Ok so I didn't make a telescope yet, but I have modified my mount, sort of
.
During the past week or so sourced a couple of pieces of Aluminium plate to make the new dovetails. Fortunately a friend has access to a full fitting and turning workshop and milled out the dovetails I needed.
So I've ended up with a redundant GM-8 C-series mount head, a second G-11 D-series mount head, a male to male dovetail plate, and two standard dovetail plates, one with threaded holes in each end. The two mount head were attached to an end each of one of the standard dovetail using the bolts that came with them. This dovetail was then slid into the new G-11 mount head on the GM-8 mount (remember I double ordered the mount heads). The male to male slides into the D-series head and and existing C-series plate slides into the other end.
Oh and with everthing being able to be slid side to side and fore and aft balancing it is a breeze. Just have to do it in 3 axis now instead of 2
I can now bolt my 102 refractor to the C-series (as per normal) to use as a guide scope my orion in guiderings slides onto the D-series at the other end. i know its about face with the imaging scope in the guiderings but I dont think it will make any difference. If it does I think the 102 will fit the guide rings and I'll swap them around.
There are a couple of thing I like about this system:
1. I can slide the side by side out and put my meade with 60 mm guide in under 30 sec without rushing if I want to, and without tools.
2. The center of gravity of the system is much lower hopefully offering greater stability and less lever arm movement when at horizontal.
3. By drilling a few more holes in the existing C-series dovetail plate I can remover the clamping base for the guiderings from either the 80 or 60 and use them to side by side with the meade.
4. When I finally get a G-11 and sell the GM-8 I will have three D-series saddle mounts (the GM-8 will go with the C-series saddle mount) in total and all my OTAs will be totally mix and match with no tools required to alter the set up.
And 5. I now have a platform in the middle to mount dew controllers etc so I wont have a plethora of cables hanging around the mount with the potential to get caught up.
There are a couple of things that I'm not so happy about, only one is a biggy
1. The new side by side is quite heavy. So I haven't really gained much with reducing the center of gravity, as I've made up for it in increased weight. I don't know exactly how much yet but I'll attempt to weight it tonight and include it here.
2. I haven't saved anything by doing it myself. To buy a new side by side and male to male from OPT and get them mailed here would have cost in the order of $560 Aus. To get the mount heads, buy the aluminium flat plate and get it milled (paying for it rather than having a friend do it) would have cost in excess of $800 Aus. there was almost two days work milling the three dovetail plates. Only about $400 for material and parts but around that again to get the raw material machined.
Would I do something like this again? Possibly. One other benefit to come from all this is I now know my mount tolerances, balances etc a lot more intimately.
I'll put together some images of the side by side without equipment on later. Tese are just to show how it looks, and what happens when I change over to piggyback on the meade.
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I thought I'd better email the other supplier and cancel the order, assuming they wouldn't be available till the end of the month anyway. Got an email yesterday (while I was sitting at the computer typing the email to him). "When do I want delivery, they are here." 
Funny how this all sort of works out doesn't it 
(I can laugh now 
