Thanks for the tip, Robert, but I’m not sure we have the same tripod. Does yours look like the one in the photos I posted? I only ask because mine uses threaded studs with acorn nuts on both ends, at

Thanks, Howard. Several have made this suggestion, and I’m going to implement it as well as bring the camera and the external CPO4 control box indoors when indicated. —howard

This is the project that I envisioned a couple of years ago, a “heart transplant” for my venerable Meade 16” LX200 SCT using a new A-P 1600GTO mount. A trifling mod to the tripod deck was all that was

Thanks for the clarification, Marj. And I can’t tell you how pleased and impressed I am with the construction and physical presence of the mount. It looks as though my idea of mating it to my old Mead

I’m slowly setting up my new 1600GTOAE (slowly, because there’s no way I could get this thing set up in time to get first light before we leave on a 17-day trip). One thing is a bit ambiguous, though.

Ha, no, although I do sometimes call her “Little Miss Muscles“, because as a French bulldog, she really is a little bundle of muscles in her legs. The “Mr. Muscles“ I was talking about is my burly son

I’ve been thinking about the height because I’d like to, as you suggest, preserve the stability of the tripod and have a lower lift to deal with when assembling and disassembling. Though I plan to do

I love it when a plan comes together! I wanted to see how a completed FrankenScope would look, so here’s a version with body parts from 3 different lines from 2 different mfrs. that were never meant t

Hi, Chris— Do you mean you have just the Meade OTA, and that’s why you need to find a tripod? I can’t imagine they’re very plentiful on the used market, unfortunately. If you get lucky, you’ll be glad

Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the

Rehabilitation of the Meade Giant Field Tripod is done except for the cosmetic removal of surface rust on the legs. The A-P Flat Surface Adapter is mounted with 8 socket-head bolts to holes drilled in

Am I correct that APCC requires Windows? —howard

That seems counterintuitive. The mount should be insensitive to leveling error, since the process of polar alignment with each new setting up accounts for any direction of out-of-level. And in any cas

You want a linear sky? Talk to Elon about a ride to LEO. Modeling might be tricky. —howard

That doesn’t seem quite plausible to me. Atmospheric refraction causes a difference of about 55 arcsec in apparent elevation of an object when it’s at an elevation of 45º compared to when it’s at the

Field rotation occurs whenever, and only when, motion occurs around two axes during tracking. Ideally, this wouldn’t happen with an equatorial mount except when the polar axis is imperfectly aligned.

Or take the shaft to Home Depot and try either their thread template or bolts from the specialty cabinet. I’ve found that strategy very useful! —howard

Rolando and Marge— Thanks for the encouraging responses. I’ve emailed Peter Tyson. As you say, the available time at Las Campanas may be wall-to-wall Big Astronomy, but seeing a human-scale A-P jewel

Hi, Rolando— Regarding the A-P Mak at the Carnegie station on Las Campanas: After years of hoping I could finally take part in one, I’m signed up for the upcoming Sky & Telescope tour of a number of C

OK, this time. Just don’t let it happen again. – Howard