Skywatcher Motor Control box mounting

[Newforestgimp]

Hi all,

Im looking for ideas of how to mount a skywatcher motor control box to a pier, I don’t want to destroy the standard tripod mount as still need to use it on the tripod as well.

I’m probably overlooking something obvious, any ideas ?

cheers

Andy H

[Newforestgimp]

Bump

[malc-c]

2 hours ago, Newforestgimp said:

Bump

Bit impatient aren't we???

The reason I think you've not had a reply is that there may be some confusion over what you want to do.  When you say "Motor control box" what do you mean... the handset ??? - The thing is there is no "motor control" box on an HEQ5 in the same way as an EQ5 or EQ3 has an external synscan box.  The motorboard is actually inside the mount.

If you mean that you want to fix the mount to the pier, then just use a suitable sized bolt through the centre of the top plate to tighten the mount down to it.  Use a stainless steel stand off bolted to the plate so that you can polar alignment screws to fine tune the PA.  Alternatively have someone weld three aluminium  blocks with holes in at 120 degree angles so that tripod head (the red bit in the image) sits over them and then use bolts and washers through the holes to secure the mount to the blocks

[Newforestgimp]

I couldn’t actually find my own post in the forum hence the bump from my profile.

I do mean the motor control box not the synscan handset theyre two separate items on my mount, I no longer use the handset as I control with alignment and pointing from my laptop. So I just want a neat solution to mounting it on the pier, using a bungee ATM.

Currently the mount itself is secured by the mount being drawn down onto the orange tripod head by the central bolt from an old EQ5 tripod, friction is working for the time being but I understand where you’re coming from.

[malc-c]

My apologies, I mistook your mount for an HEQ5.... where as its the EQM -35.  The only suggestion I can offer is to velcro the sysnscan motor module to the mount, probably to one of the flat surfaces like the one between the two green rings on the main body of the mount.

[Newforestgimp]

Thanks, Yes it’s looking something along those lines, neater than the bungee I’m using.