Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I own a Meade LXD75 5" Achromatic Retractor. The tripod is pretty solid, but when viewing things above 45 degrees (which is the best part of the sky for viewing) with the long AR-5 OTA, the eyepiece is way down at your knees. And, the scope can potentially crash into the tripod legs when slewing.
So, when I found this mount extension, I ordered it right away. It gets the scope up nice and high and eliminates all of those problems. However when it arrived, I was confronted with the fact that it was not made specifically for the LXD75 mount, and it wouldn't quite line up with the central base T-handle shaft. In addition, the vertical protrusion stem at the top for fine azimuth control is too long for the LXD75 mount too.
Modifications:
The top & bottom connection plates are easily removed from the steel tube via 3 hex head screws each. Once the bottom plate is removed, the female opening that receives the vertical protrusion stem of the LXD75 tripod base must be elongated towards the rim. It's made of machined aluminum so I was able to use my router table and a high speed cutting bit to slowly removed about 3/32" of material. I would not recommend trying this without a router table. I could be done with a file, but it will take a lot of elbow grease. Another option is to cut away the outer portion completely so instead of a hole, it would be a "U". It could be done with a hack saw & file, and I don't believe this would degrade the stability of the extension once everything is tightened down.
The top plate has a removable vertical protrusion stem that just needs to be cut down about 3/16" or so. It's brass and can be cut with a hack saw, and then reattached via the hex head machine screw.
So, if you don't mind doing the modifications, then go for it. Once it's done and mounted, you'll love how much more comfortable viewing is.
Good luck and clear skies...
Click Here to see more reviews about: Orion SkyView Pro Telescope Mount Extension
Steel extension post raises SkyView Pro equatorial head 16 inches. Ideal for refractor use. Includes connecting plates and hardware.
Click here for more information about Orion SkyView Pro Telescope Mount Extension
No comments:
Post a Comment