Thanks once again, Layor.

[Layor]

BTW, I notice that you have a gapped circle around your pier, is that for preventing vibrations?

My pier will be similar in that I have managed to get a 5" square box section (roughly) about 8' long and I'll be welding 'fins' to it to get more support and to aid in damping any vibrations. Plus I'll fill it with sand as well.

Oh, and I will be cutting the box section down to a more manageable 4'!

Layor.

[Psychobilly]

Yes it's to reduce vibrations transferring from the obs floor to the pier any questions just ask

Billy on the San Fran

.....

[Layor]

Just one for later, is it filled with sand?

I've seen one plinth on the forum where they have used polystyrene sheets between the concrete. Seems a logical solution but I would have thought sand would be better.

Colin.

[Irishnights]

Hi Colin

How did you get on with the pier for your CPC 800? Did you construct your concrete pier and what wedge did you go with. Any snaps of your work would be nice to see. I have the celestron wedge and thinking of going the obsy route.

Cheers

Jonathan

[Psychobilly]

My pier isn't Filled with sand and the gap between the pier foundation and the floor is left open.. I keep meaning to fil it with polystrene beads as the spiders love it as it is ...but never seem to ger round to doing it...

I also drove a 4 ft lengtt of 12mm x 4mm copper bar into the ground and electrically bonded it to the pier pair of 6mm bolts ito tapped holes inthe pier base as a "local earth"... the earth rod gets "watered" every few months in dry weather...

Peter...

[Layor]

Hi All,

Sorry for the delay in posting but things have been a bit hectic here and I'm now on a short break (much needed (and deserved:D)) in the Lake District (The Mortal Man in Troutbridge, highly recomended!).

Anyway, Jonathan, I've made the base for the pier (2 and a bit x 2 and a bit x 3 and a bit feet) and have managed to get a 9' x 4" square boxed section with a 14" square base plate already welded to it. It had 4 10mm holes in each corner which I have drilled out to 20mm, I made a template from a piece of wood and inserted 4 20mm x 2' lengths of threaded bar into the concrete. The fun began when I went to fit the baseplate on the bars! One of the holes was slightly out. Oh! the pleasure and joy I had filing the holes in the 10mm plate to fit:mad:.

Still, it is now secure and all I have to do is cut the box section to the right length and weld a plate to the top to attach the wedge. Getting the height correct is going to be the main problem and I will not be able to do that until the wedge is built so I know the size of it.

I asked my son if his firm would be able to make it designed on Peter's (psychobilly) wedge. He said it shouldn't be a problem and as a bonus it would be made of alluminium, so it would be lighter. Another idea that I've pinched from Peter are the 'fins' on the pier:headbang:, they will help stabilise it and hopefully damp any vibrations. Talking of which, is it worth filling the box section with sand?

I will post some pics of the build once I get back home and into the swing of things again:(.

Thanks for the info, Peter, especially the grounding of the pier section. As for filling the gap with poly beads, good idea but have you ever tried to manouver the #*!+~@y things into a small space? I had a lady friend make me a bag/pad filled with them to use as a rest for my camera, we spent more time picking the bits up from the floor and off of our clothes! Mind you the two dogs didn't really help any!

My main task after my break is going to be filling the rest of the area with concrete for the base of the obsy', I've managed to con a couple of friends into helping with that. They think they are going to get a couple of beers for their efforts! Fat chance!

All the Best, Colin.

[Psychobilly]

Did you remember to make the changes to the wedge side plates for your Latitude...

Peter...

[Layor]

Hi, peter,

Yes, we've taken that into consideration and, hopefully, will make some mods so that it will be easy to adjust. I'll keep you posted and DL some pics when it's finished.

Colin

[Irishnights]

Look forward to seeing the pics and enjoy the break.

[tricky-dicky]

Were the drawings OK ? Can you mod the drawings for your latitiude yourself?

If not let me know...

Peter..

I'm trying to take some basic photos with my CPC925 and Sony A65, but all what I have is problems with tracking.

Peter, is it possible to have a look at the drawings of your wedge?