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.

Customer photos/comments
Pricing/Ordering



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:


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.
Order.
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