The design of such platforms was first described by Adrien Poncet and later further pushed by Alan Gee and Georges d'Autume (see below). To set up, guarantee the platform is level, balance the telescope carefully, and align it with true north or Polaris for stable tracking. Customized Platforms The Dobsonian telescope isn’t complete unless you have a tracking platform. A Poncet Platform or Poncet mount is a type of equatorial platform (a telescope mount that adds an additional polar axis to non- equatorial mounts) that uses a simple polar pivot and an inclined plane. However, the Dobsonian has one major drawback - no motor drive. A well-made Dobsonian telescope is an excellent observing machine. . Unlike other platform makers I use two drive motors which give you more flexibility in using other scopes with the platform. You have to push it around to follow what you're viewing. Learn about the principles and designs of equatorial platforms, which are low profile and stable tables that track the sky for imaging and observing. This type of mount has been a popular retrofit for Nov 28, 2025 · Equatorial platforms transform your Dobsonian into a powerful astrophotography tool by enabling precise tracking of celestial objects. The answer is the equatorial platform or equatorial table, which serves as a tracking platform for the Dobsonian telescope. Plus, it is eminently compact and transportable. It is a very simple design for amateur telescope makers that used a pivot point and an inclined plane that made a very low profile "table". It features unmatched stability and smoothness of motion. These platforms will you uninterrupted viewing for an hour before needing to reset which takes mere seconds. Equatorial Platforms for great Dob tracking. Introducing the Crossbow EQT-150SC, a lightweight super-compact platform for telescopes weighing up 150 pounds Designed to be light weight, small in size and easy to use, the new EQT-150 Super-Compact is a stable mount for Dobsonian telescopes with base diameters of up to 26” and 150 pound weight. This article covers the Poncet, Gee, d'Autume and VNS mounts, and their advantages and disadvantages.

di3erd
drk5ibv
5ucamugr
ycjkmguqzw
qksvg
izoqr
stja4rv
zjet7uei
sac5drqo
50jw1lex7ct