NEQ 6 DIY mounting bracket to pier

[Astrokev]

Hi All

I'm planning to mount my NEQ 6 on a pier (concrete filled airduct tube).

I've designed a method to do this, but I'm now feeling a little unsure as to whether this will be strong enough. The last thing I want is for my scope and mount to come crashing down off the pier in the middle of a session!

My approach is to use the standard tripod head (without legs) and to place this on a 16mm plate, which will be fixed to the pier with 4 bolts sunk into the concrete. The tripod head will be attached to the plate with a single 10mm bolt (see my home made bolt below!). The images hopefully help understand my approach. My logic is that when the mount is used as purchased with the supplied tripod, the mount is attached with a single bolt. The weakest part of the whole assembly is therefore the single fixing bolt for both the out-of the-box approach, and also my design. On this basis, I can't see that my design is any less secure.....but I still feel nervous.

I'd value opinions on whether I'm taking too big a risk here, and if so, how I could improve my design?

Many thanks.

[ChrisLX200]

An NEQ6 + 10" Newt + Camera is quite some weight to be depending on a single 10mm bolt. I'm not sure what you can do about it given I have no idea what tooling you have available, personally I would machine new top-plate and lose the tripod top - but that's just me. I'm not suggesting anything bad may happen, it's just that I like to be certain it can't...

ChrisH

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I agree with Chris, why ruin a mount, just bolt one of these to you square plate https://www.altairastro.com/pier-adapter-skywatcher-celestron-ioptron-multi-mount.html

[Astrokev]

Thanks Chris & Julian.

I think you've convinced me that my approach is too big a risk.

Thanks for the link to the pier adapter....now where's my credit card?

Kev

[gentlebear76]

I use a brake disc for mine. Like you I have a plate that provides a hole for the bolt to hold the scope and then the brake disc above that. Both of these are held by 6 large bolts set in concrete. It's really annoying to drill a brake disc but I've had no problems other than that. You just have to find a brake disc that matches the small step on the mount. My local car shop has a homepage with what they offer and on that there are measurements for the different disks so I was able to find one that fit exactly. Can't remember which one, though. Painted it using hammerite. This solution has worked for me for 2 years without trouble. I should add, though, that my mount is inside my RoR observatory so there is no continued direct contact with the environment. 

Michael