TheSkySearchers

Curious how many people have "Frankenmounts" - XYZ head on a ABC tripod and so on. I'm told a Porta II arm will fit on a TW1, so if I could ever score a P2 arm by itself, I'd try swapping out arms on the TW.

Does this count? It is a Meade tripod holding a Celestron SLT goto mount holding an Explore Scientific 102mm frac. Cheers,
JT

Nice!

Here's my Frankenmount, a dual axis autoguided barndoor drive for my 10" Dob. It worked fine for AP but is now rotting away in my side yard because I proved my point so the fun is over!

Here is SW AzGti mount with

EQ1 mount bar and counterbalance,

and Berlebach Tripod Photo Adapter,

on ES Twilight 1 legs

SLT mount on a homemade pier and a EQ-3 aluminium tripod, I also put the pier and mount on a ASGT tripod.

I have an iOptron Skyguider Pro on a vintage wooden Vixen tripod.




I don't have many tripods, so this one gets double duty with my C80.

Kind regards,

SkyHiker wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2020 10:51 pm Here's my Frankenmount, a dual axis autoguided barndoor drive for my 10" Dob. It worked fine for AP but is now rotting away in my side yard because I proved my point so the fun is over!

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Man, you can't let this thing rot!! Its too cool. . I'll take care of it for you.

Meade Giant Field Tripod.


Custom adapter plate for the Celestron CGX.


Meade Giant Field Tripod with Celestron CGX.


Carrying an Explore Scientific ED127mm.

O/T: So I'm curious - Is that a sitting pool / spa or is it a flow thing where you swim against a current? Gorgeous, whatever it is.

Pakarinen, I am the last person you want to get started on "Frankenmounts"

Not so much of a Frankenmount; this is my CG4 mount that my C80-HD came with; it all was made in '96. And last of the Vixen optics in a Celestron. Since I have more than a few fracs that I've bought secondhand or made and none of them with a decent mount, I set up a process whereby I just use a piece of flat bar, drill some holes, and weld two 1/4" bolts onto it.
Wingnuts are the way to go when tightening it all up. Like I should be talking about wingnuts when I am one...


When I bought my Celestron Nextstar 102mm, it came with the tripod, but no middle part where all the electronics go. Figures. However, being the wingnut I am and add on to the fact that at the time my daughter wanted to sit out with me and observe, I made a poor man's version of a "Twilight II". I always made sure she got the orange scope.... A bit of thread tape and some axle grease worked wonders for making this abomination rock solid.


Now she's a teenager, not so into it as she once was, so I rebuilt it for my Sears 60mm. So old school, but you gotta love pipe mounts.


And last but not least, the first scope I made with the first mount that I made. The scope is a 60mm that used to be a click-stop Tasco. Too much to explain here; it would seriously need it's own thread


That was five years ago. Now my good buddy Ian (Kanadalanien) has the scope, and the mount now houses my barn-door tracker, which, if my skies ever clear for over a half-hour, I will use it... The az base is an old roller from a vertical belt sander. It rides on bearings with a 5/8" solid steel shaft through it. The alt part is made from two 60mm (go figure) skateboard wheels; that all rides on four bearings. It's all quick release to take it apart, no tools needed. Old bicycle/scooter parts. I can change the weight in seconds, as well as fit it all in a milk crate.
I think that's it. I've enjoyed looking at what everyone else has as well! So many good ideas on such a good forum...

All the best, everyone, and clear skies to you no matter what you use!

pakarinen wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 6:15 pm O/T: So I'm curious - Is that a sitting pool / spa or is it a flow thing where you swim against a current? Gorgeous, whatever it is.

It's called a "spool" a giant spa basically. It's only 4' deep but surrounded by 12 jets that surround 3 of the four sides. It's actually a bit bigger than it seems as it's 19' along the long side. Great for short old man laps! NO DIVING!

My latest alt-AZ head build on CPC 1100 Celestron tripod all tied done down on 2-wheeler Transportable base. See article under other DIY thread. block-pipe mount and Transportable threads.

This has to count as a franken-mount. It is a Celestron wedge (for my orange-tube C-90) , mounted on a Manfrotto tripod.

The wedge was actually made for the bigger C-5 and maybe even the C-8. With the little C-90 on it, the centre of gravity is out near the wedge plate, nowhere near the tripod attachment point. It would have mounted to the tripod with a 3/8 bolt in the middle of the attachment plate, but the contact area on the tripod would have been too small for comfort with the off-centre load. So I made a plywood adapter plate. It attaches to the tripod with the 3/8" wingnut and three screws, visible between the wedge plate and the mounting plate.

Because the wooden adapter limited screwdriver access to the little bolt that was used to adjust the wedge angle, I replaced it with a 4" long bolt, visible through the lower opening in the wedge plate.