Anyone Built an Alt / Az Mount??

[Paul73]

Hi Folks

I’m toying with the idea of building an Alt/Az Mount to handle my solar gear.

It needs to handle 7kg max on each side (ED120 on each side).

Has anyone made similar / got any design ideas! I’m thinking a single bar through a wide fork, with a narrower fork nested in the middle to limit bar bending opportunities! The saddles will not be home made.

Paul

[vlaiv]

I've not done anything like that myself, but probably best way to start is to see what sort of bearings are you going to use. Size and type for start. I'm guessing that conical type will be needed for AZ motion, since whole weight will be resting on it.

[mikeDnight]

20 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

Hi Folks

I’m toying with the idea of building an Alt/Az Mount to handle my solar gear.

It needs to handle 7kg max on each side (ED120 on each side).

Has anyone made similar / got any design ideas! I’m thinking a single bar through a wide fork, with a narrower fork nested in the middle to limit bar bending opportunities! The saddles will not be home made.

Paul

Peter Drew is the man to talk to. Yes built quite a few of various designs. ☺

[Cosmic Geoff]

I did build a couple of mounts when I was a teenager.?

Alt-az mounts are the type that would be easiest to make at home with DIY tools.  Though I would suggest that a prime reason for doing so these days is that you have the urge to construct something.  I imagine that you could purchase a suitable mount for a fraction of the cost of your two ED120's.

 

[Paul73]

22 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Though I would suggest that a prime reason for doing so these days is that you have the urge to construct something. 

You got me!

[paulastro]

Yep, Peter Drew is the chap to contact, if I were you I'd pm him if he doesn't  become aware of your post.

[Doc]

I have built two Alt/Az mounts. One is a clone of the Panther mount and the second a clone of the DiscMount DM6.

Both can be built on a Myford ML7 size lathe and a hobby milling machine.

If you are interested in the build threads look in the DIY section.

 

 

[Gina]

I have an EQ fork mount on my project list - just a little one for a widefield rig.

[Paul73]

6 hours ago, Doc said:

I have built two Alt/Az mounts. One is a clone of the Panther mount and the second a clone of the DiscMount DM6.

Both can be built on a Myford ML7 size lathe and a hobby milling machine.

If you are interested in the build threads look in the DIY section.

Thanks Doc. I’ll dig them out. Very tidy builds! Mine will not be so professional....

[tonyowens_uk]

I ignored AltAz mounts esp the non-GoTo ones until someone put a Skywatcher AZGTi in front of my nose and suggested i take a closer look. So I got one and took it apart and was impressed both positively and negatively at the things i found. I dropped and broke a worm block casting so never got to actually use it. But the small size lack of cables and quality of images some folk are producing with these cheap minimalist mounts has grabbed my attention. I'm part way through re-engineering the design based around the OE control board and motors.

The challenge at present is eliminating or fixing the various design shortcomings and cut corners to boost performance without increasing BOM cost, bulk or weight. Im in CAD and analysis right now but will start making proof-of-principle models of the new bits for testing shortly.  Im still trying to locate a capable supplier willing to produce investment castings for me in R&D quantities based on 3D printed wax models. Marvellous fun! Observing and imaging with these things seem almost incidental...

Perhaps the simplest and best AltAz mounts I've seen for home building, ever, was Jean Texereau's design in his 'How to make a Telescope'. Superb structural design and ergonomics and equally capable of execution in plywood or machined metal. A very smart engineer!