Equatorial Platform Design Compromises on this Build

These instructions on building an equatorial platform simplify a very complex design

process. One of the main compromises is that I have omitted the calculation of the centre
of balance. As such, this assumes that the Dobsonian telescope to be mounted is a
conventional 200mm or 250mm f5 type design. It also requires that the telescope is
always weight balanced between the mirror end and the eyepiece end. I have not tested
this with heavy 2” eyepieces - be very careful if you intend to do this. If you choose to
follow these instructions, you do so entirely at your own risk.

The telescope is held on the platform by recesses on the top board. Make sure you are
con dent that this is su cient for your latitude or come up with some other way of xing
it to the top board.

These instructions grossly simplify the work of others and have not been endorsed by
them. I am particularly indebted to Reiner Vogel and would recommend that you visit his
comprehensive website:

http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html?/Plattform/plattform_VNS_e.html

I also studied and bene tted from he solutions of Moonshane on Stargazers Lounge:

https://stargazerslounge.com

and nally, Nick Hill suggested using an EQ1 motor rather than designing your own.

Potential modi cations can include attaching a compass, attaching a bubble level,
amongst others.

Prerequisite Components

• Plywood 1m x 1m x 20mm (Do not use chipboard due to dampness warping)

• Aluminium Block: 40mm x 20mm x 100mm
• Aluminium Angle: 50mm x 50mm x 3mm - al least 150mm length
• Aluminium Sheet: 200mm x 200mm x 5mm
• Furniture Adjustable Feet with T Nuts
• 8mm Pillow Bearings x 4
• 8mm steel rod 150mm length
• EQ1 Motor (ideally with a drive shaft at the lower end)
• M20 Bolt 70mm, M20 Nut, M20 washers x 2
• M4 screws 25mm long, washers and nuts
• Assorted wood screws

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Section 1

Top Board Cutting

Use a right angled set square for this.

a. Draw a centreline and measure 540mm this is the top and bottom of your basic shape
b. At the top and bottom, draw lines at 90o from it.
c. Measure in both directions from your centreline
d. Join the top and bottom edges.
e. Cut the wood to this shape.

50mm

540mm

245mm

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Top Board

f. Measure 122mm each way from the bottom centreline

g. Using a protractor, Draw a line from these points at 20o
h. Cut alone the lines.

50mm

540mm

20o 20o

122mm 122mm

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Section 2.

Bottom Board Cutting

a. Place your top board onto another piece of board.

b. Draw around your top board to get the basic shape for the bottom board

540mm

20o angle
line

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Bottom Board

c. Extend the outer line by 160mm to give the A shape

d. Measure across 120mm at right angles
e. Draw a parallel line back to the 20o angle line
f. This gives you the basic A shape for the base
g. Optional: You can cut out an triangle in the centre to make the whole thing lighter.

Optional
cut out

160mm 160mm

120mm 120mm

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 Section 3.

Preparing the Aluminium Arcs

a. Select the template for the curve that best matches your latitude here:
http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html?/Plattform/plattform_VNS_e.html

b. Print o that page.

c. Trace it onto the 5mm aluminium sheet and make a series of straight cuts (marked
red) and then le the waste away - aluminium is relatively easy to work with. The
aluminium is so thin that you just cut it at right angles.

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Section 4.

Southern Pivot

Top Board

a. Take a piece of 20mm depth aluminium block.

b. Drill through two xing holes for wood screws
c. Drill a shallow 20mm hole in the centre of the block - about 5mm depth
d. ream and widen out the edge of the hole with a le or edge of a screwdriver to create
a sort of crater

25mm

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Southern Pivot

Bottom Board

a. Drill a hole on the centreline to admit a M20 bolt

b. Put a wide washer on the bolt and insert it through from the bottom. Put another
washer above and secure with a nut, above.
c. The bolt now needs cutting to achieve (at least) a 50mm gap when it is in the crater on
the top board. It is essential that this gap is even along the length of the board. The
bolt tip needs rounding with a le to allow it to pivot in the crater. (See below)

25mm

25mm

50mm 50mm

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Section 5.

Adjustable Levelling Feet

Bottom Board

a. Drill three holes on the bottom board as shown below to admit M10 bolts
b. Obtain 3 adjustable furniture feet as shown below (Google Image search is easiest
way to source these).
c. Insert bolt into underside of hole and hammer the T-Nut into the bottom board

60mm

20mm 20mm

40mm 40mm

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Section 6.

Dob Feet Recesses

Top Board

d. Place the top board on the oor with the southern pivot block underneath.
e. Place your dob base on the board with one foot on the centre line.
f. Move the dob base back until the other two feet are just behind the aluminium arc
segments.
g. Mark around the dob feet with a pencil.
h. Select a drill with the same diameter as the dob feet and apply tape to your drill to
mark 5mm depth.
i. Carefully drill a shallow hole to accept each of the dob feet.
j. Tip: Mark the edge of your dob base turntable clearly to indicate the position of one of
the feet - this will help you align the turntable when lowering it onto the board.

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 Section 7.

Pillow Bearings

Bottom Board

a. Cut two pieces of 8mm steel rod at 60mm and 70mm length.
b. Slacken the grub screws on two of the pillow bearings and insert the 60mm rod - to
form a roller bearing. tighten the grub screws.
c. Repeat with the second roller bearing but leave 10mm of rod protruding from one of
the bearings. This will form the drive shaft attachment for the EQ1 motor shaft.
d. There seem to be two designs of EQ1 motor. The main di erence is one type has the
motor shaft coming out of the back of the box towards the bottom. The other type
has it at the top. I was lucky enough to get a Meade box with the bottom shaft design.
If you have the other type, you may have to either mount it on its side or upside down
to align it with the pillow bearing shaft and maintain a 50mm gap between the upper
and lower boards.
e. Even with the bottom design, I found that I had to put a 10mm thick wooden block
under my pillow bearings to allow the shaft to line up with the height of the EQ1 motor
shaft. You should check this. (See also Mounting the EQ1 Motor)
f. Before xing the pillow bearings to the bottom board, check that the top board sits on
the structure with an even gap along the length of the board. If not, you may have to
adjust the length of the southern pivot bolt until the gap is even and at least 50mm.

70mm Drive

50mm 50mm

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Section 8.

Attaching the Arc Segments

Top Board

a. Drill a hole on both aluminium arc segments to admit an M4 bolt (i).

b. Insert 25mm length bolts into the holes and secure with nuts. These are stops to
prevent the arc coming o the bearing assembly at the end of their travel.
c. The arc should be mounted on the top board using 25mm x 25mm aluminium angle-
piece with M4 bolts.
d. The arc should be mounted on the top board with the inner edge aligned with the start
of the 20o angle (Point A) on the board. The upper edge of the arc should be aligned
parallel with the top of the board.

(i) M4
Stop bolt

Inner
Edge

Upper Edge

20o Arc
angle Point A Stop
Bolt

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The arc segments should look something like this.

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Section 9.

Attaching the EQ1 Motor

a. There are two types of EQ1 Motor designs with the drive shaft at the top or bottom of
the design. See below. If you have the top drive type, you will have to invert it to
achieve alignment with the pillow bearing shaft and maintain a 50mm gap between
top and bottom boards.
b. Both types come with a right angled xing attachment. You will need to match this up
to an aluminium angle piece xed to the board. These can be xed together with an
M4 bolt and nut.

ch
Atta

EQ1

50mm 50mm

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