Project:
Nikon D800 for astrophotography ?

Contents:

1. Nikon D800 overview
2. Adapter Nikon to Pentax 645
3. Lid, Dove tail, Tube ring
4. Focuser mechanism, driver
5. Off-axis guide camera
6. Main bracket
7. Wiring & USB-HUB
8. Test with Windows and APT
9. First Light
10. Balance system
11. Nikon vs Canon, Pentax FA vs Pentax
12. Tilt adjuster
13. KStars/INDI setup for Nikon
14. Correction of tilt
15. To be continued

Note:
I take no responsibility or liability for what are written here, you use the information on your own risk!

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10: Balance system

With my new astrophotographing system I saved 1.7 kg on the lens and camera setup. With that I also can reduce the counter balance by 2.5 kg. In total I save 4.2 kg, that's a lot when I travel out in the night to dark places.

Balance shaft adapter:

It's not so easy to find weights with lower weight than 5 kg. I will use my training weights, no use of them anyway. But the hole diameter is different. That force me to design an adapter from 19 mm to 26 mm diameter. If you want to test 3D-print then STL files can be downloaded here: Balance shaft adapter. Note, 3D-ptinted threads is a challenge, they need some after work.

Latest look of the equipment:

I replace my single 5 kg balance weight with something lighter. From my training equipment weights I took two 1 kg and one 0.5 kg weights.

It must sit safe on the mount, if they fall down something can broke.

I had to pull the shaft all the way out to have the system in balance with these low weight balances.

It take a bit more space when the shaft protrude like this. But out in the nature I have all space I need. It's only on this HEQ5 mount I have these low weight balances. On my home system with an EQ6 I have the normal single 5 kg weight, the weight doesn't matter in that case.

The bottom side, here is the stepper motor with the tangent arm that control the focus. It works very well, low backlash, low friction and it doesn't take much space.