[Bolts_Tweed (Mark)]

gday Matt

If you dont want to spend too much to have a go one method I have seen (requires some manufacturing on your part but) is to remove the small screw in cap/stopper on the end counterweight rod / bar (what your counterweights slide onto) of the EQ6. Go and buy a bolt with the same thread. Then go and buy a cheap tripod from some pawn shop, remove the head, and use the bolt to attach the head of the tripod (might require drilling a hole in teh base of it) to the end of your counterweight rod then rebalance. Your scope then obviously will be on the other side of the meridian than your camera but allows you to guide wide field images through your main scope with your camera pointing at whatever area of teh sky you want.

The downside is that it can get damn uncomfortable framing and focusing and anything other than widefield (say 50mm and less) may show the effect of guiding a considerable distance from your target but it will let you have a go and then decide if you want to go to a side by side saddle mount later (you could reuse your tripod head then but).

I have even seen tripod heads held on counterweight bars with hose clamps. Cant comment on the suitability of this - but it would let you have a go.

MB