Purchased my ultimate mount and pier today....

[dkbender]

I don't know if you get much exposure to Astro-Physics products but I found and purchased a pristine second hand AP900 GTO mount and Particle Wave Technologies portable Pinnacle pier today.   I'm really jazzed about this.   I've owned a 152mm f/8 apo triplet (ED152CF) for a few months now, that is a bit of a beast in size and length and needed a really good mount for it.   The AP products are well known for being state of the art in build quality and accuracy.   It's common for them to track with in less than one pixel of error, over long exposures.

The second part to this is the pier.   Not very common but equally SOTA, is the PWT Pinnacle pier.   Just a gorgeous work of art crafted out of metal and clever design. 

Can't wait to put it all together!   I'll post pictures when I do.

If you are curious about AP, here is their link...

http://www.astro-physics.com/

PWT Pinnacle pier and tripod link....

http://www.company7.com/pw/tripods/pinnacle.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave_D]

For Trade: 1 slightly worn kidney for one of those 

looks like a hell of a mount.

[dkbender]

Ha!  No used kidneys are needed.... but thanks!

My thinking is, doing a proper system, starts with the foundation.   Probably like anything and everything else we know of.

I have communicated with some folks that have been around this hobby for a long time and they have told me that, just about every annoying problem they have ever had, can be traced back to the mount and drive system.   The mount system is where the real investment "should" be, according to them.

[Alien 13]

Ha!  No used kidneys are needed.... but thanks!

My thinking is, doing a proper system, starts with the foundation.   Probably like anything and everything else we know of.

I have communicated with some folks that have been around this hobby for a long time and they have told me that, just about every annoying problem they have ever had, can be traced back to the mount and drive system.   The mount system is where the real investment "should" be, according to them.

Exactly right its the basis of any system, audio video or astro imaging the source (in this case the mount) defines the resolution of everything else.

[L8-Nite]

Good score on both Items for sure !

The Pinnacle is an outstanding portable pier, brilliantly engineered, like all of Shahin's products. Its unfortunate PWT is no longer in business, they built the best portable piers in the world.   

[dkbender]

Mike,  I had never seen a Pinnacle until yesterday but it literally took my breath away!   It weighs mere 35 lbs-ish.... but it has a payload of something like 10x that.   The AP900GTO mount and my 152mm apo are a mere afterthought on its back... and mine has the fully adjustable feet option too.

[L8-Nite]

It will take your breath away.     Several years back, I was fortunate to get in on the last run of of the Monolith piers; it was worth the price.

In the latest Transformers movie, toward the end, there is a scene where one of the main character's look  through a brass refractor which is mounted on a Pinnacle pier.

Looking forward to some photos.

[dkbender]

Very cool!   you have a Monolith!!    Probably a pier/tripod that isn't seen in the UK.   What mount do you have on it?

I should have mine in hand by next weekend.   It is so cold here now, I'll probably assemble everything indoors for comfort and photograph it.

[L8-Nite]

Very cool!   you have a Monolith!!    Probably a pier/tripod that isn't seen in the UK.   What mount do you have on it?

I should have mine in hand by next weekend.   It is so cold here now, I'll probably assemble everything indoors for comfort and photograph it.

I ordered a Questar 7 as a retirement present to myself,  instead of a sports car or a new Harley.

My wife was happier about that.     Of course I needed a tristand, and being an amateur machinist,

when I saw a Monolith I was blown away !

Here are some pics at our place in California, looking for Condors in the distance; no luck. Lol.

[dkbender]

Beautiful!!!!!

In my case, I'm not retired yet, so....

Sports car.... check!

Harley...... check!! 

Custom bike.... check!

Audiophile.....  check!

Aviation addiction.... check!!

Photography addiction..... check!!!

Astronomy addiction....  check!!

I'm doomed.

[L8-Nite]

That's a good list you have there.     

[dkbender]

About the only thing I bailed out on a few years ago was sailing.

How do you like the Questar 7??  What are its strengths and weaknesses?

[L8-Nite]

About the only thing I bailed out on a few years ago was sailing.

How do you like the Questar 7??  What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Just love it of course,  brings a smile to my face every time I open the cases.

Its reasonably portable, and like the 3 1/2" model, a very well thought out and user friendly scope. I like the ease of using the integral finder and barlow without having to move my eye from the eyepiece while doing so. There is an axial port for camera or binoviewer attachment, and it's a simple matter to switch between mono viewing and bino viewing by moving your head a few inches. The drive runs off of a simple 9-volt battery, and the supplied legs simplify setup most anywhere. Although a variety of eyepieces can be used, the Questar is optimized to use Brandon eyepieces.  No upgrading needed.

As for weakness, I guess that's a matter of opinion, I can't fault it, its an awesome planetary scope. As another Q7 owner once expressed to me, for Lunar observation, " the views are as close to walking on the Moon as you or I are likely to get".  

[dkbender]

Yours is the Astro 7?    Is it the standard 2400mm f/13.5?

I've never had the chance to view through one.   I'll bet it is really good on Luna.

[L8-Nite]

Its the LWT model (Light weight Titanium), the Astro 7 model is sold as an optical tube assembly

without the control box or equatorial fork mount.

The specs for our Q7 LWT  are 2540mm  f/13.6  (visual)

[dkbender]

Ahhhh.... okay!   I missed that in the write up I looked at.

So the design is optimized for planetary and Luna?

[dkbender]

Here's the new AP900 GTO mount and Particle Wave Technologies Pinnacle pier + tripod.....    still waiting on the Robin Casady saddle.

[ollypenrice]

Your thinking about building from the mount up cannot be wrong and the AP is a good one. Actually AP's own pier-tripod hybrid is also very good. Unusually it is a pier in compression and a tripod in tension, a solution which is not widely seen but works well. Equally your new one looks fine, too. With a long refractor it's nice to have some mount height before the tripod starts to spread and you have it.

Have fun!

Olly

[L8-Nite]

Very nice indeed, a great foundation for future observing.     

As my Wife often says, its not how many breaths you take in life, but the things that take your breath away that make it all worth while.

[dkbender]

Olly, I was told that the gent that designed the PWT pier/tripods, did some design work for NASA.   Apparently, his designs (as seen above) actually get better as payload increases.   I would not think that is the case with the one that has designed in tension.   Seems to make more sense to me, to have the payload put everything in compression.    What amazes me about it, is how lightweight it is, relative to its strength.   To me, that is the ingenious aspect to it.   Unfortunately, they are not available new anymore.   So, what ever is available on the used market, is it.

[ollypenrice]

Olly, I was told that the gent that designed the PWT pier/tripods, did some design work for NASA.   Apparently, his designs (as seen above) actually get better as payload increases.   I would not think that is the case with the one that has designed in tension.   Seems to make more sense to me, to have the payload put everything in compression.    What amazes me about it, is how lightweight it is, relative to its strength.   To me, that is the ingenious aspect to it.   Unfortunately, they are not available new anymore.   So, what ever is available on the used market, is it.

Ah yes, you're right. The more payload the more it pulls itself tight. Good thinking.

Olly

[dkbender]

The Robin Casady saddle plate showed up today...   so I was able to mount the ES ED152 Carbon Fiber triplet with guidescope and balance it on the new AP900 mount....   anxious to take this out for a spin now.