26 replies to this topic

[sooline]

I have a Meade AR6 refractor (6-inch by f/8) and an old equatorial mount from a Meade 10-inch f/8 reflector.

 

I'm wondering how well that mount would carry the AR6.....????

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks, Roger in Ohio

 

 

[ngc7319_20]

Should be fine.  The reflector was much larger and heavier.  

 

You will need a taller tripod or pier.  Maybe you can simply add a section of large steel or aluminum pipe between the existing tripod and mount.  Or make yourself a tall tripod.

 

Sometimes these refractors need a weight on the back end to move the balance point rearward.  Otherwise the lens is near the mount, and the focuser is very far back near the ground.

[sooline]

The plan would be to attach the equatorial head to a variable height pier to get the eyepiece to a workable level, depending on what I'm looking at.

 

Thanks for your reply!

[Bomber Bob]

My Meade StarFinder had no trouble carrying my 30# APM 152ED F8 + Rings Brackets + Tak FC-50:

 

 

The tall pedestal is a 4" x 5' aluminum pipe.

[sooline]

Bob:

 

Nice setup.....I'm getting excited about mating my scope and mount....haven't used the AR6 since I bought it back in January. Where did you get your 5' piece of pipe?

 

And thanks for your AF career  I too am retired AF....spent my time in a lab and/or in intel...

 

Roger

[clamchip]

The AR-6 is a heavy telescope with it's counterweight down at the focuser.

Meade says it weights 27 lbs, I think that must be with cradle and finder because mine weighs 22lbs

without.

The counterweight is to balance the heavy objective end, and it is nice because it balances the scope

nicely within the rings, not all lop sided looking in the mount.

I'm using a Cave mount with 1.5" shafts, probably about the same size as the Meade mount you are

looking at. I replaced the 30" pedestal tube with a 60" tube and that puts the eyepiece in a comfortable

position for my favorite chair with the telescope up in the vicinity near zenith.

I bought 6.3" rings for the odd size AR-6 tube, with a extra felt shim they fit snug.

I love the AR-6, I never thought I would say that, but I do. I sorta missed out on all the Jaegers 6 inch

f/5, f/8, and f/10 lenses years ago and the AR-6 is filling that need for speed. Deep space with a

6 inch unobstructed telescope is marvelous. 

Robert

 

[CHASLX200]

Need monster mounts for a 6".

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[bjkaras]

My 6” f/12 refractor is mounted on a Meade 826, which is similar. It’s on a 55” pier and is fine for visual observing but not quite stable enough for imaging. If you’re going to use it for visual

you should be okay.

Edited by bjkaras, 23 September 2023 - 11:12 PM.

[droid]

Robert; I agree 6 inches of unobstructed aperture is sweet. I have the celestron version, the C6R , no weight on the focuser end though.

 

I chased one of those old school mounts for a couple of years, and gave up.

 

Love your rig, hope you get many years of star light out of it 

[Senex Bibax]

Robert; I agree 6 inches of unobstructed aperture is sweet. I have the celestron version, the C6R , no weight on the focuser end though.

 

I chased one of those old school mounts for a couple of years, and gave up.

 

Love your rig, hope you get many years of star light out of it 

I also have a C6R and its original Celestron C5 (?) EQ mount, and a heavy counterweight. Combined weight is something like 45 kg / 90+ lbs. The mount is stable and smooth, but I find it awkward, and you have to sit or squat to view anything over about 45 degrees in altitude. I'm thinking of building an alt-az mount for it from plumbing pipe and setting it atop an old wooden surveyor's tripod.

[CHASLX200]

I also have a C6R and its original Celestron C5 (?) EQ mount, and a heavy counterweight. Combined weight is something like 45 kg / 90+ lbs. The mount is stable and smooth, but I find it awkward, and you have to sit or squat to view anything over about 45 degrees in altitude. I'm thinking of building an alt-az mount for it from plumbing pipe and setting it atop an old wooden surveyor's tripod.

That was a joke when Celestron slapped them CR6's on a CG5 with the small legs. Another train wreck scope. There is a new CR6 for sale on a AVX on the est coast of FL for only 800 smackers.

Edited by CHASLX200, 24 September 2023 - 11:58 AM.

[Bomber Bob]

Bob:

 

Nice setup.....I'm getting excited about mating my scope and mount....haven't used the AR6 since I bought it back in January. Where did you get your 5' piece of pipe?

 

And thanks for your AF career  I too am retired AF....spent my time in a lab and/or in intel...

 

Roger

Hastings Aluminum Tubing....  hastingsirrigation.com/node/19

 

Thanks for your service!!

[bjkaras]

It should be fine. I have a 6” f/12 that is on a Meade 826 mount with an Accutrac drive corrector. It’s fine for visual, but maybe a little less so for imaging. I’d probably rather have an AP900 or something similar.

[RichA]

That was a joke when Celestron slapped them CR6's on a CG5 with the small legs. Another train wreck scope. There is a new CR6 for sale on a AVX on the est coast of FL for only 800 smackers.

They are stable on the CG5, as long as there is ZERO wind and you never focus the scope by hand.

[RichA]

Hastings Aluminum Tubing....  hastingsirrigation.com/node/19

 

Thanks for your service!!

https://www.hastings...laneous-tubing/

[CHASLX200]

They are stable on the CG5, as long as there is ZERO wind and you never focus the scope by hand.

True and you gotta lay on our belly to see thru it.

[Exnihilo]

Need monster mounts for a 6".

I would’ve got your 6 inch Evostar if I didn’t already have a nice heavy CGEM DX to put it on 

Edited by Exnihilo, 17 February 2024 - 08:22 AM.

[CHASLX200]

I would’ve got your 6 inch Evostar if I didn’t already have a nice heavy CGEM DX to put it on 

They need a big boat.

[dec12252]

My 900GTO mount holds my (almost classic) 6" refractor quite nicely.  I have had many wonderful nights with this setup.  No complaints

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[CHASLX200]

My 900GTO mount holds my (almost classic) 6" refractor quite nicely.  I have had many wonderful nights with this setup.  No complaints

Perfect size mount for a 6". Looking for one to pop up myself.

[Terra Nova]

My 6” f/12 refractor is mounted on a Meade 826, which is similar. It’s on a 55” pier and is fine for visual observing but not quite stable enough for imaging. If you’re going to use it for visual

you should be okay.

I had a 6” F5 Celestron refractor on a Meade 826 mount which was on a super heavy duty short wooden tripod. The 1” dec shaft had 2 counterweights on it to balance the scope. I always felt like it struggled a bit with the weight. I know I did!

[Dan /schechter]

My 900GTO mount holds my (almost classic) 6" refractor quite nicely.  I have had many wonderful nights with this setup.  No complaints

I own an AP 155 f/9 EDT Starfire which I use on an AP 900GTO and that mount easliy handles it.

Dan

[Tom Stock]

My Meade StarFinder had no trouble carrying my 30# APM 152ED F8 + Rings Brackets + Tak FC-50:

 

APM ED 152 S076 (Meade SF Restore).jpg

 

The tall pedestal is a 4" x 5' aluminum pipe.

Wow. That makes the 1" shaft mount look absolutely tiny.

[djgilley]

I don't have pictures of it, but I used the same Starfinder mount on a 5' pier to carry the Meade 7 inch ED scope I had back around 2000. The one thing that made it usable was having turnbuckles connecting the tips of the legs to the pier, ala
Astrophysics https://www.astro-physics.com/xxpp

The ota weighed about 40 lbs as I recall, the moment arm was significant. Damping time was about 2 secs as I recall at something like x260. 

 

David

Edited by djgilley, 07 March 2024 - 07:25 AM.

[deSitter]

I don't have pictures of it, but I used the same Starfinder mount on a 5' pier to carry the Meade 7 inch ED scope I had back around 2000. The one thing that made it usable was having turnbuckles connecting the tips of the legs to the pier, ala
Astrophysics https://www.astro-physics.com/xxpp

The ota weighed about 40 lbs as I recall, the moment arm was significant. Damping time was about 2 secs as I recall at something like x260. 

 

David

Yeah that was a large boy that 7" I never saw one in person. I have the 5". Man I love that scope.

 

-drl