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Two scopes can be mounted on a Tablet.
Both scopes can be moved together in azimuth, together in altitude or separately in altitude.
Tablet with Bray dovetail holder.
A double clamp allows for heavier telescopes
to be mounted with confidence
Tablet mounted on wooden tripod.
These tripod types are ideal for the Tablet,
although a Tablet can be fitted to many other tripods.
Thanks to the footprint and preload system,
both lightweight and many heavier telescopes can be used successfully on a Tablet without the need for a counterweight. Counterweights are advised in circumstances where the tripod is likely to tip over. So, balance on a tripod is a more important issue than strain on the Tablet.
The Stack. Two Tablets stacked.
This allows freedom of movement between two telescopes in both altitude and azimuth. The possibilities are endless. A Stack also allows the precise alignment of two telescopes on the same astronomical or terrestrial object.
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Tablet Mount
Single Tablet Mount with dual arm as standard. A Tablet Mount is factory pre-loaded to provide smooth bearing motion in azimuth. A stainless steel locking knob is fitted so that azimuth pre-load friction may be adjusted or locked in position if required.
A centerless ground 316 stainless steel shaft is fitted into a precision reamed bearing housing for extremely smooth and rigid altitude movement with zero backlash. There are no aluminium-to-aluminium bearing surfaces anywhere on the mount. A stainless steel locking knob is fitted so that altitude pre-load friction may be adjusted or locked if required.
The locking knobs in altitude and azimuth hence allow a pre-set to be achieved, which provides the same amount of torque requirement for movement in both axis.
On both ends of the dual arm is fitted a Delrin 'glove', which is a seperate bearing in its own right. Each glove also has a stainless steel locking knob for locking the altitude movement of the glove, separate from locking the bearing arm shaft. This system thus allows the following alt-azimuth movements of two telescopes on the same mount - Simutaneous movement in azimuth of two telescopes, simultaneous movement in altitude of two telescopes, individual movement in altitude of two telescopes.
Each arm has a weight-carrying capacity of at least 23 kilos. So a single Tablet Mount can carry in excess of 46 kilos, 23 kilos per arm. (A Tablet Mount is capable of holding considerably more than 23 kilos per arm, however most telescopes of a compact or portable nature are below this weight). Consideration must be taken as to the choice of tripod used, as this is likely to be the weak link in the chain.
Tube assemblies including refractors, Maksutovs, SCTs and short tube Newtonians can be used on a Tablet Mount. A tube assembly can be attached directly to the gloves, or by a dovetail holder such as the dual-clamp Bray Dovetail Holder, or the Baader and APM units. If one heavy telescope is to be used, a factory-machined thread in the end of each arm allows the attachment of a counterweight bar and counterweight.
Stack Mount
Essentially two Tablet Mounts stacked, with both independant and shared bearings in azimuth, and independant bearings in altitude. A Stack is factory pre-loaded to achieve smooth azimuth bearing motion, and the same reamed bearings in altitude. Each Tablet in a Stack system has a single arm which can move independantly in both altitude and azimuth. Thus two telescopes on one mount can point at seperate astronomical objects. A Stack has the same weight carrying capacity as a single Tablet Mount. (The stability and carrying capacity of both Tablet and Stack are helped by a mount footprint of 150mm). Both single arms are fitted with a Delrin glove. If one heavy telescope is to be used, a counterweight bar can be screw attached to the spare stainless steel arm. Each Tablet in a Stack has altitude and azimuth friction locking knobs, so independant movement of one telescope can be achieved whilst the other remains stationary. With the addition of the optional 'Stack Clamp', both Tablets can be locked together in azimuth. This allows two astronomical objects of different altitude to be observed, and both manually tracked simultaneously in azimuth, a useful feature when observing two planets.
Both the Tablet Mount and Stack represent the ultimate portable grab-and-go alt-azimuth platforms for airline travel, star parties and general backyard observing.
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Telescope Mounts
