I have a Wedge on my NexStar8SE. I found your link on Cloudy Nights and I do really appreciate your video to clarify the difference between German Equatorial and Wedge. I was looking for your answer since I purchased the Wedge for about a year and a half if I am not mistaken and I thank you a lot.
Although the center of mass is no longer positioned directly above the RA axle in the base, I have had no problems in several years. I sometimes use counterweights screwed into the threads at the bottom of the front-end optical tube housing to assist Declination balance depending on the back-end weight of camera equipment. Also no problems in several years.
RASCCalgary Cool, thanks for that. The alt-az + wedge setup seems to be almost the ideal system. Unfortunately I only have a single arm Sky-Watcher mount, currently, but I’m definitely tempted to have a play with it and see what I can come up with.
Hi, thank you for the video. I notice that on the AVX mount are OTA and counterweights that must be way over 30 lb that is the payload of the mount. Did the AVX Mount handle the heavy equipment well?
Most people do not use a fork mnt for photography. Besides making it almost impossible to use a different OTA, what are the disadvantages for using a fork mnt in AP? what are the reasons most people do not use it for AP?
Some forks are known to vibrate like the tuning fork they resemble. With people travelling to find dark skies, a fork-scope combo is heavy and awkward as well as not having a convenient polar axis scope for alignment. German equatorial mounts break down into smaller pieces and also commonly have a space for a polar alignment scope.
You'd have to ask the manufacturers. Besides the physical wedge, the hand-control computer needs to have an "Equatorial North" or "Equatorial South" mode of star alignment / calibration AND operation and not just simple Alt-Az star alignment.
Hi! This video is absolutly awesome and very didactic for explaining the problem. Can I insert it in a video I'm working on, to explain the problem, and adding a link to you channel? Thank you in advance. Christophe
I have a Wedge on my NexStar8SE. I found your link on Cloudy Nights and I do really appreciate your video to clarify the difference between German Equatorial and Wedge. I was looking for your answer since I purchased the Wedge for about a year and a half if I am not mistaken and I thank you a lot.
Glad it was helpful!
Great and simple demo that explains many things at once.
Thanks.
Does the additional leverage of having the alt-az on a wedge not put a greater strain on the gears?
Although the center of mass is no longer positioned directly above the RA axle in the base, I have had no problems in several years. I sometimes use counterweights screwed into the threads at the bottom of the front-end optical tube housing to assist Declination balance depending on the back-end weight of camera equipment. Also no problems in several years.
RASCCalgary Cool, thanks for that. The alt-az + wedge setup seems to be almost the ideal system. Unfortunately I only have a single arm Sky-Watcher mount, currently, but I’m definitely tempted to have a play with it and see what I can come up with.
Hi, thank you for the video. I notice that on the AVX mount are OTA and counterweights that must be way over 30 lb that is the payload of the mount. Did the AVX Mount handle the heavy equipment well?
It's an older CGE mount capable of holding and slewing over 90 pounds, not an AVX mount.
Most people do not use a fork mnt for photography. Besides making it almost impossible to use a different OTA, what are the disadvantages for using a fork mnt in AP? what are the reasons most people do not use it for AP?
Some forks are known to vibrate like the tuning fork they resemble. With people travelling to find dark skies, a fork-scope combo is heavy and awkward as well as not having a convenient polar axis scope for alignment. German equatorial mounts break down into smaller pieces and also commonly have a space for a polar alignment scope.
Why are wedges for some alt/az mounts not available?
You'd have to ask the manufacturers. Besides the physical wedge, the hand-control computer needs to have an "Equatorial North" or "Equatorial South" mode of star alignment / calibration AND operation and not just simple Alt-Az star alignment.
Hi! This video is absolutly awesome and very didactic for explaining the problem.
Can I insert it in a video I'm working on, to explain the problem, and adding a link to you channel?
Thank you in advance.
Christophe
Would prefer just a link rather than a complete embed.
can't u just do your own vid?
Excellent, thank you very much! This helped me a lot!!!
You're welcome!
Thank you
good video, thanks
Perfect explanation. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
@ 3::14, u lost your voice?