Help identify this mount

[Astronewb]

My pleasure, as for the ota, I would think that with a nice solid pier/wedge like that, with a roll off to boot, that any Meade or Celestron fork mount would be right at home. I've never owned a fork mount cassegrain, so I can't comment on the largest available...looks like it's time for a website search for whatever big glass is available. Happy hunting and keep us posted.

Cheers,

Paul

[Arkanthos]

To be honest, where you guys are out there, you're not going to need anything much larger than an 8" anyway, the 11" CPC GPS is a great scope, goto, tracking, easy setup with built in GPS and whatnot. Weighs less, and you can take it down and lock it up when it's not in use. Also, it's small enough that you can bring it around to troop meetings and teach adults how to use it, and even have a brief work up and warm up for their Astronomy Merit Badge. The telescope can be used for the 3 hour observation requirement. But you can use it to explain how things work, how the sky is laid out, and such.

Should note that I'm an Alumni from Troop 634 and an Eagle Scout lol. Astronomy isn't the most selected merit badge ever, would be a neat thing to get your scouts into. If you want any extra info or the like, I'm nearby really. Hit me up in a PM if you like.

Oh, and the holes on the base of a CPC are 3.25" from the center hole to the outer hole on the triangular arrangement. Which isn't far off from what I see in the picture there. It looks as though the base of the fork would mount using the inside 3 holes. The pictures here are of my wedge for reference.

[bandman444]

I wish I were the one owning this telescope. But the telescope will belong to the camp. The telescope will be mounted on the pier and be left in the shed covered, clean, and away from the elements.

I agree though that if it were planning on moving and brought to meetings and such an 11" would be great for its ease of setup and tear down and storage.

This is a Boy Scout Camp that operates during the Summer and Winter months. There are only a handful of people who will have access to the shed where it is kept, but like the 6 weeks of camp operation we will be using it nearly every night.

Maybe a separate thread on how best to make use of a large telescope at a boy scout camp. Nearly all of the campers come from highly populated areas where they could see very few stars. But when they come to camp they are blown away by the sky we have. It is so amazing.

The astronomy program as I said before used to be a big draw to camp, I would like to see that come back.

Thanks.

[Arkanthos]

As far as the larger telescopes, generally those will be on a German Equatorial mount. Without further examination of the pier you have there, I can't tell you whether or not it would be easy to alter the mount to accept one from one of several manufacturers. It could be as easy as unbolting the angled top piece and bolting a new plate to the top. My best advice, would be to see if you can hook up with an Astronomy Club in the area and see if someone there can come out with you that has experience in setting up GEM mounts onto Piers and the like. If you go GEM, the sky is really the limit for the size of scope you can put on there (14", 18", 20", 24" or even larger) given your mount and pier are up to the task. Most use a Vixen type rail (or something similar) so the flexibility is there. I would encourage you to look at 2nd hand even, people who buy the larger scopes, generally know what they are doing, and you'll have a fantastic scope for a reduced price.

But yeah, I'm excited to hear what you guys are going to do I know that had there been an astronomy program at Camp Kern... I would have been all over it.