Basic Pier Installation

[Adreneline]

 

Since 2016 when I started this hobby I have been lugging a mount outside each time I wanted to do some imaging.

"Enough is enough" said my back and hands - so time for a pier!

Purchased a Pulsar pier from @FLO with thanks to Chris for help and advice. Also purchased the adapter plate for the AZEQ6 mount.

The management had made it clear it was to be "neat and tidy - I don't want the place looking like a builders yard - and don't leave sand and cement all over the grass"

With the ground rules established:

Turf removed and outer wooden frame in position and levelled to provide a reference and contain the slate chippings:

Started digging the central 600x600x300mm hole to take the concrete block. I decided 300mm deep was more than deep enough!

Central hole down to ~300mm with a second wooden frame set 4cm below the outer frame:

Ready to pour concrete with plenty of protection in place:

Concrete poured and levelled off with the top of the inner wooden frame:

A week later, concrete drilled using an 18mm SDS drill bit; this was hard going as I kept encountering ballast stones and chippings.

Also painted the wooden frame and applied some 'second-hand' decorative features!

Concrete sealant applied and a coat of concrete paint:

Studding secured with two part epoxy resin, and grid to contain slate clippings roughly positioned:

Finished and waiting for a clear astro-dark night and delivery of the slate chipping:

Just need to order the Telegizmo cover.

Decided against running power and network to the mount; it's no effort to run out the extension cable from the garage and CAT5 cable from the socket on the back of the house, and it saved digging up the lawn!

I hope this is of interest to someone.

Thanks for looking.

Adrian

P.S.

The day it was all finished we were gifted a clear albeit not astro-dark night. The mount was successfully PA'ed and bolted down.

Connectivity worked a treat with the Remote Desktop link to the on-mount MeLE performing faultlessly.

The Veil - 14x300s Ha captured with NINA using the RedCat 51 with ASI1600 and Astronomik filter.

Roll on the dark nights!

[Swoop1]

Nice installation @Adreneline

I like the decoarative additions.

[Adreneline]

8 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

I like the decoarative additions.

Thank you!

We have an underground surface water capture tank with a hand pump - it is situated adjacent to the new mount base. The previous house owner, for whatever reason, had the N, S, E, W letters on the corners of the slabbed base around the pump. The slabs look hideous and are going to be replaced with a visually similar arrangement to that surrounding the telescope pier base. It made sense to move the letters over to the new base.  

 

[mareman48]

Looks great, 

How did you secure the bolts in thePulsar pier to the concrete base?

[M40]

Excellent 👌 

I place a plastic builders bucket over the top of the mount before chucking on the TG cover. This provides an airgap between cover and mount and allows circulation. Seems to work a treat and has stopped the mount adapter from sweating.

[apaulo]

Great job, and kept simple, looks good and works. what more can you ask for. well done and thanks for sharing.

[Adreneline]

17 hours ago, mareman48 said:

Looks great, 

How did you secure the bolts in thePulsar pier to the concrete base?

Thank you!  

I used a two-part epoxy resin from Toolstation - two tubes plus applicator for £25. (Screwfix do something similar but it requires a custom applicator gun). The studs are 300mm M16 and Pulsar recommend using an 18mm drill - it seems to be very solid. I also placed a plain washer and a spring washer below the nut.

HTH  

[mareman48]

4 minutes ago, Adreneline said:

Thank you!  

I used a two-part epoxy resin from Toolstation - two tubes plus applicator for £25. (Screwfix do something similar but it requires a custom applicator gun). The studs are 300mm M16 and Pulsar recommend using an 18mm drill - it seems to be very solid. I also placed a plain washer and a spring washer below the nut.

HTH  

Great, thanks for the info, will try my hand at it and see how I get on .👍

[Adreneline]

28 minutes ago, M40 said:

Excellent 👌 

I place a plastic builders bucket over the top of the mount before chucking on the TG cover. This provides an airgap between cover and mount and allows circulation. Seems to work a treat and has stopped the mount adapter from sweating.

Thank you!  

Great minds .... I have done the same with the addition of an old bathroom towel over the AZEQ6. The whole thing is currently covered by a tarpaulin and secured with some bungees!

I have to say I am wondering whether I should build a small enclosure - how do you find the Telegizmo? (The 'management' wishes they came in different colours - like sage green).

🤔

[Laurieast]

21 hours ago, Adreneline said:

A week later, concrete drilled using an 18mm SDS drill bit; this was hard going as I kept encountering ballast stones and chippings.

This is all a great job, and it looks impressive and tidy.

But is there a way of avoiding the drilling part? Like suspending the bolts above the hole by sky hooks, and filling in around them? or is epoxy a known better way of doing it? I have no building knowledge.

This has been on my to-do list for a long time, and as I get older the mount seems to be gaining mass.

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Laurieast

[Adreneline]

1 hour ago, Laurieast said:

This is all a great job, and it looks impressive and tidy.

Thank you. I was under strict instruction not to make a mess of things.

1 hour ago, Laurieast said:

is there a way of avoiding the drilling part? Like suspending the bolts above the hole by sky hooks, and filling in around them? or is epoxy a known better way of doing it?

I'm really not sure if there is a "best way". I had positioned the pier with the orientation as close to due north as possible and marked the hole positions on the concrete. I removed the pier and then drilled the first hole to a depth of 300mm. I then positioned the pier back on the concrete and placed a stud with a nut attached to stop it disappearing into the hole. I then drilled the three remaining holes through the holes in the base plate of the pier (the base plate holes are about 19mm diameter so the 18mm drill just passed through). As I drilled each hole I put a stud with nut in to help hold everything in place.

Two-part epoxy seems to be a recognised and recommended way of fixing studs into concrete. As far as I can tell it has worked really well. I don't know just how tight I can go before they pull out but the whole thing feels rock solid and I am more than happy it will take my AZEQ6 plus any scope I am likely to use.

1 hour ago, Laurieast said:

as I get older the mount seems to be gaining mass.

Sadly I am losing the grip in my hands - I life spent motorcycling has not done my thumbs any good  - and I was becoming very aware that one day I might drop the mount and that would be a disaster - for the mount and whatever I dropped it on - like my foot!

It's not a cheap solution but what is cheap in this hobby?

I look forward to seeing images of your pier - soon!  

Adrian

[M40]

9 hours ago, Adreneline said:

I have to say I am wondering whether I should build a small enclosure - how do you find the Telegizmo? (The 'management' wishes they came in different colours - like sage green).

I have a cunning plan in place and it involves Willow Green  

I've found that the TG cover works really well but I rather like the look of the pier and mount, so rather than put a box around the whole, I am going to try a partially see through enclosure, no idea if it will work but given a little bit of time ....... 😜

Why Willow green? It's the closest I could find to Disney's "Go away Green". Apparently it makes structures invisible, let's find out

[jacko61]

On 03/07/2022 at 11:36, Laurieast said:

But is there a way of avoiding the drilling part? Like suspending the bolts above the hole by sky hooks, and filling in around them? or is epoxy a known better way of doing it? I have no building knowledge.

 

Yes.  Many of us have created a former to lay on top of the wet concrete in which the bolts are fixed. The concrete then hardens around the studs.  There's a very good pictorial guide on this thread (page 2)...