Brace for HEQ5

[xelasnave]

I watched a utube vid that showed a neat brace to go on a gem mount ...the guy said he would link a site but never did..I made the comment asking only to notice the vid wzs 5 years old�� but it was a neat unit.
So does anyone know of an off the shelf brace for a HEQ5.
It was a three piece unit tieing the legs about six inche or so off the ground and although I guess I could make something this unit looked nice.
Alex

[casstony]

Unfortunately they're very expensive, AU$400 or so by the time it's shipped:
http://www.tpiastro.com/spreaders.htm

You could try to find the same diameter stainless steel tubing with greater wall thickness to replace the current tripod legs?

[LewisM]

Matt “Kunama” here on ice made a MUCH better brace. I used it for a while and it was superb. You could ask nicely for a quote :)

[xelasnave]

Thank you Tony.
The money isnt a problem ss I have now openned a Paypal account and they get the money straight from the bank;)

Maybe could build something better I will think about it more.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Thanks but it wont be imported will it. I have a great idea actually and probably never been done before ...

Alex

[LewisM]

Huh? Matt lives 15 mins from me. Nothing imported :lol:

[xelasnave]

I was making a joke... the inference being that it needed to be imported to be worthy...much like the way you like imported Japanese scopes rather than buying the local Chinese ones:D

Alex

[Kunama]

A few hand-tools, some aluminium, stainless bolts and some elbow grease:
(Materials cost $80)

[xelasnave]

That looks excellent Matt and by the eye superior to the Canadian one.

I am thinking of struts running to each leg rather than them meeting in the middle and filling most of the legs with something ...I expect that builders foam would help a little..or a plywood triangle tray upon which I could sit the battery, biscuits thermos and mozzie coils.. however its probably best to go for a permanent pier up here...and another "cube" to be able to leave the mount set up here...

I am just getting a little obsessive ( I tend to go overboard ) now that I have taken astro astronomy up again...at the moment I am like the guy who got on his horse and rode off in all directions at once.

And having the Paypal and settling into the modern era has me considering the purchase of a few things.

I did go overboard today I think in reflection.

But this Paypal is great because its not like real money its just numbers in your bank account really.

Alex

[JA]

I've seen the version below, from BKBrown (Brian) on CN with what looks like a 19mm ply triangle that is forced/pushed up into the triangular recess between the steel legs of the tripod by the action of a large nut/threaded knob (below the ply) on a threaded rod extension shaft, see pic.....

It's not as pretty as Matt's creation (Hello Matt), although you could paint it black. It would definitely make for a more rigid structure for little effort, especially if well profiled (in 3D) at the leg recesses at the vertices of the ply triangle and/or rubber coated in those zones.

Best
JA

[xelasnave]

Thanks JA.
I like that approach however I need to come up with a system that does not rely upon the bolt, if I decide to build a mount brace, so I can place the battery on the triangle piece of ply to take advantage of its weight to furthet stabalise the mount.

I have surveyed my proposed pier site and I really need to drop at least ten trees.

And that costs so much up here.

I had twenty trees dropped about 8 inch dia and I had to pay two blokes $50 for the both of them plus supply petrol for the chain saw☺
Sure beats Sydney where I paid $5000 to cut down one tree☺
Alex