Anyone got an easy to follow design for a homemade alt az mount?

[tenbyfifty]

Given that I have the tripod from my bresser skylux package, does anybody know how I can go about creating

a sturdy homemade alt alz mount to go on top of it. If I can build one dirt cheap then I've got more choice

in terms of OTAs both brand new and second hand . I was looking at gaz o'c 's Helios 120mm f5 refractor on

astrobuysell (£90) but by the time I've paid for the tube rings, the dovetail and the az3 mount I'm paying close to the brand new price. I might also need a hand sourcing some materials. I've been looking for some time on the net for bearings and all manner of widgets but its been a lot more diffucult than I thought it would be.

Can any clever engineer types help me out?

[GordonCopestake]

Do you have access to a metalwork lathe and a pillar drill?

[tenbyfifty]

Do you have access to a metalwork lathe and a pillar drill?

err... not really :?

but if you have a link to the design I'd be interested. I might be able to find someone locally who's good with that sort of thing.

[GordonCopestake]

Look at the Aztech from Arthur. Theres a link to a review in the reviews section

[tenbyfifty]

Look at the Aztech from Arthur. Theres a link to a review in the reviews section

The only review I found with Aztech mentioned was the Ambermile Aztech Alt/Az mount from GordonCopestake and that looks quite expensive. I really am talking about knocking something up Blue Peter style and for less than £40. The only other thing I've seen is the AZTech Manhattan on telescopehouse and I'm not quite sure how you attach a scope to it or what exactly you're getting for the £13.99 advertised on the site, here's the link to it

http://tinyurl.com/826cp

addendum:

I've just started reading the review of that Ambermile thing and he says its £350!!!!!!!!

I'll just quote part of my original question again

If I can build one dirt cheap then I've got more choice in terms of OTAs..

Get the picture?

[GordonCopestake]

The AZTech Manhattan is £150 not £13.99. The £13.99 is for the counterbalance plate, which is useless without the rest of the mount.

For £40 you are not going to get much at all. Even the AZ3 which is the Synta AltAz is £80

As for making one yourself, without access to a lathe you will be hard pushed. You could use wood i guess, and do something Dob like (google for dobsonian mount plans) but i seem to get the impresson you want to mount a refractor?

[GordonCopestake]

Jamie, no need to delete your post!! It's always good to have someone else comment on questions as I could be wrong, or not know half as much as someone else hehe.

Another thing i thought of tenbyfifty is if you can find a GEM that swings to 90 degrees for use as a alt az. i know that the EQ1 and other smaller mounts can do that. You can find them sometimes on Astro buy sell for cheap. They wont have much load capactiy though

[Jamie]

8)

[geppetto]

I've made a couple of variants of this design in the past for very little money

http://hometown.aol.com/davetrott/page15.htm

You can get them to be very stable

[GordonCopestake]

Good find Phil! That actually looks nice

[geppetto]

Easy to fit out with setting circles as well 8)

[tenbyfifty]

For £40 you are not going to get much at all. Even the AZ3 which is the Synta AltAz is £80

I'm really talking about £40 for materials not buying something off the shelf.

Thanks for the tip about a GEM that swings to 90 degrees - the mount that comes with the skylux will do this - I tried it out a while back - but the scope kinda carousels because its not above the centre of the tripod and adjusting it for altitude is a bit tricky using the tightening screw. Parts of the mount are a bit sticky with grease so I don't like handling it that much - if I knew how, I'd clean it but I don't so I won't.

gepetto's link looks very interesting, thanks for that - could be a fun little project.

I say 'little' but with my my DIY skills it'll be like buliding the Severn Bridge - both of them.

With all those tripods people have already got for their eq mounts, and all the small refractors out there, you'd think there woukd be a market for a simple, cheap generic alt/az mount you could just screw on, especially when you think of all the other accessories you can throw money at.

[GordonCopestake]

You can use a comercial degreaser or you can use diesel to degrease your mount. Replace the "synta-glue" with nice lithium grease from halford. There are lots of small altaz mounts but they are not cheap. Look at the Giro mini etc

[tenbyfifty]

You can use a comercial degreaser or you can use diesel to degrease your mount. Replace the "synta-glue" with nice lithium grease from halford.

Don't you have to dismantle it though - I don't how to do this and I'd probably never get it back together again!

There are lots of small altaz mounts but they are not cheap. Look at the Giro mini etc

I can't think of a single reason why a simple mount coudn't be sold for less than £50 -

think of all the material and parts in a standard office chair - £20 in pcworld

this fixation on eq mounts for small scopes amazes me .

[GordonCopestake]

I can't think of a single reason why a simple mount coudn't be sold for less than £50

I can think of lots.

If you can make a mount for £50 then please do so! I'll buy one from you when you have them on the market and you are a millionaire

[tenbyfifty]

I can't think of a single reason why a simple mount coudn't be sold for less than £50

I can think of lots.

If you can make a mount for £50 then please do so! I'll buy one from you when you have them on the market and you are a millionaire

Well the main reason must be demand. What about the office chair for £20?

And you can certainly buy a camera tripod for less than £50. Maybe that's my best bet.

I'm not talking about state of the art precision engineering, just something reasonably sturdy that

allows you to attach small scopes. I can't imagine the mount (not including the tripod) used with the AZ3

costs that much to make.

[FLO]

You could look out for a S/H Manfrotto tripod with a 128 head

128.bmp