Pier again

[rich_t]

Hi,

After yet more time thinking about pier designs, I'm moving away from wood. I fancy the idea of a 2 meter steel tube dropped into 1m deep hole about .5 meter across and concreted in.

My only concern is that of all the designs I've looked at on the web, no one else seems to have done it this way!

The advantages I saw were no welding of bottom plate/bolt cage required, I can make a wood top plate myself so don't need a metal fabricator. Installation will be more like putting in a fence post than making a foundation?

Disadvantage is can't be taken with you if you move and can't be adjusted at the bottom if ever required

Just wondered if anyone knew of any problems I could get with this before I order the tube?

It would be covered with some kind of shed arrangement.

Thanks.

[blinky]

Thats what I did. 2m Air conditioning conduit, cemented in 1m of concrete. Works a treat steady as a rock

[ncjunk]

Most of the designs I have seen on the web are the tube

variety filled with concrete that has effectively four long

bolts sunk into it. This looks to be the best design.

My father in law has made a pier for me so I will

have to use that but I am starting to wish I could do

the tube and concrete method...I might do it as well.

On the Tube side I saw a lovely stainless 1 meter high

section of tubing that is used to take the exhaust gases

out of a building for €25 in the local DIY store lucky

for me the missus wasn't there to see me drooling.

Neil C

[blinky]

Here is my Pier

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,23522.0.html

[ncjunk]

Damn thats nice.....

[Sam]

Damn thats nice.....

I'll second that!!!

[George]

Mines stainless aircon ducting, filled with concreate, scrap steel bar etc all anchored in a 3' x 3" concreate cube....rock solid does the job

[rich_t]

Thanks, those look great.

I was thinking about getting a steel tube that was strong/thick enough to not need a concrete filling and have a wood top plate bolted to it (which could be changed if required). Will have to decide very soon, otherwise it'll never happen!

Thanks.

[centroid]

I considered the pipe set in concrete idea, but decided to go for a pier bolted to a concrete block, and was glad that I did.

When I upgraded my scope from an 8" SCT on a CG5, to a 10" LX200GPS on a 'wedge', the pier needed to be shortened by some 18". As it was bolted down, it was a simple job to remove it, take it along to the local engineering company that built it for me, and get it shortened.

If it had been set in concrete, that would not have been so easy.

Dave

[George]

Your quite right Dave, you have to consider future upgrades, in my case my scope is a newt thereby needing a shorter pier, if I change to a forkmount SCT etc I will have to add height which will be far easier than shortening

Also you have to consider how permanent your site is going to be, a concreate filled pier would be considered permanent, a bolted down steel pier could be moved with not a lot of trouble.

Just some things to consider before making your decision.

[rich_t]

For the pier height I currently have an LX90 which I plan to make a wedge for and in the future maybe put the OTA on a GEM. I'm trying to work out without having the GEM what the pier height change would be in the future (to avoid having to do it!).

With the LX90 pointing at the zenith, the eyepiece is ~9.5" above the tripod top. I think this will be similar with the wedge. For an EQ6 I don't have dimensions other than the height on the skywatcher site says 41cm and the base is 13cm diameter I believe. With this info and a printed photo of the mount from the website I reckon the dec axis is about 10.5" above the tripod top when it is horizontal, does anyone know if that is about right please?

Assuming the balance point is similar to what I have now then the eyepiece would be 1.5" below the tripod top. So looks like the pier needs to be about 11" higher for an EQ6 at the zenith at least? That sounds very high so just wanted to check?

Thanks.

[daz]

George

Where did you get the 'boot' from, please?

[astro84]

Hi George,

I'm planning on installing a pier in my garden to take my EQ-6, and was admiring your pier set up below..,

Mines stainless aircon ducting, filled with concreate, scrap steel bar etc all anchored in a 3' x 3" concreate cube....rock solid does the job

I've got a few questions about your set up, please: -

1] Can I ask where you got the pier adapter that your mount is attached to?

2] How is it that you're supposed to tighten the screw into the base of the mount - as its normally done for attaching the mount to its tripod?

3] And conversely.., what exactly is the procedure (looking at your installation) for removing the mount off that pier?

Thanks.

Regards,

stro84

[beamish]

2] How is it that you're supposed to tighten the screw into the base of the mount - as its normally done for attaching the mount to its tripod?

Good question .

[George]

The butchers block top is actually in 2 halves they both slide out after undoing a couple of screws

Once the scope is perfectly drift aligned theres no need to get too the centre bolt.

The pier top was custom made by a friend from UKAI forum, the 3 adjusting bolts just need the nuts removing to remove the mount.....its really a simple setup

[beamish]

Is the rubber boot from a washing machine ?

[George]

Is the rubber boot from a washing machine ?

No its actually doing the job it was made for, imagine that bit of tube stuck out of a roof as a chimney

Daz I will ask the storeman at work if we have anymore of those boots leftover and I will PM you if we have.

[daz]

Thanks George!!

We have air-con engineers in at work at the moment so I shall be asking the obvious question!!!

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

FYI these things are known by the trade name of Dektite.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[daz]

KK - a fountain of knowledge!