Really big fork alt-az for long refractor

[John]

I'd still like, one day, to put my big 6" F/12 refractor on a really heavy duty fork type alt-azimuth mount. Having scoured the market for months and months I don't think there is anything commercially available that is heavy duty enough. I'm thinking of something like a Tele Vue Gibraltar but on a much larger scale. In the past I have owned a TV Gibraltar and a Hercules alt-az but, while both were good for shorter scopes, they struggled when the focal ratio rose above F/6-ish.

Maybe something like the one being sold by Skies the Limit in the link below but even more heavy duty perhaps ?:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alt-Az-Heavy-Duty-Mount-for-telescope-very-high-specification-/380888817552?refid=store

I can see that Paul Yates (in the above link) is using the StL mount for an Istar F/10 6" so maybe that would be enough on my tripod but I'm wondering just how successful the mount was for Paul - if he is a member here some feedback would be great

I may need to have something fabricated for me. Does anyone know of a small company out there who could manufacture something like this ?

Thanks

[HD-AP]

Hi

I'm sure Barrie watts of beacon hill telescopes could make you such a mount ,and as heavy duty as you like.

[nightfisher]

Hi John, this is what i was suggesting when you first got the Istar, if you look for local fabrication shops in your area, take some drawings and a couple of photo`s im sure they could help, and you might be surprised at how reasonable it may work out 

I can supply you with an email addy for Paul yates if needed

[Moonshane]

The problem is always combining portability into the equation. I would suspect a dob based mount on a tall pillar would work well but may not be portable.

[Peter Drew]

I'm looking into this very same problem with a design similar to the "Track the Stars" alt-azimuth mount but without the drives etc. I'll let you know how it works out in due course. 

[John]

Thanks for the feedback and ideas folks and I'd be interested in what you come up with Peter

I've PM'd you Jules re: Paul Yates.