Already from two years back, since I acquired my EQ8, I have been looking for a solid solution for field work. The current metal pier can be moved with two persons, but is really to heavy to be called “transportable”. It must weigh close to 60kg, the base of the pier is concrete filled.
There is obviously the standard SkyWatcher EQ8 semi-pier: next to being heavy it also looks a bit quircky. The most elegant solution would be a Berlebach sturdy wooden tripod. Both solutions are (new) pretty expensive.
So I’m very happy to stumble upon a second-hand Takahashi metal tripod. It’s the EM400 version, the most robust tripod Takahashi sells, specifically for the EM400 mount. The listed capacity is 500kg. The height can be changed by two clamps per leg, between 31″ and 44″ or 79cm and 112 cm. The weight of the tripod is about 15 kg.
It should easily carry the 30kg of the EQ8 + 20kg payload!!
What I need now is a little help from my friends to build an aluminum adapter for the mount. For this we ordered an aluminum disk, that will be adapted on a lathe. It will be similar to the disk that resides on the pier:
This will allow me to switch the mount easily between fixed pier and mobile tripod.