It's a Matter of Balance - Counterweight

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

On completion and fitting of my new home-made tube rings for my 12" dobbie EQ, I have had to add even more counterweights!!!!

The weight of items:
GS 12" OTA................................ .....43 lbs
ED 80 and rings.............................. ...9 lbs
New rings and cradle........................30 lbs
Counterweight bar and axis bearing.....35 lbs
Counterweights..................... .........100 lbs

Grand Total . . . . . . . . 217 lbs (98.429 kilogram)

And the mount is still rock solid and it is saying 'Gimmee More!"

Pic 1: The counterweights. All 100 lbs of them!!!
Pic 2: Perfect Balance and glides at the touch of a finger!

[matt]

And the gold... in the 217lb weightlifting category...

goes to the Boy from Snake Valley

[Shawn]

That first image reminds me of a Salvador Dahli painting....Awsome stuff

[leon]

Looking good Ken,

[xelasnave]

So is it easy to carry in and out now that it is all set up
Does that much mass bend your "space time?"
alex

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Does that much mass bend your "space time?"
alex

No, my back!

Well Alex, you asked in my other thread about the tube rings regarding the weight that will be asked of the mount. Above is a run down so you can see exactly just how much.

[xelasnave]

Ken all jokes aside it was with great excitement I opened the post. I have been meaning to do something on mine and cant even find where I put the completed plans. You know you could have it gold plated and still save money on what something of that capacity will cost, it is a wonderful achievement and I sincerely congratulate you of a fine effort.
alex

[RB (Andrew)]

Ken that's awesome.
The views must be equally impressive.

[RAJAH235]

I was thinking along similar lines Alex.......well, bending something anyway.
My god Ken! Do you need a truck to carry all that gear?
Looks good tho. ...to the new "Astrophotographer"... L.
ps. Now all we need are the astro pics.. ..

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Guys, I am busting to get out there and image with it!!!!

Unfortunately Mr.Cloud has other ideas.

No, I won't be carting it around!!!! Last Camp Darren talked me into loading it into the trailer and taking it. We almost broke our backs.

The mount will only be moved once more, and that will be to place it in the Observatory I am going to build for it. But the OTA will still follow me around in Dob format

[xelasnave]

Hey I just remembered thats why I have slacked off on the mount I have to finish the observatory I started for the fork mount 3 years ago. Talk about back on track.
alex

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Pics Alex. We want pics!

Show us the progress

[h0ughy (David)]

gee starlight must weigh heaps to compensate for that with this lot. Or are you compensating for something else...........

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

My lack of Astronomy knowledge, Houghy

I don't know much about what to look at, but at least I have some big gear to look at what I don't know much about

[xelasnave]

The pile of rock or the pile of steel??
alex

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Both Alex. We want to see you transform it

That way we can say "we saw it when it was just a pile of rocks and steel, and look at it now!!! WOW!"

[xelasnave]

You and me both... I will get some shots of the accumulated materials but its more likely to gererate feelings of dispair in us all...but I always look to a happy ending so I will do it.. the photos the real work has to wait a little longer
alex

[ving (David)]

thats a pretty sturdy grab-n-go there ken

[xelasnave]

It must be true ...astronomers are becoming fitter than the rest of the population ..it is a very energetic sport
alex

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Thats a great setup Ken, all you need now is some DSC for it I rekon, maybe an Argonavis