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Left is the dovetail portion of the adapter that remains on the pier. Right is the mount extension portion that is locked to the mount after the alignment is complete. |
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This view of the mount extension shows the recess and side that mates with the mount. |
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Everything set up on the pier. |
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To facilitate getting back to the alignment position a pin is inserted into the mount extension and a stop is part of the pier extension pipe. The mount is simply dropped onto the dovetail portion and rotated so the pin contacts the stop and the dovetail locking bolts tightened. |
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An access hole in the pipe extending the pier height is required to allow for a wrench to be inserted and the mount locked to the mount extension adapter after an accurate alignment is made The extension then stays locked to the mount even if it is used on the Meade tripod which has a dovetail mating part and an Azimuth adjuster mechanism. |
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This view shows the thread adapter required since the main mounting bolt thread is a 1/2-12 British Whitworth thread. This is the bolt that is tightened through the above access hole. |
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Losmandy dovetail plates are used to hold the main 8" LX200 OTA onto the mount and the ETX guidescope to the OTA. |
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Here is the setup facing Polaris. The OTA is very high in this position but is only this way during alignment. |
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Horizontal position for balancing the counterweights. An extra 5 pounds of counterweight than that shown here is required due to the long moment arm presented by the ETX guider. There really isn't another way to mount the ETX so more weight will have to be used. |
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Different view of the above |
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Position for initializing the Temma GoTo system. |
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Different view of the above |
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This is the position of the mount if M81/M82 were being imaged. I guessed at the 12" length of the pipe extension. I plan to use the mount as currently configured and if the pipe proves to be too long it can be easily shortened. This and the next view indicates the guess may be quite close. |
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Omega Centauri peeks up into the area the OTA is pointing in this picture |
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Another view oft he dovetail assembly and the Azimuth stop |
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The round surface the extension pipe is mounted to is an interface identical to the Meade tripod. The previous wedge mounted to this surface as well. By using another dovetail part as is on the top of the extension pipe, the mount (with the locked on mount extension adapter) can be used on the tripod without losing the pier alignment setting. |
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Complete pier section, painted and ready to go. |
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A (typical) "view" of Polaris |
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Since it is to be cloudy all night, the roof of the observatory has been rolled back on and the observatory closed for the foreseeable future. |