Suggestions for Pier

[rumples riot]

Hi all, am going through the process of setting up a small out door area to be my observatory. What I need to do is select a pier for the scope.

Now, this pier has to be at least 2100mm high. Now I have had a pretty good search on the net and cannot seem to find anywhere in Australia that can provide me with a pier to suit my Meade lX200.

Anyone out there got any suggestions?

Paul

[mch62 (Mark)]

you could make your own . It will cost a fraction off a comercial one and will be to the size YOU want.
I made a pier for my old 6"refractor from second hand steel pipe that I found from a place in Brisbane that sells old pipe line materials . It's diameter is 220mm but they had lots of different sizes from smaller up to big enough to stand in . The 1600mm piece I got cost $60. 00 cut to length . You would need to weld a plate on to suit your mount and fill it .
You may be able to find some on in the yellow pages in your area as I did that sells old pipe line materials .
You could use a 2400mm concrete pipe filled with concrete and threaded bar to mount a plate on .
MHodson

[beren]

Although below the height you want heres one option....

http://www.triode.net.au/~anssen/obs_pier.html

maybe they can custom make you one .

[rumples riot]

I could make my own, but not sure how the scope bolts onto the pier given that meade does not show this on their web site.

The Pier made by That Aussie crowd might be of use. The price is not too tragic. But could make my own for half the price.

Decisions.

Thanks guys

Paul

[iceman (Mike)]

2100mm high? Wow that's pretty high.. Will this be purely for astrophotography or do you still do visual observing?

What sort of observatory will you use to house it?

[rumples riot]

It needs to be 2100 high because out the back of my unit I want to put a deck to raise the scope up to the gutter line. This will give me a large unobstructed view of the sky. So by the time I put the deck in the pier will be around 3' AFL. Yes the scope will be used for both viewing and astrophotography.

So that is why I need the pier to be 2100 high.

Paul

[Jackson42South (Paul)]

The Pier in the photo was built using an old swimming pool heater as the main tube, and the 2 round steel plates (About 400mm diameter) were purchased from a local metal yard.
The lower plate is welded to the top of the tube, and the upper plate is attached by 3 bolts, to allow for levelling.

The bottom of the tube has holes already drilled in it for bolting into a cement base.
You could make a concrete base 0.9 m above ground and bolt a standard 1.2m pier on to it.
This one used to hold a Meade 10" SCT.

Paul.http://members.aardvark.net.au/jacks...south/Pier.jpg

[rumples riot]

Yeah I had thought quite a lot about that option the other day, the thought of mixing concrete does not fill me with glee especially nearly a cubic metre of it in a wheel barrow. However, it is still an option; non the less.

Paul your pier appears to be for sale, is this a shameless attempt to sell your pier to me when my guard is down?

If it is I will need to think about it. Don't like to be impulsive.

Paul

[Jackson42South (Paul)]

No really a plug for the pier. Anyway, It would just about cost the Gross National product of a small unnamed South American country to ship it over to you!
It is b%#@*y heavy.

Paul J.

[rumples riot]

Yeah your right, heavy means heavy on the wallet. I do need to look at some options that are around. Thought of the possibility of a adjustable pier. Not sure which way I am going to go yet.

Paul

[gbeal]

I'd go with the scrap metal, or steel and tube type suppliers.
I did. Mine is only 600mm tall, and is about 150mm diameter, but there is no reason it couldn't be fatter/taller. Mine is 5mm thick in the wall, but again there are many differing dimensions.
I poured a concrete "plug" about a metre deep in the ground, finishing flush, or just under the surface, and slipped 4 galvanised bolts into the drying concrete. When set it meant that the four bolts, well the thread ends anyway, were sticking up.
On the bottom of the pipe I welded a flat plate about 200mm square, and drilled four locating holes in the corners, to coincide with the concrete held bolts. This allows me to remove or replace the pipe. On the top I cut three slots to accomodate the G-11, but the Meade will be easier.
All you need is a flat plate, either horizontal, or at the appropriate angle to allow polar aligment, with shimming as required. OR and elaborate wedge if that is what you want.
I finished mine in black paint, and then made a power board for the front, for the digital drive box to sit in, and also with about 5 RCA plugs as well, for dew heaters, and all manner of requirements.
The whole power thing is powered by an old 12 volt PC power supply, regulated and easy to buy.
If required I can shoot a picture or two, but you get the idea. E mail me off group if you wish.
Gary

[rumples riot]

Now I am thinking like some of you suggested, might get some steel water pipe suitable for Fire Pipe and weld a steel plate to the top. If I get a pipe around 2600 long, then put 600 of it in the ground that will leave the top 1200 from deck height.

Any comments?

Paul

[gbeal]

Paul,
good start. The steel will rust eventually, but you can get around this as well.
Can't work out what you will do with the bit left over though. (2600mm long, 600 in ground, 1200 about deck).
I like to have nearly as much in the ground as above, but you can load the dice in your favour by making a decent sized hole, and filling it with a blob of concrete, with the pipe in the concrete.
Either way it will be a good solid base.
Make sure you can adjust the top plate though. Maybe think of a single plate welded, and another bolted to this, with slightly slotted holes, so some form of azimuth and altitude adjustment is available.
Gary