Baader Dovetail Counterweight

[Paz]

I use a filter wheel or a dual speed focuser with my Maksutov that makes it tail heavy and not quite balance-able sometimes. After living with it for a while I gave in and bought a Baader dovetail counterweight. It is expensive hence I procrastinated for some time but I have to say it makes it really easy to balance and easy to rebalance without having to loosen and move the whole scope forward and back which is always a worrying undertaking.

It is also possie to offset the counterweight from the centreline so that it can also counter the effects of an off centre finder scope or such.

It's very well made, and is as  nice to look at as to use (shallow I know but true). Here's an action shot.

[DRT]

I've just bought something similar from ADM for balancing my large refractor and 10" Newtonian so that I can get the eyepieces in a comfortable position. Pricey, but very effective!

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I like the clean look of it, much better than the spare EQ3 weight, I had lying around which I've bolted to the end of a long mounting bar, for balancing an ED80 with its imaging kit etc. it works buts looks tatty....

I've bought an off-cut billet of stainless steel, but have yet to weigh & mill out a replacement.....