Spacer blocks for tube rings

[JimB]

Hello all, I have removed the mounting foot from my Skywatcher Espirit 80 and fitted 101mm diameter tube rings. In order to allow the fingers of the focusser assembly rotation lock to clear the mounting plate the rings need to stand off the plate by about 20mm.

The rings are metric with a 30/60mm pitch to the mounting holes and the plate naturally has to match. Primaluce lab produce just the thing but for a 55mm pitch so can not be used. Does any one know of a supplier of 20mm standoff blocks with a 30/60mm pitch for its mounting holes? I can not locate one myself. I have ordered some 20mm square aluminium bar to make my own but would prefer a bought in, preferably anodised finish, set.

Bye the bye I read some advice here on taking the foot off. I found that you don't need to peel the rubber strip underneath the foot right off, just lift the coners to expose 4 small scres holding the bottom plate, and rubber strip, on. You can now access the allen head bolts securing the foot to the tube. The two nuts inside the tube can just be held with the fingers whilst the allen key rotates the bolts. no sockets etc are required, just the allen key.

If I was Sskywatcher I would have used stff nuts or nyloc nuts. Frankly I think the mounting foot is a poor idea and causes more problems that it solves. Other than that it's lovely piece of kit.

Edited April 1, 2022 by JimB

[Merlin66]

A photo of the set up would help.

usually it’s possible to slide the OTA in the rings to allow the focuser to clear the rail.

[JimB]

Thanks for the reply Merlin. Sorry for taking so long to acknowledge your input, just back from holiday. The OTA design doesn't allow this  as the part where the rings fit is only a few inches long. I have bought some pillers that FLO shell and together with some thick M6 washers have mounted the tube sucessfully. I have bought some aluminium bar to cut to size to increase the stand off further, this will allow me to mount my power box etc under the tube. Using the piller type stand offs has the advantage of providing a gap for cables to be routed under the rings.