EQ8: Welcome to the Dome!

My EQ8 Journey: Prepping for a Shared Observatory!

My astrophotographer friend Mikel Martinez and I have had our little Franco-Spanish collaboration running smoothly for over a year now. So, we decided it was time to take our remote observatory sharing to the next level! Next month, Mikel will be coming over to install his setup right alongside mine in the observatory!

To get ready for this, the first step is a mount upgrade. My trusty little N-EQ6 just won’t be able to handle the extra payload, so we’ve opted for an EQ8, tuned up by the experts at Pierro-Astro, to take its place. To accommodate the new mount, I had a local machinist modify the mounting plate. Nothing too complex, but I just didn’t have the right tools at home for the job.

After a quick coat of paint, it’s back on the concrete pier. A few days later, I made the trip to Pierro-Astro, near Béziers, to pick up the new beast.

Compared to the NEQ-6, this is clearly a much heavier, more serious mount – even if it’s not an AP or a Paramount!

Installing Teenie Galilei (my scope) was pretty straightforward, no particular difficulties there.

Next up: the parallel installation of the FSQ106 and the new Moravian G3… Stay tuned!