Print

When I upgraded my tripod to a stainless-steel EQ5 one, I was left with a Skywatcher NEQ3 tripod with no mount to fit on it. I also had a smaller 'EQ2-ish' tripod for my 7omm Bresser refractor that was not particularly rigid.

As I had carried out some modifications to make the EQ3 tripod more rigid, it seemed a shame not to find use for it, so I decided to see if I could fit the small Bresser equatorial mount to it. It would certainly be possible, and I almost started turning up a large aluminium adaptor to fit between the EQ3 fitting and the Bresser mount.

A little reflection and I realised it would be easier to fit the Bresser tripod head (which combines tripod head and mount) to the EQ3 legs. the main task was to enlarge the holes in the Bresser head and make some thick, stepped delrin washers to make up the gap between the mounting lugs and head. I also had to remove a little plastic from two of the mounting lugs and add a shorter fixing bolt as some of the clearances were a bit tight.

Everything went together perfectly, leaving me with a an EQ3 tripod head that could be fitted on a static pier and the old Bresser tripod legs. Although the Bresser tripod can't easily be rebuilt I could restore the NEQ3 if I wanted to.

The end result? a light tripod with a compact equatorial mount that is much more rigid than the original tripod. It is not suitable for imaging but ideal as a grab and go mount for my smaller scope. I will probably add a right-ascension drive and it will then be great for sharing views of the night sky. I call it the Bresswatcher EQ2.5.

Bresswatcher NEQ2 1/2 Tripod and Mount

Bresswatcher NEQ2.5 Tripod and Mount

 

Category: Astrophotography