PARTICLE WAVE TECHNOLOGIES - PIER ADAPTERS

the critical interface between the tripod and the payload

Company Seven recommends the Particle Wave Technologies (PWTEC) Monolith and Pinnacle models of tripods for a variety of mounts sold by us, and by others. These are our the most sophisticated and elegant products of their class, well at home with our premium Fork and German Equatorial Mounts mounts by Astro-Physics, Losmandy, Optical Guidance System (OGS), as well as for those who demand better for their Celestron and Meade Instruments telescopes.

The designs of the tripods are based upon a pier post that is made featuring honeycomb and milling to provide good strength and rigidity where needed, and light weight where possible. The pier post is built onto an open truss framework that is designed to evenly distribute the forces on the pier down through the three extending legs. The critical interface between the tripod and the payload is the Pier Adapter. This is a precisely machined plate that is bolted onto the open pier top of either tripod, the plate is made with hole patterns that correspond to that required to attach the mount head onto the Pier Adapter.

Right: Takahashi German Equatorial Mount attached on the Pier Adapter and Monolith Tripod.
Note the round black knobs, 120 degrees apart, to lock the rotation position. And bubble levels to aid set-up (33,370 bytes).

A fully machined Pier Adapter is made in either in a circular form (as shown at right), or it may have a square or rectangular profile. Each is fitted to accept any one or more of the poplar mounts made by Astro-Physics, Losmandy, Mountain Instruments, OGS, Software Bisque, Takahashi. Furthermore, there are Universal Adapter Plates that can accept or be easily modified to fit many other custom instruments.

Some of the Pier Adapters are made to accommodate more than one model of mount. For example, we offer a Rotating Pier Adapter made to support either the Astro-Physics 900GTO and 1200GTO mount heads. And the adapters work with any fine azimuth adjustment mechanisms provided with the mount. So there is no need to buy several tripods, and you may need only Pier Adapter. This versatility is among the long term benefits made possible by intelligent engineering.

The Pier Adapter incorporates a bubble level so that when working in conjunction with the leg extensions then the fine adjustment Leveling Feet one can attain remarkably good accuracy. So while it is not absolutely necessary to level a platform to support a German Mount (the head can be adjusted to compensate), by doing so then one will have minimal need of changing the tilt (elevation) of the mount head as long as it is used at the same site or at a similar latitude.

The Pier Adapter construction is fully nonferrous and so to aid in setting up the tripod to be Pole Aligned a simple magnetic compass is installed recessed into the plate. This aid is coarse in resolution but it will get you started, pointing close enough to make fine adjustments at the mount head, or if you ordered it so equipped (as illustrated below) by unlocking and then rotating the entire Pier Adapter with payload. Note the accuracy of finding a celestial pole with a magnetic compass varies by region and by Longitude, so consult area topographic charts to obtain the local magnetic deviation if you wish to learn more about using a compass to assist in Pole Alignment.

Furthermore, the Pier Adapters permit the tripod to accommodate much smaller mounts and other components than those that the tripod is engineered to support. So if one buys the 10 inch diameter Pinnacle then it can also be used to support larger mounts including the 1200GTO, but with a Pier Adapter then the same tripod can be used to support a much smaller diameter head such as the Losmandy G-11, or the Celestron CGE. And the Pier Adapters are so well thought out that the larger diameter Pier will not interfere with the operation the mount or typical attached payloads.

Above: views of Astro-Physics 900 GTO German Mount atop optional PWTEC Rotating Pier Adapter showing part of the 360 degree range of motion. The movement is smooth, and nearly effortless (each image Appx. 37k bytes).

Other optional accessories include: ATA Transport Cases custom engineered by Company Seven Padded Carrying Bags lightweight solution for day to day storage and local moves Pier Post Extension lightweight bolt-on extension to increase height 'Skates' Tripod Dolly with 6 inch diameter lockable wheels Skate Accessory Tray