Tuning orders can only be accepted and confirmed after appointment with Mastro-Tec.
Any user of the Superpol height gauge is familiar with this problem! Adjusting the Rec and Dec axes requires a great deal of precision and can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. Once you have finally managed to do it and want to fix the wedge in place, it becomes distorted and all your hard work is wasted. This is due, among other things, to the flatness between the wedge and the tripod and a number of other parameters that change the setting when fixing. The open design also means that the settling time is very long, which can be annoying when taking photographs. With our tuning version, these problems are a thing of the past.
Super tuning wedge
All shaft bearings are precision machined. This means that they are mounted in brass/bronze plain bearings. Turning the adjustment wheels results in immediate movement in the direction to be changed. Even when changing the direction of rotation, only minimal flank play is noticeable, which is also barely perceptible. The adjustment can now be made smoothly with two fingers on the wheel.
The top shows how cleanly the shafts are mounted. There is no more rough play between the casting and the shaft. An excellent high-performance grease (used in small quantities) is used, which is ideally suited for all climatic conditions in astronomy.
The alignment of the wedge and tripod has also been revised with the same precision. Both surfaces are milled to fit each other, creating a perfectly flat surface. No more tilting and the resulting tension when fixing after adjusting the polar wedge. Simply tightening the central screw is enough to ensure that the wedge is rock-solid and flat.
High-precision reworking and the best materials guarantee many hours of enjoyment when photographing and observing. A series product is transformed into a precision instrument for the highest demands.
The factory-fitted counter bearing of the right ascension axis is also replaced by a precision unit. The M14 brass spindle we have installed and the solid aluminium bearing block it guides as a counter bearing enable virtually play-free movement of the right ascension axis. The forward and backward movement of the bearing block caused by right ascension rotation is not simply guided by a pin, but by a precisely fitted ball bearing that has just enough play to allow it to move freely.
The factory-open cage of the wedge has the disadvantage that the setting is distorted again when the tilt plate is locked. The large play between the cheek and the tilt plate is the problem. We also take action here, remove the play and insert 3 anodised aluminium shafts between the cheeks. This means that the once open cage is now closed and the oscillation time is significantly reduced.
Almost all of the materials we use are rustproof and therefore resistant to all weather conditions. Every polar wedge is different and the dimensions vary. This means that every tuning is special and therefore also requires individual processing. Not only the wedge shown here can be tuned. Every commercially available polar wedge is reworked with the utmost precision. Get in touch with us and we will coordinate the procedure with you in a straightforward manner.
Please contact us to order this tuning service.
Customer review:
Here is a letter from a Super Tuning Wedge owner:
Hello MASTRO-TEC Team
I would like to thank you very much for converting the very wobbly and, without tuning, almost unusable Super Pole Mount from Meade for astrophotography. The wedge is much more stable thanks to the conversion and the settling time is significantly shorter. Adjusting the Rec. and Dec. axes is now a pleasure, as it can be done precisely, whereas before it had to be worked out somehow with only moderate success. I am very satisfied with your conversion and will gladly recommend you to others. Astrophotography is fun again.
Stefan Thoma
Pforzen
Technical changes to the photographed details in the illustrations are reserved for constructive and improvement purposes.
