SW AZ-EQ6GT

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Rainmaker
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SW AZ-EQ6GT

#1

Post by Rainmaker »


As I am only into visual astronomy, I decided to change my AZ-EQ6GT a little by removing the standard base unit and replacing it with one that places the mount head directly over the centre of the tripod;

The new base is designed also to quickly and easily attach to my Takahashi EM400 tripod. The base adapter came with the tripod but needed to be chucked on my lathe and trimmed of excess material as well as giving it a nice polish. I then cut some 80mm x 25mm aluminium solid bar to size, drilled some holes and polished them up before bolting it all together. The new based places the head a little higher and hold it very solidly, it also has fewer places for cable to catch on.

I have also added a Robin Casady polished stainless steel counterweight (10Kg), replaced the little thumbscrew that holds the counterweight bar with a much more solid one and installed a polished ADM saddle plate...

I have found this to be the best mount for my outreach efforts so far...
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Matt in Oz
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
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bladekeeper
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#2

Post by bladekeeper »


More beautiful work, Matt!
Bryan
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100

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Rainmaker
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#3

Post by Rainmaker »


bladekeeper wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 12:09 am More beautiful work, Matt!
Thanks Bryan, keeps me busy on the cloudy evenings.
Matt in Oz
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
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Lady Fraktor Slovakia
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#4

Post by Lady Fraktor »


That looks fantastic Matt!
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#5

Post by Don Quixote »


Yes. This is beautiful work indeed Matt!
Thank you.
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#6

Post by Kanadalainen »


Great machining work, Matt.
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

"Mothers! It is there!" - Rafael Gonzales-Acuna, 2018.
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#7

Post by Bigzmey »


Good stuff Matt!
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Ozypic
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#8

Post by Ozypic »


Commendable !
Phill. Dreaming of Clear Skys .... :D :D :D
SCOPE : Skywatcher 120X600 ST Achromatic Refractor. 
EP's : 25mm & 10mm Plossl , Celestron 8/24mm Zoom EP,
Filters : Solar filter, Badder Fringe Killer & Moon/Skyglow. 
MOUNT : Skywatcher Star Discovery goto Mount.
CAMERAS : ZWO 120 asi MC. / Sony HX400V 50X Zoom.
Binoculars : Saxon 10x50
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#9

Post by SKEtrip »


Beautiful work Matt!
AD10, SV102T, AR127 & ST80
M2 & SW AZEQ6 GT Mounts
ES82 11 18 24, ES100 5.5 9 14 20, KK Orthos, BCO's, Vixen HR 2.4, 3.4 Vortex 10X50,
ACD 75 Astro Mutt - Rest in Peace Wubby
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert A. Heinlein

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Jennifer Christine
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#10

Post by Jennifer Christine »


Quite lovely.
I wish I had a lathe..... And a milling machine....... And a shaping machine...... And a drill press....... A nice forge would be fun too and maybe a grinding machine. A yone got a factory for sale.
Oh I forgot the mig/tig and gas welding gear......
Scopes, 100x900, 102x500, 150x 1000, 200x2000, 200x 1260. 80x400.
Canon lenses 100 to 400 L series, 18 to 135 usm.
Mount's, 2x alt az, 2 x eq (adventurer an neq6pro.)
70dw cam. Ssag guider. Observatory and pier setup.
Binoculars Saxon 20x80.
FRIED wallet.
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#11

Post by Rainmaker »


Jennifer Christine wrote:Fri May 17, 2019 5:44 am Quite lovely.
I wish I had a lathe..... And a milling machine....... And a shaping machine...... And a drill press....... A nice forge would be fun too and maybe a grinding machine. A yone got a factory for sale.
Oh I forgot the mig/tig and gas welding gear......
I could use some of those machines too Jen. The lathe I use was found at a rubbish tip. Those 80mm x 25mm solid aluminium uprights were cut with my docking saw with a timber cutting blade....
Matt in Oz
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
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Re: SW AZ-EQ6GT

#12

Post by Jennifer Christine »


I actually have mig and oxy gear but no fine machinery.
I do have trade certs for them though.
Scopes, 100x900, 102x500, 150x 1000, 200x2000, 200x 1260. 80x400.
Canon lenses 100 to 400 L series, 18 to 135 usm.
Mount's, 2x alt az, 2 x eq (adventurer an neq6pro.)
70dw cam. Ssag guider. Observatory and pier setup.
Binoculars Saxon 20x80.
FRIED wallet.
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