Permanent Mounting Pier

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The permanent pier mount was originally designed the mount to support an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.  When the much larger 12" LX200 arrived, no modifications other than cutting 10" off the pier tube were required (due to the increased height of the 12" scope). The mount has only required very minor leveling adjustments since installed, and provides a very stable platform for the large scope.

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For basic mount plans Click Here

The primary instrument at the observatory is a permanently mounted 12" LX200.  The top and bottom mounting plates (a) are 1/2 inch plate steel cut into 11" circles. The bottom plate has a 5" O.D. pipe  (b) welded on to it . This pipe fits into the pier (c) (6 1/2" I.D.), and is secured by 3 large thumb screws (d). Three 5/8" threaded steel rods are bolted to the top plate. These rods pass  holes in the bottom plate. 5/8"hex nuts and butterfly nuts are threaded onto the rods to make the top plate adjustable for height and level. Azimuth (direction) is adjusted by rotating the whole top assembly, then locking it down with the 3 thumbscrews.