AstroGoods Astronomy Products: Altitude bearings

Altitude Bearings

Better balance and motion for your telescope:

How do tightrope walkers maintain balance? With long poles to spread balance over a wider base. Standing with feet together can make you very unstable. Widening your stance greatly increases stability. Larger altitude bearings provide that wider base. And finer incremental movement as well; increased bearing circumference allows more space between each degree. More space means increased control and finer motion.

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5" factory bearings.

Bearing upgraded to 12".

Upgrade your 5" bearings to 12".
Quickly and easily.
Pricing/Ordering

Photos: (L) small factory 5" bearings, (R) upgrade attached externally.

Fit internal or external to side walls depending on mount design.

Bolt holes customized to your telescope.

Will these fit your mount side walls? Check these dimensions.

All parts included: 18mm Baltic birch bearings and supports with captures (see 12" bearing unfinished below), laminate, Teflon, screws.

12" Bearing Internally Mounted.

12" Bearing (unfinished).

Standard 12" and 18" bearings.
Pricing/Ordering

All bearings use "3/4" inch Baltic birch plywood (18mm). Available as kits or finished. Finish uses gloss polymer from General Finishes.

Choose among these options - advise what you need or ask us:

Designs to fit inside or outside your mount side boards.
With or without mounting holes.
With optional Inside braces fit onto your tube curve.
Can mount to existing tube ring set.
Bearing supports with Teflon pads (attach inside or outside walls).
Attach onto/over existing small bearings.
Centering/locking guides with incised channels on bearings.
Custom sizes upon request.
Add altitude setting circle and/or EZ adjust azimuth setting circle.

Carry handles are built in.

18" bearing.

What you get: all parts included. Bearings, Teflon (with supports only), laminate strips, fine tuning assembly (optional).

What you need: Kits require glue for laminate (contact cement), glued with finished bearings, Torx (#8) and Phillips (#4) screwdriver, longer tube attachment bolts (if necessary).

Choosing between 12" and 18" altitude bearings: Generally, the shorter the tube, the smaller your bearings can be and maintain balance. Larger tube diameters and/or heavier, the larger the bearing needed.

Several "rules of thumb" for bearing size exist, from 1.2 to 2.0 times the telescope's aperture. Size matters: Go bigger and have no regrets.

Ordering

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Type (coumun at right)

Type	Description	Price
5BUK	5" bearings to 12" Kit Upgrade	$65
5BUF	5" bearings to 12" Finished Upgrade	$111
S12BK	Standard 12" Bearings Kit	$53
S12BSK	Standard 12" Bearings with Supports Kit	$67
S12BF	Standard 12" Bearings Finished	$87
S12BSF	Standard 12" Bearings with Supports Finished	$105
S18BK	Standard 18" Bearings Kit	$79
S18BSK	Standard 18" Bearings with Supports Kit	$99
S18BF	Standard 18" Bearings Finished	$121
S18BSF	Standard 18" Bearings with Supports Finished	$147
CSB	Custom Size Bearings: Request quote.

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