Small mod for Skywatcher Pillar mount

[catman161]

Hey guys,

Not so much a mod really, just a quick solution.

So if you have a pillar mount from skywatcher and were wanting to make it a little more stable and not make a massive ringing sound when you accidentally knock it whilst observing you can fill it with kiln dried sand. The problem is that the tube is open ended. So I found a supplier on eBay who sells plastic parts for plugging kitchen work surface legs. They were cheap so I took a punt and bought a couple for £6 delivered. The fit is perfect and will not be moved! It took me a while to get it to fit in snuggly as the fit is extremely tight so once in, it will be hard to remove. If you're worried about the weight of the sand pushing the plug out eventually, you could always use some self amalgamating rubber tape around the cap also. In any case the flanges of the feet on the Skywatcher pillar that prevent the tube from falling through hold the cap in place securely but the tape may give that pice of mind that the seal is kept so as to avoid the sand getting damp.

Anyway heres a pic to show what I did

The cap

Fitted

Here's a link to the caps http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=151329086705 select the 100mm caps

Edited February 26, 2015 by catman161

[Tweedledee]

Great idea Felix.

 

I used kiln dried sand in my old observatory pillar years ago, and it really helps dampen any vibrations much more quickly. It only works properly if you keep it dry. Kiln dried sand is slightly more expensive than normal sand and sold in 25kg bags.