[RyanJones]

Hi all,

Based on a recent thread that brought up the discussion I thought I’d ask the question to see if anyone knows what is the best position for counterweights.

Is it better to have less weight further down the shaft or more weight closer to the top ? My theory was that less overall mass being acted on by gravity would create less friction on the bearing surfaces. Others have suggested the valid point that the further out the weight is the worse the moment of inertia presumably making minor adjustments to the tracking harder for the mount to perform ?

Looking at images of mounts setup for imaging, I see a variety of different options. Some with weights split between top and bottom, some with more weight close to the top, then others with less weight on extension bars.

What is the answer and the justification? Obviously it’s a balancing act ( pardon the pun ) but surely there’s a justified answer to where to put them and how much to put on ?

Thanks in advance.

Ryan