Loose azimuth pin

[TerryMcK]

I have a 400 mm pier extension fixed to my HEQ5 tripod. It has been in use for a number of years now. I found that the Az bolts were operating strangely. Screw in the LH bolt and it would stop. I then had to unscrew the RH bolt a long way to get the LH bolt to move. Something was amiss.

 

 

I took the mount off the pier and the there is a substantial heavy metal adapter which carries the azimuth pin. I unscrewed the large hand screw and thrust bearing holding the adapter in place and found that the azimuth pin had become loosened. There is an M6 allen head screw holding it in place. This had come out. It was just luck that the housing was holding the azimuth pin in place. The pin is made from brass or bronze, painted black and is square section about 25 mm long. The pier adapter has a square hole cast in it to hold the pin in the correct orientation. The M6 screw just holds the whole pin in place.

 

A quick tighten with an allen key, reassembly and all is good again. The azimuth screws work perfectly and are very smooth. 

[Graeme]

And I bet an enormous sense of wellbeing was gained from the fettling!

 

Graeme

[GazAstro]

Do love a fettle, or a dabble 🙂

Gives us something to do while it's cloudy.