PAO's
Deep Sky Astroimaging
Counter Balance
The addition of an SBIG ST-7E camera, with it's accessories
weighing nearly 3 lbs.,
required a counter balance at the front end of the telescope. Without
one tracking problems and uneven wear of the gears results.
My solution was to create a collar of weights. I used metal
epoxy to attach a series
of lead fishing sinkers to 2 adjustable hose clamps linked to form the necessary
diameter.
Once painted I fed a thick gauage insulated wire I had
on hand through the central hole that was
predrilled in each weight (intended for fishing line).
The wire serves a dual purpose, one is to allow additional
weights to be added or removed
to acheive the proper balance with different configurations. I simply untwist
the ends of the wire
and slide weights on or off as needed. The second is to act as
a safety catch in the event a glued weight comes loose.