Alt-az setup

[John]

I've been looking for a really sturdy alt-azimuth mount for a while and now I think I've found it

It's an Ambermille Aztech mount on a CG5 tripod. The mount and tripod weigh around 10Kg so it's not a featherweight rig ...... but with considerable load capacity as the photo shows - that's around 5kg on one side and 8kg on the other. I was using the larger refractor on the moon at 240x just before the picture was taken - very steady viewing

[Macavity]

Very NICE - And indeed [iMO] just the way to go!

As a minor thought, how do you use the scopes as a PAIR? Do you bother to align them re. "squint" - Use one as a "finder" maybe, or simply treat them as independant devices?

[Solar B]

I have the same mount and like it to,but im still trying to figure

out a much taller set-up for longer FL refractors.

Brian

[russ]

That looks the business John. Two nice refractors on one setup....very nice!

[John]

...As a minor thought, how do you use the scopes as a PAIR? Do you bother to align them re. "squint" - Use one as a "finder" maybe, or simply treat them as independant devices?

Most of the time I'm using the scopes independantly. I just thought it would be nice occasionally, say at a star party, to have a 2-scope setup so you could swich from one view to another.

I've noticed though that I'm going to have to adjust the dovetails very carefully to ensure that 2 scopes are pointing at exactly the same piece of sky !.

John

[Mark at Beaufort]

Nice set up John especially using the CG5 with its 2" legs. I have the SkyTee mount and like you have used it at star parties to allow the use of 2 scopes at the same time. However, normally I use it solely for the 4" APO and have fitted a handle (ex tripod system) to make movement much easier when moving the scope.

I have also fitted a pillar extension (which also fits my CG5) to give that extra height and comfort when using the frac - Pillar Extension for EQ5/HEQ5 mount - London's Only Shop to Buy Telescopes & Telescope Accessories, Stumpfl Projector Screens, UK - this will answer Brian's (Solar question.

mark

[John]

....I have also fitted a pillar extension (which also fits my CG5) to give that extra height and comfort when using the frac - Pillar Extension for EQ5/HEQ5 mount - London's Only Shop to Buy Telescopes & Telescope Accessories, Stumpfl Projector Screens, UK ....

I've been thinking about that extension as well Mark. A couple of things are holding me back from it though:

i. The mount I have needs a flat top hub to sit on - on the CG5 the RA post unscrews but I think the extension might have a fixed (cast ?) post which would be awkward to remove.

ii. I'm concerned that I will get the extra height at the expense of some flex in the shaft.

I also quite enjoy observing sitting down (must be my age ) - I reckon an adjustable observing chair might cost less than the extension !.

John

[Mark at Beaufort]

John

Do you want me to photo the various parts of the extension pillar?

I also enjoy sitting down when observing but when it comes to the zenith the extra height makes viewing much easier. The pillar is quite heavy and makes the mount pretty stable which could even be better with CG5 mount.

Regards

Mark

[John]

.....Do you want me to photo the various parts of the extension pillar? ...

That would be very helpful Mark, if it's not too much bother

Thanks,

John

[Mark at Beaufort]

John

If it stays dry tomorrow I will take the photos outdoors and post later in the day.

Mark

[Mark at Beaufort]

John

Here are the photos of the pillar extension fitted to a skywatcher SkyTee dual alt/az mount. This pillar extension also fits onto my CG5 mount. As you can see from the first photo the extension can provide a good working height and is wonderful for viewing the zenith.

I think I might need to send the 8 photos in two seperate messages. If you want clarification of anything please let me know.

Regards

Mark

[Mark at Beaufort]

John

Second group of photos

Mark

[Milamber]

Hi John - good to see you are happy with the mount... it will take an AR-6 on one side with no counterweight...

An extension for the mount is very simple to arrange and I have made a few for customers... simply get a 4" aluminium tube the length you need to be extended by, get it turned flat both ends and then buy a length of M12 studding... up the middle into the base of the AzTech and a nut spun on the bottom of the tripod base. Simples. Made that way so customers had more options for extension rather than having to faff about with pins and stuff.

Arthur

[John]

Hi John - good to see you are happy with the mount... it will take an AR-6 on one side with no counterweight...

An extension for the mount is very simple to arrange and I have made a few for customers... simply get a 4" aluminium tube the length you need to be extended by, get it turned flat both ends and then buy a length of M12 studding... up the middle into the base of the AzTech and a nut spun on the bottom of the tripod base. Simples. Made that way so customers had more options for extension rather than having to faff about with pins and stuff.

Arthur

Hi Arthur - its a superb piece of engineering - I'm dead chuffed with it

Thanks for your thoughts on an alternative extension option - I'll give that some thought myself.

I'm going to test it's capacity a bit further yet I've just bought a 10" F/4.8 Orion Optics OTA - it weighs 22lbs I think (a bit lighter and shorter than an AR-6 though). I reckon the mount will handle it and the tripod legs will be extended less so it should be pretty stable as well.

John

[John]

Thanks for posting all the pics Mark - that looks a proper job !.

I like the idea of the panning handle as well - I'll try and replicate that on my mount

John

John

Here are the photos of the pillar extension fitted to a skywatcher SkyTee dual alt/az mount. This pillar extension also fits onto my CG5 mount. As you can see from the first photo the extension can provide a good working height and is wonderful for viewing the zenith.

I think I might need to send the 8 photos in two seperate messages. If you want clarification of anything please let me know.

Regards

Mark

[Taff]

Hi John' that's a very nice set up you have got.Mark

[Macavity]

I think I WILL have a go at making a variety of Ali extensions for different purposes. Maybe even use my PILLAR for a SynScan GoTo. The "official" extension from Widescreen is fine, but another heavy-ish object to launch into space!

I sense it's been asked before, but anyone know of a source of Knurled Knobs that can be used in building these trees(!) of extensions - rather than easily-lost hex bolts?

Aside: A no-brainer, but these systems make EXELLENT "PushTo" - Just stick a Wixey angle guage onto the top of one scope, and make some sort of azimuthal setting circle. I made two anulii from MDF, so that one with a scale might rotate relative to a fixed "table". Faster and QUIETER than GoTo whirrings and EASY enough to get objects within a finder or wide-angle scope width. Of course you do need a computer, but...

[Mark at Beaufort]

Chris

I am curious about your 'two anulii from MDF' - what does this mean?

Secondly if you have made an azimuth setting circle to fit your alt/az nount have you got a photo to show it in more detail. The Wixey I know and comes from FLO.

Mark

[Macavity]

Chris

I am curious about your 'two anulii from MDF' - what does this mean?

Secondly if you have made an azimuth setting circle to fit your alt/az nount have you got a photo to show it in more detail. The Wixey I know and comes from FLO.

Mark

Sorry Mark, I think a good alternative word would be RING!

You just need to make something, out of any material, to provide a flat base for a horizontal card "degree scale" around the azimuth housing. IMO easier than making a vertical scale around the periphery of a cylinder?

Then you can do a 1-star alignment by rotating the tripod to coicide with the sky. HOWEVER, with a bit of thought (doh!), I rapidly realised, making two rings was better. One rotating on top of the (fixed) other, so you then only need to rotate the scale (not the tripod) to "zero" things.

This was the FIRST prototype. Ref. simple scale / pointer etc.

http://www.macavity.eclipse.co.uk/00Public/Pushto.jpg

The Wixey is now on a ferro-magnetic bracket atop the OTA

Basically just the usual Dobsonian system made smaller!

[Mark at Beaufort]

Chris thanks for that, I think I will try and make one!!

P S - I like you twin Giro 111 mount.

Mark

[digitaldave]

I've been looking for a really sturdy alt-azimuth mount for a while and now I think I've found it

It's an Ambermille Aztech mount on a CG5 tripod. The mount and tripod weigh around 10Kg so it's not a featherweight rig ...... but with considerable load capacity as the photo shows - that's around 5kg on one side and 8kg on the other. I was using the larger refractor on the moon at 240x just before the picture was taken - very steady viewing

John,

Interesting looking mount, it looks to be along the lines of the Giro mount (also WO EZ Touch, Skywatcher etc.). I couldn't find it on the Ambermile web site, so I assume it's a discontinued item .

Availability not withstanding, I'd be interested to know what sort of weight it can handle on one side - I would love to have a simple alt-az mount for my Celestron C9.25 OTA, but it's heavy at around 10kg without anything else like diagonal, eyepiece etc!

[John]

John,

Interesting looking mount, it looks to be along the lines of the Giro mount (also WO EZ Touch, Skywatcher etc.). I couldn't find it on the Ambermile web site, so I assume it's a discontinued item .

Availability not withstanding, I'd be interested to know what sort of weight it can handle on one side - I would love to have a simple alt-az mount for my Celestron C9.25 OTA, but it's heavy at around 10kg without anything else like diagonal, eyepiece etc!

I think it's currently out of production at the current time - mine is a used example. Aparantly it can handle a Meade AR-6 ota on one side with no counterbalancing - I think thats a 25lb tube. I'm going to try an Orion Optics 10" F/4.8 on it shortly - thats a 22lb ota.

I'll feedback on how the mount copes.

John

[Milamber]

Hi again... it looks like it will out of retirement actually - or at least move back up the availability lists, if you are interested in one then talk to FLO.

There is not actually a specified weight limit to tell the truth - that is a 25mm stainless bar through 90mm of solid aluminium, sitting on another 100mm of aluminium, so you can draw your own conclusions. I stated at the outset that the 25lb per side limit was sensible only because I knew the mount - on the supplied tripod - would be *stable* with that weight on one side with no counterweight. Balanced weight, in my opinion, would be a function of the tripod underneath and not the mount itself.

Arthur

PS - I like to think the Giro is along the lines of the AzTech

[John]

....There is not actually a specified weight limit to tell the truth - that is a 25mm stainless bar through 90mm of solid aluminium, sitting on another 100mm of aluminium, so you can draw your own conclusions. I stated at the outset that the 25lb per side limit was sensible only because I knew the mount - on the supplied tripod - would be *stable* with that weight on one side with no counterweight. Balanced weight, in my opinion, would be a function of the tripod underneath and not the mount itself....

Arthur,

If I found that I did want to use a counterweight on the other arm at some time, what would be the best way to secure one on there ? - I've got a spare 5kg weight from the CG5 / EQ5 which I could use but I can't see how I might attach it

Thanks,

John

[Milamber]

Well, as things stand you would need it drilled to 25mm to fit over the existing arm... or just add another telescope.