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PIER-TECH 3 ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT PIER

Pier-Tech Trademark Pier-Tech, Inc. is a US based manufacturing company. The company was established for the purpose of making fixed and portable Piers that can accept astronomical German Equatorial or Fork Mounts or other instruments. In time they expanded their production to develop astronomical observatories with slide-off roof, and most recently in 2008 they expanded production to include observatory domes for use by professional and home astronomical observatories, and planetaria constructed of galvanized steel in diameters from 8 feet (2.4m) up to 30 foot 6 inches (9.3 meters)! So by 2008 Pier-Tech was offering almost everything that an amateur or professional astronomer could want to house their telescope or other project.

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Above: new 2011 model Pier-Tech 3 with Astro-Physics 1200GTO mount and Celestron C-14 telescope. Set and observatory installed by Company Seven, shown July 2011.
Four images show progressive span of pier platform height from minimum retraction to maximum extension (103,739 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view extended (140,718 bytes).

Pier-Tech 3 with Meade 14

Company Seven became aware of this developing company because of their increasing selection of roll-off roof observatories and telescope piers. And even though we do offer observatory domes for sale, and our own observatory is in a superb dome there were times when we deduced that our customer might be better served with a roll-off roof observatory and or an adjustable height Pier, and we therefore would recommend Pier-Tech as the first choice. While no observatory structural arrangement is a perfect solution since each brings with it some compromises, there are instances when the roll-off roof arrangement may be preferred over a dome.

Right: Pier-Tech 3 with Celestron C-14 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with atop Paramount ME, shown with pier retracted then extended.
Click on image to see enlarged view extended (49,808 bytes).

Advantages Of A Adjustable Height Pier:

  • facilitates a more comfortable observing experience: sit when you prefer or stand when you prefer - whether you are short or tall or looking at an object low in the sky or at Zenith: the telescope comes to you!

  • improves the possibility the handicapped can access the telescope: a great idea for public and private facilities

  • makes it easier to operate an observatory with an open roof arrangement since the telescope and mount can be lowered to reduce the possibility of having a roof close and strike the equipment

  • one pier for many telescopes: allows operators who have multiple telescopes (reflectors or refractors or Cassegrains) to adjust pier height to keep the eyepiece or photo guiding equipment readily accessible

  • when looking high near the zenith you don't need to strain your back by crouching down to look thru the eyepiece, just simply push the button on the hand pendant to raise the eyepiece to your eye

  • when the owner prefers to store the telescope below the level of the walls so that the presence of a telescope is not obvious when the roof of the observatory is open

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    Above: Pier-Tech 2 with Meade 10" LX-200 telescope and Wedge with pier retracted then extended.
    Click on image to see enlarged view (151,804 bytes).

This Makes Pier-Tech 3 Particularly Attractive:
      Pier-Tech 3 is the higher capacity cousin of the Pier-Tech 2. Its features include:

    1. Professional quality mechanical design to assure precision elevation, retraction, and good longevity. Pier-Tech is a series of patented (US Patent#7,048,238) electro-mechanical telescope piers designed for the observer who wishes to raise and lower the pier locally by push buttons on the supplied hand held pendant.

    2. The Pier-Tech 3 height spans (dimensions are ± ½ inches):

        1. 28-½ inches (72.4 cm) elevating up to 48-½ inches (123 cm), or
        2. 29-½ inches (75 cm) up to 49-½ (126 cm)

      The pier provides 20 inches (50.8 cm) of precision vertical adjustment keeping your telescope polar aligned and level. The payload remains level and polar aligned well enough for visual uses at every height, for imaging we recommend aligning and using the system either fully retracted, fully extended or at any one particular height. The good results are guaranteed or your money back!

    3. Simply push the button on the hand pendant to raise the eyepiece to your eye, while still keeping the telescope level and polar aligned well enough for visual uses at every height. For imaging we recommend aligning and using the system either fully retracted, fully extended or at any one particular height. The good results are guaranteed or your money back!

      To read more about the repeatability precision and how this is determined read Pier-Tech Polar Alignment Repeatability in our Pier-Tech Notes & Interesting Articles

    4. The main beam consisting of built in slots on all for sides for mounting accessories to the sides of the pier such as the Pier-Tech Eyepiece Tray or Laptop/Accessory Tray.

    5. This is an pleasing contemporary design made of aluminum and stainless steel, with the Pier section finished in Silver and with Black Top and Base panels. The finish is durably anodized and/or powder coated for corrosion resistance. However, when not in use we recommend covering the Pier to protect the surface finish and to prevent fading from excess exposure to sunlight.

    6. The Pier-Tech 3 weighs 70 lbs. (32 kg).

    7. The Pier-Tech 3 has a total working payload capacity of 800 lbs (364 kg), and can withstand greater bending moments than its smaller cousins. For those who require even greater payload capacity then consider Pier-Tech 4.

    8. Includes a precision machined flat Top Plate with hole pattern drilled to accommodate your telescope, Latiwedge, or other equatorial Wedge hole patterns (please specify when ordering). This service is included in price.

      In time if you change telescopes then the Top Plate may be removed by the user and returned to have a new hole pattern drilled if necessary.

      Optional telescope Mount to Pier adapters are available to hold most third party mounts that require a recessed fitting.

    9. You can install this Pier atop almost any rigid structure with our supplied hardware. We supply the Pier with an Anchor Plate so all you have to do is bolt the Anchor Plate onto a flat surface, or set the Pier-Tech Adapter Plate with 'J' bolts into the freshly poured concrete of your pier foundation. Then bolt the Pier-Tech onto the Adapter Plate; the bottom plate of the Pier is bolted onto the Anchor Plate by four (4) 3/4" 10 tpi stainless steel anchor studs. To complete the task, make minute adjustments to the tilt and leveling of the Pier by adjusting the four bolts.

      The Anchor Plate is sent to the customer soon after the order is placed so that while the pier is fabricated there will be time to prepare the foundation.

      The Anchor Plate for the smaller Pier-Tech 2 is the same as that for the Pier-Tech 3, so it is a simple matter matter to move up to the Pier-Tech 2 in time.

    10. The Pier-Tech 3 operates by means of an 110 volt AC (optional 220 volt) electric motor. If your facility lacks AC power then the system well operate from 12 volt DC batteries through an Inverter.

    11. Pier-Tech products are engineered and provided largely assembled and with good documentation so that installation and set up will go smoothly - even for the mere mortal.

    12. Pier-Tech piers can be disassembled and relocated easily.

    13. Pier-Tech has engineered a comprehensive array of accessories for their piers and observatories including:

      • Pier-Tech has developed the Tele-Station observatories, each with a roof panel that retracts. And so with the elevating pier raising the telescope to or above the wall level, one can observe from horizon to zenith!

      • Optional Auto-Pier Telescope Pier Control Software & Hardware permits the complete remote operation of the pier. Or control the observatory and pier with commands transmitted by hardwire or by cellular communications with the Advanced Observatory Control Software & Hardware - all from the comfort of your own home or from another part of the world, with the optional Wi-Fi or Cell tower Communication Module.

      • Solar Panel Power System to operate the pier and observatory for remote installations or simply for those who wish to make an environmental statement.

      • Pier-Tech 3 can be made portable with optional leg and castor attachment. The leg assembly comes with 3 castors for mobility and 3 leveling feet for leveling the Pier.

    14. Company Seven can provide as much support as the customer prefers: consulting and sales, facility preparation (foundation work, utilties, permits), construction, systems integration, and operator training. Just tell us what type of telescope and mount you have, and we can take care of the rest.

    15. Company Seven preaches "the best telescope is the one that gets used". And so the convenience of having the telescope set up in an observatory, with the mount aligned and ready to go increases the instances when the owner will enjoy the night sky.

Above Right: Click on image to see the streaming video of the similar roll-off roof TeleStation 2 Observatory with Pier-Tech 3 elevating Pier.
Video will download in Apple Quicktime format. The one minute presentation amounts to 31,166,260 bytes.

Product Gallery  click on the picture to view enlarged image

 
Tele-Station 2 Solar Panel
 
Pier-Tech automation hardware with Wi-Fi module

 

Available Options
Click on item to view image of the product, or link to the product description page		  
Auto-Pier Telescope Pier Control Software & Hardware P.O.R.
Advanced control software and hardware for full robotic operation, ASCOM compatible. P.O.R.
Solar Panel Power System: Solar Panel, inverter, battery, charge controller, with all wiring and mounting equipment P.O.R.
Pier Caddy to add mobility to a Pier-Tech pier P.O.R.
Laptop/Accessory Platform Tray P.O.R.
Eyepiece and accessories tray. P.O.R.
Telescope Vibration Isolation platform. Eliminates vibration to mount induced by walking around the pier or tripod P.O.R.

 

Pier-Tech 3 Adjustable Height Pier Pricing:
Item # Description Price  
PT3-110A Pier-Tech 3, 28.5 to 48.5 inch, 110 volt AC P.O.R.
PT3-110B Pier-Tech 3, 29.5 to 49.5 inch, 110 volt AC P.O.R.
PT3-220A Pier-Tech 3, 28.5 to 48.5 inch, 110 volt AC Contact C7
PT3-220B Pier-Tech 3, 29.5 to 49.5 inch, 110 volt AC Contact C7



Pier-Tech 3 is made in Silver with Black Top and Base panels:


Silver Metallic
 
Matte Black