FAR LaboratoriesTM

Q. Will my Telescope or other device fit on a Dynapod and which model do I need?

A. There are five Configurations so far, and the list is growing on the number of ways you can attach your telescope or camera.

Standard ¼-20 Fixed Stud
This one is for any mounting head that can screw onto a tripod mount, such as the Universal Astronomics models. The stud is in a threaded hole and can be replaced with something else. There is also a round top model with a larger mounting surface.
Type N, Standard ¼" Hole with Wing Bolt
This is for any head or camera that you have to tighten down, such as the small NexStars. It comes with a stainless steel wing bolt to secure your telescope. Small Nexstars, Questar, most camera heads.
Type N-0.5, ½" Hole for Bolts up to 15/32"
This is for any single point mount that uses a larger bolt such as the Celestron Super Polaris GEM, or larger Universal Astronomics models.
Type ETX
This is a special design for any of the Meade ETX models, From the ETX-70 to the ETX-125 It comes with two stainless steel wing bolts to secure your telescope
Image missingMounting Plate 1 for LX2-00, LX-10 and NexStar 5 & 8
This is a special adapter plate that mounts on a ETX Pod and converts it to hold a LX200 or NexStar 5 or 8, by the use of three bolts.

All of the kits include special stainless steel mounting screws that require a special bit needed to either install or remove. The bit is included in the kit. This is to make it difficult for anyone else to remove your Dyna Pod from a remote location.

If you cannot figure out which one to use, please call us. We also make custom Mounts for your exact needs.


Q. OK, I know which mounting configuration I need, do I mount it on a Dyna rail or Post Pod?

A. The Post Pod is for installing on a vertical Post or setting in a concrete pillar to make a pier. The Dyna rail is designed to install your telescope on a horizontal surface, such as a deck railing, a table or even a tree stump. There is also an optional stainless steel washer kit to help you level the Dyna rail on uneven surfaces.



Q. How much weight can a DynaPod hold?

A. It is not so much as how much it can hold as it is how much weigh can what I have the Dynapod connected to hold, and how am I using it.

There are two major effects to consider Vibration and Sag.

Vibration. Damping time is important. How long it takes for the scope to stop shaking. This is very hard to calculate, as besides from mass, "Arm" is also an important consideration. Arm is related to the length of the scope. A long tube refractor will have a longer arm then a short tube Cassegrain, and for the same mass will take longer to settle down. If your scope is "out in the wind" and not in some shelter, the wind load of the scope is also a consideration. A two second settling time is considered acceptable, while over four seconds is usually not.

Sag. In a perfect world, all the mass of your telescope system would be balanced over a central point. The world is not perfect and engineering compromises shift the balance point of systems. If your system is out of balance and you change the direction it is pointing, there will be flexure or sag. If the amount of sag is large, it can affect the pointing accuracy of computerized telescopes. If the amount of sag is minimal this is not a problem.

For a Post Pod on a wooden post, we have tested up to 20 pounds (9 Kilograms), on a concrete post could increase to as much as 50 pounds (23 Kilograms).


For The Dyna rail installed on a deck railing, a table or some other structure, it depends on the strength of the underlying structure and your application Visual observing and Video (RegiStax) place less demands on a system than long deep-sky time exposures.

Q. Why do you make your DynaPods out of stainless steel and not Aluminum or some other metal?

A. We want it to be small and durable. If they were made out of Aluminum it would have to be over four times larger to have the same strength. Even anodized and coated aluminum will eventually be attacked by salt air and acid rain. A DynaPod is designed to be left out in the elements and last a very long time.





Home
FAR Laboratories
P.O. Box 25
South Hadley, MA 01075-0025

800.336.9054
Western Massachusetts 413.467.9262
Fax 413.467.9393

All You Add Is the Sky



All contents ©Copyright 1998-2006 FAR Laboratories. All Rights Reserved.