Rather simple cheap DIY counterweights

[JonC]

I recently picked up a Vixen Sphinx mount to hold a SW 130PDS, the mount came with a 5Kg counterweight which is far too much for my scope, even when the bar is short and a camera bolted on. I did a some tests and found that a 2L water bottle was about the correct weight, I found a couple of cheap weights online but with the wrong sized hole, the Vixen ones are around £40, which seems a bit rich. Quick bit of searching turned up some 1.25 Kg weight lifting plates, £5 a pair. The hole in the middle is 25mm but found some pipe that's acted as an adapter to get it down to 20mm, and a couple of large washers and some tape to anchor it all together to test. Still a bit of flex between the plates and the adapter at the moment but will fix that with some epoxy, or drill and bolt through the large washers. All rather simple but the mount is now perfectly counterweighted with an outlay of £5, and about half an hour fiddling. Might spray paint it white at once its all finished, or alter it to make it easier to add smaller weights on to the adapter pipe.

[Stu]

Nice one Jon. That is my old mount I think, I recognise the Velcro and a few other distinguishing marks

Great to see it in a good new home. Have fun with it.

Stu