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ben290
member
Reged: 08/16/08
Posts: 56
Loc: St Louis metro
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I am in need of a 20mm-shaft counterweight of 4 lbs at most, or less (-preferably less, I'm thinking 2 or 2.5 lbs would be best-).
I have an Orion Astroview scope/mount, and it only comes with a 7lb weight. With that ~7lb OTA on that mount, the weight is up on the first 25% of the counterweight shaft. The new Vixen OTA I have ordered is only 4 lbs--so I don't think there's going to be enough room to scoot the 7-lb mount up close enough to balance.
If you buy the Orion Astroview mount alone, it comes with a 7- and a 4-lb weight--but Orion doesn't seem to sell the 4-lb separately.
So far all I have seen are the Vixen mounts (that seem rather expensive, at ~$60 + shipping for a 4lb piece of steel) and these:
http://www.tech2000astronomy.com/accessories/counterweights/
Which are $45 for a 4-lb shipped, though they do have a 3lb available (-I also like the idea of the powered weights, but don't need 'em and the weights are too heavy anyway-).
I have seen other weight types in sub-4-lb weights but don't know if they attach the same; usually they're just described by the mount brand/type such as Losmandy weights, that don't appear to have any locking method on them at all.
Is there anywhere else to look?
~
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First scope: Orion Astroview 100mm, $460
Vixen A70Lf achro OTA
Accessories so far: ~$1200 or so & climbing
consider yourself warned
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rjsc2000
member
Reged: 09/21/06
Posts: 85
Loc: Portugal
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Hi
I've bought some weights from a sports shop. They are not metal. They are like rubber or plastic. they come in 0,5 Kg or 1 Kg (1 Lb or 2 Lb i think). Also bought a piece it's used to hold it to the bars. It has a screw in it.
The shop i bought it from is Decathlon
ricardo carvalho
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 6859
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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Try scopestuff.com.
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AP900,LXD75
AP140EDF, TSA102, ZS80EDII
SN6-OTA, C8-OTA
Canon 20D, 350Hutech
PST, Lunt LD60T/DS (on order)
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Elmer
member
Reged: 03/06/08
Posts: 10
Loc: Lincoln, NE
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I'll tell you what I did for an extra five pounds. I went to a sporting goods store and picked up a five pound metal weight. I had a extra 13/16 socket (because to fit perfectly into the hole of the weight). I cut it so that when it fit into the whole of the weight and had enough room on the end of the socket to later put in a thumb screw. I had a friend weld the socket on to metal weight. I had to put a bushing in the socket. Drilled a hole, tap it for the thumb screw and paint it. Works great. A 3/4 inch socket should fit pretty close to 20mm. Just one solution.
E
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ben290
member
Reged: 08/16/08
Posts: 56
Loc: St Louis metro
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I looked around and never did find any 20mm small weights besides the $60 Vixen one.
-----
After pondering my options for a bit, I have decided to first try piggybacking the new scope onto the old, using just the 7lb weight I have. This would be more convenient to use and considering where the weight is now with only one scope on it, is worth a shot.
The place I ordered the second OTA from seems to be taking a while however. :\
~
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First scope: Orion Astroview 100mm, $460
Vixen A70Lf achro OTA
Accessories so far: ~$1200 or so & climbing
consider yourself warned
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nofxrx
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/05
Posts: 1460
Loc: palm bay,florida
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If you have a drill press or know somebody that does,you can buy some cheap scrap aluminum(or better yet if you can find it,Stainless Steel,it looks soooo good!!)and make your own.Its quite simple,I did it with some 6.5"roundx2"thick aluminum,came out to like 4.5lbs.
I recently bought some homemade SS ones from someone here.They look awesome and anyone with some shop knowledge could easily do it.they are 5lbs below is a pic...
Take a look at this: HERE
you could use these if you have access to a chop saw or ban saw to cut the bar down to whatever size you need...and it is the same price as ONE vixen weight...no brainer..
If you need some technical(whatever that means)help,PM me.
Or the cheap route(but still VERY functional),and MUUUCH easier to work with: HERE
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Brent Oliver
3 Wonderful dogs: Sadie, Kara and Ozzie
Celestron C10-N///C9.25///Orion 80ED///WO ZS66SD White
Celestron CI-700 & ASGT Eq. Mounts
Nikon D40Xa///SBIG ST-402ME/Class 1/CFW///DSI-PRO...
My Gallery
Ohh yeah,and a VERY undersanding wife!! 
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ben290
member
Reged: 08/16/08
Posts: 56
Loc: St Louis metro
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There is a place in the area that sells metal stock and would be able to slice off pieces that size for me--but the problem with making weights is that I don't have the drill press to drill the holes, and don't have anywhere friendly that would do it for cheap. In the end I'd end up paying probably at least what the Vixen weight cost.
If I mount both scopes at once the additional weight may not be needed.
All I'd need is a piece of flat metal bar and a couple more bolts and nuts to mount the two pairs of regular rings on top of each other. The scopes may not line up exactly that way but for visual only it won't matter.
~
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First scope: Orion Astroview 100mm, $460
Vixen A70Lf achro OTA
Accessories so far: ~$1200 or so & climbing
consider yourself warned
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