Guidescope slippage

[Uranium235]

Had a bit of a scare last night...

I was trying to get a good guide star last night for M51 by twiddling the rear set of bolts on my ADM rings, when I noticed the ST80 starting to slip... good thing i spotted that, the who lot could have ended up on a concrete patio.

It didnt help that M51 was virtually overhead, so the force of gravity helped it on its way once one of the rear bolts was loosened. Now... an ST80 is one thing, but seeing that happen to a new APO & camera would be a horror show.

So are there any suggestions as to how to completely secure the weight of the scope and a camera?

Ive thought of putting rubber tips on the forward bolts to make them more grippy, and maybe a safety tether so if the worst did ever happen - it wouldnt slip far enough to break anything. Paranoid? In this instance... yes!