Upgrade To Outside Pier......

[laser_jock99]

.....people who insist on 'leveling bolts' look away now.

A long awaited upgrade has now been done to my outside pier (aka The Wide Field Rig). I got my custom made metal pier puck back at long last last (this particular 'foreigner' seemed to take an awful long while). Anyway- a few phone calls to the machine shop and a case of beer later I have a drop-in pier adapter puck for my outside steel tube pier!

Outside pier under it's covers.

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The somewhat unsatisfactory 'wooden block' arrangement that has been replaced.

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The new aluminium pier adaptor puck.

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Pier adaptor puck in the steel tube pier.

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EQ6 mount now solidly mounted!

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Finaly a message I've been preaching for a while- you don't need 'leveling bolts' if you build the pier level in the first place! In fact you don't need 'leveling bolts' at all as all the adjustment you need is built into the EQ6.

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[Beulah]

Nice work!

Those conifers have shot up since we last saw images of this fab observatory....they make a good windbreak with the garden being so exposed...

[Jkulin]

My pier is just being finished at the moment and my concrete was poured yesterday, I can't position an Obs to accommodate the pier/Mount, so I have to bring my equipment in at the end of a session.

I was interested at is appear that you are leaving your mount out all the time, will it be alright doing that?

[Craney]

"I was interested at is appear that you are leaving your mount out all the time, will it be alright doing that? "

 

Yes, I am interested in that as well.  With the Winter season coming up, it would be great not to have to heave the EQ6 up and down the gardenand re-align it , but with all that moisture and possible condensation -eek ??  I don't know..... are they that resilient ??

Sean.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Yep, mine stays outside 24x7x365...

[laser_jock99]

57 minutes ago, Beulah said:

Nice work!

Those conifers have shot up since we last saw images of this fab observatory....they make a good windbreak with the garden being so exposed...

They make a good windbreak but need regular loping to keep them in check!

[laser_jock99]

1 hour ago, Craney said:

"I was interested at is appear that you are leaving your mount out all the time, will it be alright doing that? "

 

Yes, I am interested in that as well.  With the Winter season coming up, it would be great not to have to heave the EQ6 up and down the gardenand re-align it , but with all that moisture and possible condensation -eek ??  I don't know..... are they that resilient ??

Sean.

This EQ6 has lived outside about 4 years now in a fairly extreme environment- 1400 feet up in the Welsh mountains. I take a 'multi layered' approach:

1) Old woolen hat over the saddle - prevents the sharp bits poking through covers.

2) Bin liner with a Poundland moisture trap (this is taped to the pier and I tear this disposable bottom layer off when access is needed).

3) Poundland bike cover.

4) Poundland BBQ cover.

5) Another Poundland BBQ cover.

6) Wrap around well with 10m of UV resitant paracord. This is important (in my location at least). The slightest amount of 'flap' in the covers will lead to shredded coverings the frequent gales we get here!

 

[Craney]

Thanks for the reply,  wow 4 years !!.....    and up in the mountains as well.   I used to live in the hills around Llanidloes and when it blows, it  certainly gets rid of the cob webs !!

This has made me feel a lot better about keeping the mount out for a week when we are touch and go on the cloud front.

Cheers and calm, clear skies

Sean

 

[laser_jock99]

15 minutes ago, Craney said:

Thanks for the reply,  wow 4 years !!.....    and up in the mountains as well.   I used to live in the hills around Llanidloes and when it blows, it  certainly gets rid of the cob webs !!

This has made me feel a lot better about keeping the mount out for a week when we are touch and go on the cloud front.

Cheers and calm, clear skies

Sean

 

I'm about 10 miles from Llani. This week has been horrendous....